dispensar — Spanish conjugation

to dispense

Frequency#726Regular

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
yodispensoI dispense
dispensasyou dispense
vosdispensásyou dispense
él/ella/Ud.dispensahe/she/it dispenses
nosotrosdispensamoswe dispense
vosotrosdispensáisyou (pl.) dispense
ellos/ellas/Uds.dispensanthey dispense

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
yodispenséI dispensed
dispensasteyou dispensed
vosdispensasteyou dispensed
él/ella/Ud.dispensóhe/she/it dispensed
nosotrosdispensamoswe dispensed
vosotrosdispensasteisyou (pl.) dispensed
ellos/ellas/Uds.dispensaronthey dispensed

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
yodispensaba
dispensabas
vosdispensabas
él/ella/Ud.dispensaba
nosotrosdispensábamos
vosotrosdispensabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.dispensaban

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
yodispensaríaI would dispense
dispensaríasyou would dispense
vosdispensaríasyou would dispense
él/ella/Ud.dispensaríahe/she/it would dispense
nosotrosdispensaríamoswe would dispense
vosotrosdispensaríaisyou (pl.) would dispense
ellos/ellas/Uds.dispensaríanthey would dispense

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
yodispensaréI will dispense
dispensarásyou will dispense
vosdispensarásyou will dispense
él/ella/Ud.dispensaráhe/she/it will dispense
nosotrosdispensaremoswe will dispense
vosotrosdispensaréisyou (pl.) will dispense
ellos/ellas/Uds.dispensaránthey will dispense

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 dispensadoI have dispensed
has dispensadoyou have dispensed
voshas dispensadoyou have dispensed
él/ella/Ud.ha dispensadohe/she/it has dispensed
nosotroshemos dispensadowe have dispensed
vosotroshabéis dispensadoyou (pl.) have dispensed
ellos/ellas/Uds.han dispensadothey have dispensed

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 dispensadoI had dispensed
habías dispensadoyou had dispensed
voshabías dispensadoyou had dispensed
él/ella/Ud.había dispensadohe/she/it had dispensed
nosotroshabíamos dispensadowe had dispensed
vosotroshabíais dispensadoyou (pl.) had dispensed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían dispensadothey had dispensed

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

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 dispensadoI will have dispensed
habrás dispensadoyou will have dispensed
voshabrás dispensadoyou will have dispensed
él/ella/Ud.habrá dispensadohe/she/it will have dispensed
nosotroshabremos dispensadowe will have dispensed
vosotroshabréis dispensadoyou (pl.) will have dispensed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán dispensadothey will have dispensed

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
yodispense
dispenses
vosdispenses
él/ella/Ud.dispense
nosotrosdispensemos
vosotrosdispenséis
ellos/ellas/Uds.dispensen

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
yodispensara
dispensaras
vosdispensaras
él/ella/Ud.dispensara
nosotrosdispensáramos
vosotrosdispensarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.dispensaran

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
yodispensase
dispensases
vosdispensases
él/ella/Ud.dispensase
nosotrosdispensásemos
vosotrosdispensaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.dispensasen

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

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

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
dispensa
vosdispensá
él/ella/Ud.dispense
nosotrosdispensemos
vosotrosdispensad
ustedesdispensen

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 dispenses
vosno dispenses
él/ella/Ud.no dispense
nosotrosno dispensemos
vosotrosno dispenséis
ustedesno dispensen

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

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

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

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

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