escapar — Spanish conjugation

to escape

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
yoescapoI escape
escapasyou escape
vosescapásyou escape
él/ella/Ud.escapahe/she/it escapes
nosotrosescapamoswe escape
vosotrosescapáisyou (pl.) escape
ellos/ellas/Uds.escapanthey escape

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
yoescapéI escaped
escapasteyou escaped
vosescapasteyou escaped
él/ella/Ud.escapóhe/she/it escaped
nosotrosescapamoswe escaped
vosotrosescapasteisyou (pl.) escaped
ellos/ellas/Uds.escaparonthey escaped

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
yoescapaba
escapabas
vosescapabas
él/ella/Ud.escapaba
nosotrosescapábamos
vosotrosescapabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.escapaban

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
yoescaparíaI would escape
escaparíasyou would escape
vosescaparíasyou would escape
él/ella/Ud.escaparíahe/she/it would escape
nosotrosescaparíamoswe would escape
vosotrosescaparíaisyou (pl.) would escape
ellos/ellas/Uds.escaparíanthey would escape

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
yoescaparéI will escape
escaparásyou will escape
vosescaparásyou will escape
él/ella/Ud.escaparáhe/she/it will escape
nosotrosescaparemoswe will escape
vosotrosescaparéisyou (pl.) will escape
ellos/ellas/Uds.escaparánthey will escape

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 escapadoI have escaped
has escapadoyou have escaped
voshas escapadoyou have escaped
él/ella/Ud.ha escapadohe/she/it has escaped
nosotroshemos escapadowe have escaped
vosotroshabéis escapadoyou (pl.) have escaped
ellos/ellas/Uds.han escapadothey have escaped

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 escapadoI had escaped
habías escapadoyou had escaped
voshabías escapadoyou had escaped
él/ella/Ud.había escapadohe/she/it had escaped
nosotroshabíamos escapadowe had escaped
vosotroshabíais escapadoyou (pl.) had escaped
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían escapadothey had escaped

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

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 escapadoI will have escaped
habrás escapadoyou will have escaped
voshabrás escapadoyou will have escaped
él/ella/Ud.habrá escapadohe/she/it will have escaped
nosotroshabremos escapadowe will have escaped
vosotroshabréis escapadoyou (pl.) will have escaped
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán escapadothey will have escaped

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
yoescape
escapes
vosescapes
él/ella/Ud.escape
nosotrosescapemos
vosotrosescapéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.escapen

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
yoescapara
escaparas
vosescaparas
él/ella/Ud.escapara
nosotrosescapáramos
vosotrosescaparais
ellos/ellas/Uds.escaparan

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
yoescapase
escapases
vosescapases
él/ella/Ud.escapase
nosotrosescapásemos
vosotrosescapaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.escapasen

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

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

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
escapa
vosescapá
él/ella/Ud.escape
nosotrosescapemos
vosotrosescapad
ustedesescapen

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 escapes
vosno escapes
él/ella/Ud.no escape
nosotrosno escapemos
vosotrosno escapéis
ustedesno escapen

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

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

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

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

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