calificar — Spanish conjugation

to qualify

Frequency#404Irregular

Indicative

Present (Presente) Regular

The present tense is the most versatile tense in Spanish. It covers actions happening right now, habitual actions, and even near-future plans. One form does the work of three English constructions.

Ella habla inglés — She speaks / is speaking English

PronounSpanishEnglish
yocalificoI qualify
calificasyou qualify
voscalificásyou qualify
él/ella/Ud.calificahe/she/it qualifies
nosotroscalificamoswe qualify
vosotroscalificáisyou (pl.) qualify
ellos/ellas/Uds.calificanthey qualify

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Irregular

Used for completed past actions with a defined endpoint — a single event, a series of events, or an action that interrupted another. Common with time expressions like ayer, el lunes, una vez.

Ella habló de ti ayer — She spoke about you yesterday

PronounSpanishEnglish
yocalifiquéI qualified
calificasteyou qualified
voscalificasteyou qualified
él/ella/Ud.calificóhe/she/it qualified
nosotroscalificamoswe qualified
vosotroscalificasteisyou (pl.) qualified
ellos/ellas/Uds.calificaronthey qualified

Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto) Regular

Describes ongoing or habitual past states — what things were like, background context, what used to happen. Contrasts with the preterite which marks completed events.

Cuando era niño vivía en Valencia — When I was a child I lived in Valencia

PronounSpanish
yocalificaba
calificabas
voscalificabas
él/ella/Ud.calificaba
nosotroscalificábamos
vosotroscalificabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.calificaban

Conditional (Condicional) Regular

Expresses hypothetical actions, polite requests, and what would happen under certain conditions. Also used for reported speech about the future from a past perspective.

¿Podrías ayudarme? — Could you help me?

PronounSpanishEnglish
yocalificaríaI would qualify
calificaríasyou would qualify
voscalificaríasyou would qualify
él/ella/Ud.calificaríahe/she/it would qualify
nosotroscalificaríamoswe would qualify
vosotroscalificaríaisyou (pl.) would qualify
ellos/ellas/Uds.calificaríanthey would qualify

Future (Futuro) Regular

Expresses future actions, predictions, and probability about the present. Formed with the full infinitive as stem for most verbs. In spoken Spanish, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for near future.

Ella hablará en conferencia mañana — She will speak at the conference tomorrow

PronounSpanishEnglish
yocalificaréI will qualify
calificarásyou will qualify
voscalificarásyou will qualify
él/ella/Ud.calificaráhe/she/it will qualify
nosotroscalificaremoswe will qualify
vosotroscalificaréisyou (pl.) will qualify
ellos/ellas/Uds.calificaránthey will qualify

Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto) Regular

A compound past tense linking a past action to the present moment — something that has happened and still feels recent or relevant. More common in Spain than Latin America where preterite is preferred.

Hoy he hablado con el jefe — Today I have spoken with the boss

PronounSpanishEnglish
yohe calificadoI have qualified
has calificadoyou have qualified
voshas calificadoyou have qualified
él/ella/Ud.ha calificadohe/she/it has qualified
nosotroshemos calificadowe have qualified
vosotroshabéis calificadoyou (pl.) have qualified
ellos/ellas/Uds.han calificadothey have qualified

Pluperfect (Pretérito pluscuamperfecto) Regular

The past of the past — describes an action that was already completed before another past event happened. Always implies a reference point in the past.

Ya había hablado cuando llegaste — She had already spoken when you arrived

PronounSpanishEnglish
yohabía calificadoI had qualified
habías calificadoyou had qualified
voshabías calificadoyou had qualified
él/ella/Ud.había calificadohe/she/it had qualified
nosotroshabíamos calificadowe had qualified
vosotroshabíais calificadoyou (pl.) had qualified
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían calificadothey had qualified

Conditional perfect (Condicional perfecto) Regular

Expresses what would have happened — actions that were possible but did not occur, or regrets about the past. Formed with conditional of haber + past participle.

Habría hablado, pero no me dejaron — I would have spoken, but they did not let me

PronounSpanish
yohabría calificado
habrías calificado
voshabrías calificado
él/ella/Ud.habría calificado
nosotroshabríamos calificado
vosotroshabríais calificado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrían calificado

Future perfect (Futuro perfecto) Regular

Describes an action that will have been completed by a certain point in the future, or expresses probability about a recent past action.

Para el lunes habré terminado — By Monday I will have finished

PronounSpanishEnglish
yohabré calificadoI will have qualified
habrás calificadoyou will have qualified
voshabrás calificadoyou will have qualified
él/ella/Ud.habrá calificadohe/she/it will have qualified
nosotroshabremos calificadowe will have qualified
vosotroshabréis calificadoyou (pl.) will have qualified
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán calificadothey will have qualified

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Irregular

Used in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, or impersonal statements. Triggered by a change of subject between the main and subordinate clause.

