circular — Spanish conjugation

circular (round in shape)

Frequency#792Regular

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
yocirculo
circulas
voscirculás
él/ella/Ud.circula
nosotroscirculamos
vosotroscirculáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.circulan

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
yocirculé
circulaste
voscirculaste
él/ella/Ud.circuló
nosotroscirculamos
vosotroscirculasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.circularon

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
yocirculaba
circulabas
voscirculabas
él/ella/Ud.circulaba
nosotroscirculábamos
vosotroscirculabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.circulaban

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
yocircularía
circularías
voscircularías
él/ella/Ud.circularía
nosotroscircularíamos
vosotroscircularíais
ellos/ellas/Uds.circularían

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
yocircularé
circularás
voscircularás
él/ella/Ud.circulará
nosotroscircularemos
vosotroscircularéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.circularán

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 circulado
has circulado
voshas circulado
él/ella/Ud.ha circulado
nosotroshemos circulado
vosotroshabéis circulado
ellos/ellas/Uds.han circulado

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 circulado
habías circulado
voshabías circulado
él/ella/Ud.había circulado
nosotroshabíamos circulado
vosotroshabíais circulado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían circulado

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

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 circulado
habrás circulado
voshabrás circulado
él/ella/Ud.habrá circulado
nosotroshabremos circulado
vosotroshabréis circulado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán circulado

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
yocircule
circules
voscircules
él/ella/Ud.circule
nosotroscirculemos
vosotroscirculéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.circulen

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
yocirculara
circularas
voscircularas
él/ella/Ud.circulara
nosotroscirculáramos
vosotroscircularais
ellos/ellas/Uds.circularan

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
yocirculase
circulases
voscirculases
él/ella/Ud.circulase
nosotroscirculásemos
vosotroscirculaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.circulasen

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

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

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
circula
voscirculá
él/ella/Ud.circule
nosotroscirculemos
vosotroscirculad
ustedescirculen

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 circules
vosno circules
él/ella/Ud.no circule
nosotrosno circulemos
vosotrosno circuléis
ustedesno circulen

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

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

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

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

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