morder — Spanish conjugation

to bite

Frequency#1068Irregular

Indicative

Present (Presente) Irregular

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
yomuerdoI bite
muerdesyou bite
vosmordésyou bite
él/ella/Ud.muerdehe/she/it bites
nosotrosmordemoswe bite
vosotrosmordéisyou (pl.) bite
ellos/ellas/Uds.muerdenthey bite

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
yomordíI bit
mordisteyou bit
vosmordisteyou bit
él/ella/Ud.mordióhe/she/it bit
nosotrosmordimoswe bit
vosotrosmordisteisyou (pl.) bit
ellos/ellas/Uds.mordieronthey bit

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
yomordía
mordías
vosmordías
él/ella/Ud.mordía
nosotrosmordíamos
vosotrosmordíais
ellos/ellas/Uds.mordían

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
yomorderíaI would bite
morderíasyou would bite
vosmorderíasyou would bite
él/ella/Ud.morderíahe/she/it would bite
nosotrosmorderíamoswe would bite
vosotrosmorderíaisyou (pl.) would bite
ellos/ellas/Uds.morderíanthey would bite

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
yomorderéI will bite
morderásyou will bite
vosmorderásyou will bite
él/ella/Ud.morderáhe/she/it will bite
nosotrosmorderemoswe will bite
vosotrosmorderéisyou (pl.) will bite
ellos/ellas/Uds.morderánthey will bite

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 mordidoI have bitten
has mordidoyou have bitten
voshas mordidoyou have bitten
él/ella/Ud.ha mordidohe/she/it has bitten
nosotroshemos mordidowe have bitten
vosotroshabéis mordidoyou (pl.) have bitten
ellos/ellas/Uds.han mordidothey have bitten

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 mordidoI had bitten
habías mordidoyou had bitten
voshabías mordidoyou had bitten
él/ella/Ud.había mordidohe/she/it had bitten
nosotroshabíamos mordidowe had bitten
vosotroshabíais mordidoyou (pl.) had bitten
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían mordidothey had bitten

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

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 mordidoI will have bitten
habrás mordidoyou will have bitten
voshabrás mordidoyou will have bitten
él/ella/Ud.habrá mordidohe/she/it will have bitten
nosotroshabremos mordidowe will have bitten
vosotroshabréis mordidoyou (pl.) will have bitten
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán mordidothey will have bitten

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
yomuerda
muerdas
vosmuerdas
él/ella/Ud.muerda
nosotrosmordamos
vosotrosmordáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.muerdan

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
yomordiera
mordieras
vosmordieras
él/ella/Ud.mordiera
nosotrosmordiéramos
vosotrosmordierais
ellos/ellas/Uds.mordieran

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
yomordiese
mordieses
vosmordieses
él/ella/Ud.mordiese
nosotrosmordiésemos
vosotrosmordieseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.mordiesen

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

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

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
muerde
vosmordé
él/ella/Ud.muerda
nosotrosmordamos
vosotrosmorded
ustedesmuerdan

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 muerdas
vosno muerdas
él/ella/Ud.no muerda
nosotrosno mordamos
vosotrosno mordáis
ustedesno muerdan

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

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

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

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

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