molestar — Spanish conjugation

to bother

Frequency#830RegularReflexivemolestarse — to get upset (oneself)

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
yomolestoI bother
molestasyou bother
vosmolestásyou bother
él/ella/Ud.molestahe/she/it bothers
nosotrosmolestamoswe bother
vosotrosmolestáisyou (pl.) bother
ellos/ellas/Uds.molestanthey bother

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
yomolestéI bothered
molestasteyou bothered
vosmolestasteyou bothered
él/ella/Ud.molestóhe/she/it bothered
nosotrosmolestamoswe bothered
vosotrosmolestasteisyou (pl.) bothered
ellos/ellas/Uds.molestaronthey bothered

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
yomolestaba
molestabas
vosmolestabas
él/ella/Ud.molestaba
nosotrosmolestábamos
vosotrosmolestabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.molestaban

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
yomolestaríaI would bother
molestaríasyou would bother
vosmolestaríasyou would bother
él/ella/Ud.molestaríahe/she/it would bother
nosotrosmolestaríamoswe would bother
vosotrosmolestaríaisyou (pl.) would bother
ellos/ellas/Uds.molestaríanthey would bother

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
yomolestaréI will bother
molestarásyou will bother
vosmolestarásyou will bother
él/ella/Ud.molestaráhe/she/it will bother
nosotrosmolestaremoswe will bother
vosotrosmolestaréisyou (pl.) will bother
ellos/ellas/Uds.molestaránthey will bother

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 molestadoI have bothered
has molestadoyou have bothered
voshas molestadoyou have bothered
él/ella/Ud.ha molestadohe/she/it has bothered
nosotroshemos molestadowe have bothered
vosotroshabéis molestadoyou (pl.) have bothered
ellos/ellas/Uds.han molestadothey have bothered

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 molestadoI had bothered
habías molestadoyou had bothered
voshabías molestadoyou had bothered
él/ella/Ud.había molestadohe/she/it had bothered
nosotroshabíamos molestadowe had bothered
vosotroshabíais molestadoyou (pl.) had bothered
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían molestadothey had bothered

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

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 molestadoI will have bothered
habrás molestadoyou will have bothered
voshabrás molestadoyou will have bothered
él/ella/Ud.habrá molestadohe/she/it will have bothered
nosotroshabremos molestadowe will have bothered
vosotroshabréis molestadoyou (pl.) will have bothered
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán molestadothey will have bothered

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
yomoleste
molestes
vosmolestes
él/ella/Ud.moleste
nosotrosmolestemos
vosotrosmolestéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.molesten

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
yomolestara
molestaras
vosmolestaras
él/ella/Ud.molestara
nosotrosmolestáramos
vosotrosmolestarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.molestaran

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
yomolestase
molestases
vosmolestases
él/ella/Ud.molestase
nosotrosmolestásemos
vosotrosmolestaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.molestasen

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

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

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
molesta
vosmolestá
él/ella/Ud.moleste
nosotrosmolestemos
vosotrosmolestad
ustedesmolesten

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 molestes
vosno molestes
él/ella/Ud.no moleste
nosotrosno molestemos
vosotrosno molestéis
ustedesno molesten

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

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

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

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

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