depender — Spanish conjugation

to depend, to be subject to

Frequency#177Regular

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
yodependoI depend
dependesyou depend
vosdependésyou depend
él/ella/Ud.dependehe/she/it depends
nosotrosdependemoswe depend
vosotrosdependéisyou (pl.) depend
ellos/ellas/Uds.dependenthey depend

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

PronounSpanishEnglish
yodependíI depended
dependisteyou depended
vosdependisteyou depended
él/ella/Ud.dependióhe/she/it depended
nosotrosdependimoswe depended
vosotrosdependisteisyou (pl.) depended
ellos/ellas/Uds.dependieronthey depended

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
yodependía
dependías
vosdependías
él/ella/Ud.dependía
nosotrosdependíamos
vosotrosdependíais
ellos/ellas/Uds.dependían

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
yodependeríaI would depend
dependeríasyou would depend
vosdependeríasyou would depend
él/ella/Ud.dependeríahe/she/it would depend
nosotrosdependeríamoswe would depend
vosotrosdependeríaisyou (pl.) would depend
ellos/ellas/Uds.dependeríanthey would depend

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
yodependeréI will depend
dependerásyou will depend
vosdependerásyou will depend
él/ella/Ud.dependeráhe/she/it will depend
nosotrosdependeremoswe will depend
vosotrosdependeréisyou (pl.) will depend
ellos/ellas/Uds.dependeránthey will depend

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 dependidoI have depended
has dependidoyou have depended
voshas dependidoyou have depended
él/ella/Ud.ha dependidohe/she/it has depended
nosotroshemos dependidowe have depended
vosotroshabéis dependidoyou (pl.) have depended
ellos/ellas/Uds.han dependidothey have depended

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 dependidoI had depended
habías dependidoyou had depended
voshabías dependidoyou had depended
él/ella/Ud.había dependidohe/she/it had depended
nosotroshabíamos dependidowe had depended
vosotroshabíais dependidoyou (pl.) had depended
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían dependidothey had depended

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

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 dependidoI will have depended
habrás dependidoyou will have depended
voshabrás dependidoyou will have depended
él/ella/Ud.habrá dependidohe/she/it will have depended
nosotroshabremos dependidowe will have depended
vosotroshabréis dependidoyou (pl.) will have depended
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán dependidothey will have depended

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
yodependa
dependas
vosdependas
él/ella/Ud.dependa
nosotrosdependamos
vosotrosdependáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.dependan

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
yodependiera
dependieras
vosdependieras
él/ella/Ud.dependiera
nosotrosdependiéramos
vosotrosdependierais
ellos/ellas/Uds.dependieran

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
yodependiese
dependieses
vosdependieses
él/ella/Ud.dependiese
nosotrosdependiésemos
vosotrosdependieseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.dependiesen

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

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

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
depende
vosdependé
él/ella/Ud.dependa
nosotrosdependamos
vosotrosdepended
ustedesdependan

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 dependas
vosno dependas
él/ella/Ud.no dependa
nosotrosno dependamos
vosotrosno dependáis
ustedesno dependan

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

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

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

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

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