espesar — Spanish conjugation

to thicken.

Frequency#319Regular

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
yoespeso
espesas
vosespesás
él/ella/Ud.espesa
nosotrosespesamos
vosotrosespesáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.espesan

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
yoespesé
espesaste
vosespesaste
él/ella/Ud.espesó
nosotrosespesamos
vosotrosespesasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.espesaron

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
yoespesaba
espesabas
vosespesabas
él/ella/Ud.espesaba
nosotrosespesábamos
vosotrosespesabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.espesaban

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
yoespesaría
espesarías
vosespesarías
él/ella/Ud.espesaría
nosotrosespesaríamos
vosotrosespesaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds.espesarían

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
yoespesaré
espesarás
vosespesarás
él/ella/Ud.espesará
nosotrosespesaremos
vosotrosespesaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.espesarán

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

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

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

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

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
yoespese
espeses
vosespeses
él/ella/Ud.espese
nosotrosespesemos
vosotrosespeséis
ellos/ellas/Uds.espesen

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
yoespesara
espesaras
vosespesaras
él/ella/Ud.espesara
nosotrosespesáramos
vosotrosespesarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.espesaran

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
yoespesase
espesases
vosespesases
él/ella/Ud.espesase
nosotrosespesásemos
vosotrosespesaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.espesasen

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

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

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
espesa
vosespesá
él/ella/Ud.espese
nosotrosespesemos
vosotrosespesad
ustedesespesen

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 espeses
vosno espeses
él/ella/Ud.no espese
nosotrosno espesemos
vosotrosno espeséis
ustedesno espesen

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

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

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

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

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