Espero que hable — I hope she speaks

PronounSpanish
yocalifique
califiques
voscalifiques
él/ella/Ud.califique
nosotroscalifiquemos
vosotroscalifiquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.califiquen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-ra)) Regular

The past subjunctive used after past main verbs, in if-clauses with conditional, and for polite softening. The -ra form is more common in everyday speech than the -se form.

Si pudiera, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yocalificara
calificaras
voscalificaras
él/ella/Ud.calificara
nosotroscalificáramos
vosotroscalificarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.calificaran

Imperfect subjunctive (-se) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-se)) Regular

The alternative past subjunctive form. Interchangeable with -ra in most contexts but slightly more literary or formal. Both forms are grammatically correct in all regions.

Si pudiese, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yocalificase
calificases
voscalificases
él/ella/Ud.calificase
nosotroscalificásemos
vosotroscalificaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.calificasen

Perfect subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

A compound subjunctive that expresses completed actions in a subjunctive context — used after present or future main verbs expressing doubt, emotion or desire.

Dudo que ya haya llegado — I doubt she has already arrived

PronounSpanish
yohaya calificado
hayas calificado
voshayas calificado
él/ella/Ud.haya calificado
nosotroshayamos calificado
vosotroshayáis calificado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hayan calificado

Pluperfect subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

Expresses what had happened in hypothetical or unreal past contexts — the subjunctive equivalent of the pluperfect. Common in contrary-to-fact past conditions.

Si hubiera hablado, lo habrían creído — If she had spoken, they would have believed her

PronounSpanish
yohubiera calificado
hubieras calificado
voshubieras calificado
él/ella/Ud.hubiera calificado
nosotroshubiéramos calificado
vosotroshubierais calificado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hubieran calificado

Other forms

Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo afirmativo) Irregular

Direct commands and instructions. The imperative only exists for tú, usted, nosotros, vosotros and ustedes — yo has no command form. Affirmative and negative forms use different conjugations.

Habla más despacio — Speak more slowly

PronounSpanish
califica
voscalificá
él/ella/Ud.califique
nosotroscalifiquemos
vosotroscalificad
ustedescalifiquen

Imperative (negative) (Imperativo negativo) Regular

Negative commands use the subjunctive forms for all persons. Formed with no + present subjunctive. This applies to all persons including tú where the affirmative uses a different form.

No hables tan rápido — Do not speak so fast

PronounSpanish
no califiques
vosno califiques
él/ella/Ud.no califique
nosotrosno califiquemos
vosotrosno califiquéis
ustedesno califiquen

Present progressive (Presente progresivo) Regular

Emphasises that an action is happening right now at this very moment. Less common than in English since the present tense already covers ongoing actions in Spanish.

Estoy hablando contigo — I am speaking with you

PronounSpanish
yoestoy calificando
estás calificando
vosestás calificando
él/ella/Ud.está calificando
nosotrosestamos calificando
vosotrosestáis calificando
ellos/ellas/Uds.están calificando

Preterite progressive (Pretérito indefinido progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that was in progress throughout a completed past period. Uses the preterite of estar + gerund to emphasise the ongoing nature within a defined timeframe.

Estuvo hablando toda la tarde — He was talking all afternoon

PronounSpanish
yoestuve calificando
estuviste calificando
vosestuviste calificando
él/ella/Ud.estuvo calificando
nosotrosestuvimos calificando
vosotrosestuvisteis calificando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estuvieron calificando

Imperfect progressive (Pretérito imperfecto progresivo) Regular

Emphasises an ongoing background action using the imperfect of estar + gerund. Layered on top of the imperfect which already conveys continuity — used for extra emphasis on the progressive nature.

Estaba hablando cuando entró — I was speaking when he came in

PronounSpanish
yoestaba calificando
estabas calificando
vosestabas calificando
él/ella/Ud.estaba calificando
nosotrosestábamos calificando
vosotrosestabais calificando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estaban calificando

Conditional progressive (Condicional progresivo) Regular

Expresses what would be in progress under hypothetical conditions. Uses the conditional of estar + gerund. Less common but used for emphasis on the ongoing nature of a hypothetical action.

Estaría hablando ahora si pudiera — I would be speaking now if I could

PronounSpanish
yoestaría calificando
estarías calificando
vosestarías calificando
él/ella/Ud.estaría calificando
nosotrosestaríamos calificando
vosotrosestaríais calificando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarían calificando

Future progressive (Futuro progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that will be in progress at a future point, or expresses probability about an ongoing present action. Uses the future of estar + gerund.

Mañana a esta hora estaré viajando — At this time tomorrow I will be travelling

PronounSpanish
yoestaré calificando
estarás calificando
vosestarás calificando
él/ella/Ud.estará calificando
nosotrosestaremos calificando
vosotrosestaréis calificando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarán calificando