cumplir — Spanish conjugation

to fulfil

Frequency#91Regular

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
yocumplo
cumples
voscumplís
él/ella/Ud.cumple
nosotroscumplimos
vosotroscumplís
ellos/ellas/Uds.cumplen

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
yocumplí
cumpliste
voscumpliste
él/ella/Ud.cumplió
nosotroscumplimos
vosotroscumplisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.cumplieron

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
yocumplía
cumplías
voscumplías
él/ella/Ud.cumplía
nosotroscumplíamos
vosotroscumplíais
ellos/ellas/Uds.cumplían

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
yocumpliría
cumplirías
voscumplirías
él/ella/Ud.cumpliría
nosotroscumpliríamos
vosotroscumpliríais
ellos/ellas/Uds.cumplirían

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
yocumpliré
cumplirás
voscumplirás
él/ella/Ud.cumplirá
nosotroscumpliremos
vosotroscumpliréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.cumplirán

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

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

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

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

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
yocumpla
cumplas
voscumplas
él/ella/Ud.cumpla
nosotroscumplamos
vosotroscumpláis
ellos/ellas/Uds.cumplan

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
yocumpliera
cumplieras
voscumplieras
él/ella/Ud.cumpliera
nosotroscumpliéramos
vosotroscumplierais
ellos/ellas/Uds.cumplieran

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
yocumpliese
cumplieses
voscumplieses
él/ella/Ud.cumpliese
nosotroscumpliésemos
vosotroscumplieseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.cumpliesen

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

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

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
cumple
voscumplí
él/ella/Ud.cumpla
nosotroscumplamos
vosotroscumplid
ustedescumplan

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 cumplas
vosno cumplas
él/ella/Ud.no cumpla
nosotrosno cumplamos
vosotrosno cumpláis
ustedesno cumplan

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

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

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

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

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