machacar — Spanish conjugation

to crush

Frequency#555Irregular

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
yomachacoI crush
machacasyou crush
vosmachacásyou crush
él/ella/Ud.machacahe/she/it crushes
nosotrosmachacamoswe crush
vosotrosmachacáisyou (pl.) crush
ellos/ellas/Uds.machacanthey crush

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
yomachaquéI crushed
machacasteyou crushed
vosmachacasteyou crushed
él/ella/Ud.machacóhe/she/it crushed
nosotrosmachacamoswe crushed
vosotrosmachacasteisyou (pl.) crushed
ellos/ellas/Uds.machacaronthey crushed

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
yomachacaba
machacabas
vosmachacabas
él/ella/Ud.machacaba
nosotrosmachacábamos
vosotrosmachacabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.machacaban

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
yomachacaríaI would crush
machacaríasyou would crush
vosmachacaríasyou would crush
él/ella/Ud.machacaríahe/she/it would crush
nosotrosmachacaríamoswe would crush
vosotrosmachacaríaisyou (pl.) would crush
ellos/ellas/Uds.machacaríanthey would crush

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
yomachacaréI will crush
machacarásyou will crush
vosmachacarásyou will crush
él/ella/Ud.machacaráhe/she/it will crush
nosotrosmachacaremoswe will crush
vosotrosmachacaréisyou (pl.) will crush
ellos/ellas/Uds.machacaránthey will crush

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 machacadoI have crushed
has machacadoyou have crushed
voshas machacadoyou have crushed
él/ella/Ud.ha machacadohe/she/it has crushed
nosotroshemos machacadowe have crushed
vosotroshabéis machacadoyou (pl.) have crushed
ellos/ellas/Uds.han machacadothey have crushed

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 machacadoI had crushed
habías machacadoyou had crushed
voshabías machacadoyou had crushed
él/ella/Ud.había machacadohe/she/it had crushed
nosotroshabíamos machacadowe had crushed
vosotroshabíais machacadoyou (pl.) had crushed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían machacadothey had crushed

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

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 machacadoI will have crushed
habrás machacadoyou will have crushed
voshabrás machacadoyou will have crushed
él/ella/Ud.habrá machacadohe/she/it will have crushed
nosotroshabremos machacadowe will have crushed
vosotroshabréis machacadoyou (pl.) will have crushed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán machacadothey will have crushed

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
yomachaque
machaques
vosmachaques
él/ella/Ud.machaque
nosotrosmachaquemos
vosotrosmachaquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.machaquen

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
yomachacara
machacaras
vosmachacaras
él/ella/Ud.machacara
nosotrosmachacáramos
vosotrosmachacarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.machacaran

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
yomachacase
machacases
vosmachacases
él/ella/Ud.machacase
nosotrosmachacásemos
vosotrosmachacaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.machacasen

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

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

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
machaca
vosmachacá
él/ella/Ud.machaque
nosotrosmachaquemos
vosotrosmachacad
ustedesmachaquen

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 machaques
vosno machaques
él/ella/Ud.no machaque
nosotrosno machaquemos
vosotrosno machaquéis
ustedesno machaquen

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

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

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

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

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