fracasar — Spanish conjugation

to fail (to be unsuccessful)

Frequency#1003Regular

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
yofracasoI fail
fracasasyou fail
vosfracasásyou fail
él/ella/Ud.fracasahe/she/it fails
nosotrosfracasamoswe fail
vosotrosfracasáisyou (pl.) fail
ellos/ellas/Uds.fracasanthey fail

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
yofracaséI failed
fracasasteyou failed
vosfracasasteyou failed
él/ella/Ud.fracasóhe/she/it failed
nosotrosfracasamoswe failed
vosotrosfracasasteisyou (pl.) failed
ellos/ellas/Uds.fracasaronthey failed

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
yofracasaba
fracasabas
vosfracasabas
él/ella/Ud.fracasaba
nosotrosfracasábamos
vosotrosfracasabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.fracasaban

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
yofracasaríaI would fail
fracasaríasyou would fail
vosfracasaríasyou would fail
él/ella/Ud.fracasaríahe/she/it would fail
nosotrosfracasaríamoswe would fail
vosotrosfracasaríaisyou (pl.) would fail
ellos/ellas/Uds.fracasaríanthey would fail

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
yofracasaréI will fail
fracasarásyou will fail
vosfracasarásyou will fail
él/ella/Ud.fracasaráhe/she/it will fail
nosotrosfracasaremoswe will fail
vosotrosfracasaréisyou (pl.) will fail
ellos/ellas/Uds.fracasaránthey will fail

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 fracasadoI have failed
has fracasadoyou have failed
voshas fracasadoyou have failed
él/ella/Ud.ha fracasadohe/she/it has failed
nosotroshemos fracasadowe have failed
vosotroshabéis fracasadoyou (pl.) have failed
ellos/ellas/Uds.han fracasadothey have failed

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 fracasadoI had failed
habías fracasadoyou had failed
voshabías fracasadoyou had failed
él/ella/Ud.había fracasadohe/she/it had failed
nosotroshabíamos fracasadowe had failed
vosotroshabíais fracasadoyou (pl.) had failed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían fracasadothey had failed

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

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 fracasadoI will have failed
habrás fracasadoyou will have failed
voshabrás fracasadoyou will have failed
él/ella/Ud.habrá fracasadohe/she/it will have failed
nosotroshabremos fracasadowe will have failed
vosotroshabréis fracasadoyou (pl.) will have failed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán fracasadothey will have failed

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
yofracase
fracases
vosfracases
él/ella/Ud.fracase
nosotrosfracasemos
vosotrosfracaséis
ellos/ellas/Uds.fracasen

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
yofracasara
fracasaras
vosfracasaras
él/ella/Ud.fracasara
nosotrosfracasáramos
vosotrosfracasarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.fracasaran

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
yofracasase
fracasases
vosfracasases
él/ella/Ud.fracasase
nosotrosfracasásemos
vosotrosfracasaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.fracasasen

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

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

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
fracasa
vosfracasá
él/ella/Ud.fracase
nosotrosfracasemos
vosotrosfracasad
ustedesfracasen

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 fracases
vosno fracases
él/ella/Ud.no fracase
nosotrosno fracasemos
vosotrosno fracaséis
ustedesno fracasen

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

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

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

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

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