enfatizar — Spanish conjugation

to emphasise

Frequency#202Irregular

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
yoenfatizoI emphasise
enfatizasyou emphasise
vosenfatizásyou emphasise
él/ella/Ud.enfatizahe/she/it emphasises
nosotrosenfatizamoswe emphasise
vosotrosenfatizáisyou (pl.) emphasise
ellos/ellas/Uds.enfatizanthey emphasise

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Irregular

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
yoenfaticéI emphasised
enfatizasteyou emphasised
vosenfatizasteyou emphasised
él/ella/Ud.enfatizóhe/she/it emphasised
nosotrosenfatizamoswe emphasised
vosotrosenfatizasteisyou (pl.) emphasised
ellos/ellas/Uds.enfatizaronthey emphasised

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
yoenfatizaba
enfatizabas
vosenfatizabas
él/ella/Ud.enfatizaba
nosotrosenfatizábamos
vosotrosenfatizabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.enfatizaban

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
yoenfatizaríaI would emphasise
enfatizaríasyou would emphasise
vosenfatizaríasyou would emphasise
él/ella/Ud.enfatizaríahe/she/it would emphasise
nosotrosenfatizaríamoswe would emphasise
vosotrosenfatizaríaisyou (pl.) would emphasise
ellos/ellas/Uds.enfatizaríanthey would emphasise

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
yoenfatizaréI will emphasise
enfatizarásyou will emphasise
vosenfatizarásyou will emphasise
él/ella/Ud.enfatizaráhe/she/it will emphasise
nosotrosenfatizaremoswe will emphasise
vosotrosenfatizaréisyou (pl.) will emphasise
ellos/ellas/Uds.enfatizaránthey will emphasise

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 enfatizadoI have emphasised
has enfatizadoyou have emphasised
voshas enfatizadoyou have emphasised
él/ella/Ud.ha enfatizadohe/she/it has emphasised
nosotroshemos enfatizadowe have emphasised
vosotroshabéis enfatizadoyou (pl.) have emphasised
ellos/ellas/Uds.han enfatizadothey have emphasised

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 enfatizadoI had emphasised
habías enfatizadoyou had emphasised
voshabías enfatizadoyou had emphasised
él/ella/Ud.había enfatizadohe/she/it had emphasised
nosotroshabíamos enfatizadowe had emphasised
vosotroshabíais enfatizadoyou (pl.) had emphasised
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían enfatizadothey had emphasised

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

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 enfatizadoI will have emphasised
habrás enfatizadoyou will have emphasised
voshabrás enfatizadoyou will have emphasised
él/ella/Ud.habrá enfatizadohe/she/it will have emphasised
nosotroshabremos enfatizadowe will have emphasised
vosotroshabréis enfatizadoyou (pl.) will have emphasised
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán enfatizadothey will have emphasised

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Irregular

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
yoenfatice
enfatices
vosenfatices
él/ella/Ud.enfatice
nosotrosenfaticemos
vosotrosenfaticéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.enfaticen

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
yoenfatizara
enfatizaras
vosenfatizaras
él/ella/Ud.enfatizara
nosotrosenfatizáramos
vosotrosenfatizarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.enfatizaran

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
yoenfatizase
enfatizases
vosenfatizases
él/ella/Ud.enfatizase
nosotrosenfatizásemos
vosotrosenfatizaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.enfatizasen

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

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

Other forms

Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo afirmativo) Irregular

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
enfatiza
vosenfatizá
él/ella/Ud.enfatice
nosotrosenfaticemos
vosotrosenfatizad
ustedesenfaticen

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 enfatices
vosno enfatices
él/ella/Ud.no enfatice
nosotrosno enfaticemos
vosotrosno enfaticéis
ustedesno enfaticen

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

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

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

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

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