centrar — Spanish conjugation

to centre

Frequency#512Regular

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

PronounSpanish
yocentro
centras
voscentrás
él/ella/Ud.centra
nosotroscentramos
vosotroscentráis
ellos/ellas/Uds.centran

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Regular

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

PronounSpanish
yocentré
centraste
voscentraste
él/ella/Ud.centró
nosotroscentramos
vosotroscentrasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.centraron

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
yocentraba
centrabas
voscentrabas
él/ella/Ud.centraba
nosotroscentrábamos
vosotroscentrabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.centraban

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?

PronounSpanish
yocentraría
centrarías
voscentrarías
él/ella/Ud.centraría
nosotroscentraríamos
vosotroscentraríais
ellos/ellas/Uds.centrarían

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

PronounSpanish
yocentraré
centrarás
voscentrarás
él/ella/Ud.centrará
nosotroscentraremos
vosotroscentraréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.centrarán

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

PronounSpanish
yohe centrado
has centrado
voshas centrado
él/ella/Ud.ha centrado
nosotroshemos centrado
vosotroshabéis centrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.han centrado

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

PronounSpanish
yohabía centrado
habías centrado
voshabías centrado
él/ella/Ud.había centrado
nosotroshabíamos centrado
vosotroshabíais centrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían centrado

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 centrado
habrías centrado
voshabrías centrado
él/ella/Ud.habría centrado
nosotroshabríamos centrado
vosotroshabríais centrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrían centrado

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

PronounSpanish
yohabré centrado
habrás centrado
voshabrás centrado
él/ella/Ud.habrá centrado
nosotroshabremos centrado
vosotroshabréis centrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán centrado

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Regular

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
yocentre
centres
voscentres
él/ella/Ud.centre
nosotroscentremos
vosotroscentréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.centren

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
yocentrara
centraras
voscentraras
él/ella/Ud.centrara
nosotroscentráramos
vosotroscentrarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.centraran

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
yocentrase
centrases
voscentrases
él/ella/Ud.centrase
nosotroscentrásemos
vosotroscentraseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.centrasen

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 centrado
hayas centrado
voshayas centrado
él/ella/Ud.haya centrado
nosotroshayamos centrado
vosotroshayáis centrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hayan centrado

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 centrado
hubieras centrado
voshubieras centrado
él/ella/Ud.hubiera centrado
nosotroshubiéramos centrado
vosotroshubierais centrado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hubieran centrado

Other forms

Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo afirmativo) Regular

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
centra
voscentrá
él/ella/Ud.centre
nosotroscentremos
vosotroscentrad
ustedescentren

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 centres
vosno centres
él/ella/Ud.no centre
nosotrosno centremos
vosotrosno centréis
ustedesno centren

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 centrando
estás centrando
vosestás centrando
él/ella/Ud.está centrando
nosotrosestamos centrando
vosotrosestáis centrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.están centrando

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 centrando
estuviste centrando
vosestuviste centrando
él/ella/Ud.estuvo centrando
nosotrosestuvimos centrando
vosotrosestuvisteis centrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estuvieron centrando

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 centrando
estabas centrando
vosestabas centrando
él/ella/Ud.estaba centrando
nosotrosestábamos centrando
vosotrosestabais centrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estaban centrando

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 centrando
estarías centrando
vosestarías centrando
él/ella/Ud.estaría centrando
nosotrosestaríamos centrando
vosotrosestaríais centrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarían centrando

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 centrando
estarás centrando
vosestarás centrando
él/ella/Ud.estará centrando
nosotrosestaremos centrando
vosotrosestaréis centrando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarán centrando