legitimar — Spanish conjugation

to legitimise

Frequency#1489Regular

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
yolegitimoI legitimize
legitimasyou legitimize
voslegitimásyou legitimize
él/ella/Ud.legitimahe/she/it legitimizes
nosotroslegitimamoswe legitimize
vosotroslegitimáisyou (pl.) legitimize
ellos/ellas/Uds.legitimanthey legitimize

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
yolegitiméI legitimized
legitimasteyou legitimized
voslegitimasteyou legitimized
él/ella/Ud.legitimóhe/she/it legitimized
nosotroslegitimamoswe legitimized
vosotroslegitimasteisyou (pl.) legitimized
ellos/ellas/Uds.legitimaronthey legitimized

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
yolegitimaba
legitimabas
voslegitimabas
él/ella/Ud.legitimaba
nosotroslegitimábamos
vosotroslegitimabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.legitimaban

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
yolegitimaríaI would legitimize
legitimaríasyou would legitimize
voslegitimaríasyou would legitimize
él/ella/Ud.legitimaríahe/she/it would legitimize
nosotroslegitimaríamoswe would legitimize
vosotroslegitimaríaisyou (pl.) would legitimize
ellos/ellas/Uds.legitimaríanthey would legitimize

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
yolegitimaréI will legitimize
legitimarásyou will legitimize
voslegitimarásyou will legitimize
él/ella/Ud.legitimaráhe/she/it will legitimize
nosotroslegitimaremoswe will legitimize
vosotroslegitimaréisyou (pl.) will legitimize
ellos/ellas/Uds.legitimaránthey will legitimize

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 legitimadoI have legitimized
has legitimadoyou have legitimized
voshas legitimadoyou have legitimized
él/ella/Ud.ha legitimadohe/she/it has legitimized
nosotroshemos legitimadowe have legitimized
vosotroshabéis legitimadoyou (pl.) have legitimized
ellos/ellas/Uds.han legitimadothey have legitimized

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 legitimadoI had legitimized
habías legitimadoyou had legitimized
voshabías legitimadoyou had legitimized
él/ella/Ud.había legitimadohe/she/it had legitimized
nosotroshabíamos legitimadowe had legitimized
vosotroshabíais legitimadoyou (pl.) had legitimized
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían legitimadothey had legitimized

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

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 legitimadoI will have legitimized
habrás legitimadoyou will have legitimized
voshabrás legitimadoyou will have legitimized
él/ella/Ud.habrá legitimadohe/she/it will have legitimized
nosotroshabremos legitimadowe will have legitimized
vosotroshabréis legitimadoyou (pl.) will have legitimized
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán legitimadothey will have legitimized

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
yolegitime
legitimes
voslegitimes
él/ella/Ud.legitime
nosotroslegitimemos
vosotroslegitiméis
ellos/ellas/Uds.legitimen

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
yolegitimara
legitimaras
voslegitimaras
él/ella/Ud.legitimara
nosotroslegitimáramos
vosotroslegitimarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.legitimaran

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
yolegitimase
legitimases
voslegitimases
él/ella/Ud.legitimase
nosotroslegitimásemos
vosotroslegitimaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.legitimasen

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

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

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
legitima
voslegitimá
él/ella/Ud.legitime
nosotroslegitimemos
vosotroslegitimad
ustedeslegitimen

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 legitimes
vosno legitimes
él/ella/Ud.no legitime
nosotrosno legitimemos
vosotrosno legitiméis
ustedesno legitimen

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

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

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

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

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