nombrar — Spanish conjugation

to name

Frequency#329Regular

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
yonombroI name
nombrasyou name
vosnombrásyou name
él/ella/Ud.nombrahe/she/it names
nosotrosnombramoswe name
vosotrosnombráisyou (pl.) name
ellos/ellas/Uds.nombranthey name

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
yonombréI named
nombrasteyou named
vosnombrasteyou named
él/ella/Ud.nombróhe/she/it named
nosotrosnombramoswe named
vosotrosnombrasteisyou (pl.) named
ellos/ellas/Uds.nombraronthey named

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
yonombraba
nombrabas
vosnombrabas
él/ella/Ud.nombraba
nosotrosnombrábamos
vosotrosnombrabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.nombraban

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
yonombraríaI would name
nombraríasyou would name
vosnombraríasyou would name
él/ella/Ud.nombraríahe/she/it would name
nosotrosnombraríamoswe would name
vosotrosnombraríaisyou (pl.) would name
ellos/ellas/Uds.nombraríanthey would name

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
yonombraréI will name
nombrarásyou will name
vosnombrarásyou will name
él/ella/Ud.nombraráhe/she/it will name
nosotrosnombraremoswe will name
vosotrosnombraréisyou (pl.) will name
ellos/ellas/Uds.nombraránthey will name

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 nombradoI have named
has nombradoyou have named
voshas nombradoyou have named
él/ella/Ud.ha nombradohe/she/it has named
nosotroshemos nombradowe have named
vosotroshabéis nombradoyou (pl.) have named
ellos/ellas/Uds.han nombradothey have named

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 nombradoI had named
habías nombradoyou had named
voshabías nombradoyou had named
él/ella/Ud.había nombradohe/she/it had named
nosotroshabíamos nombradowe had named
vosotroshabíais nombradoyou (pl.) had named
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían nombradothey had named

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

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 nombradoI will have named
habrás nombradoyou will have named
voshabrás nombradoyou will have named
él/ella/Ud.habrá nombradohe/she/it will have named
nosotroshabremos nombradowe will have named
vosotroshabréis nombradoyou (pl.) will have named
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán nombradothey will have named

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
yonombre
nombres
vosnombres
él/ella/Ud.nombre
nosotrosnombremos
vosotrosnombréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.nombren

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
yonombrara
nombraras
vosnombraras
él/ella/Ud.nombrara
nosotrosnombráramos
vosotrosnombrarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.nombraran

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
yonombrase
nombrases
vosnombrases
él/ella/Ud.nombrase
nosotrosnombrásemos
vosotrosnombraseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.nombrasen

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

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

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
nombra
vosnombrá
él/ella/Ud.nombre
nosotrosnombremos
vosotrosnombrad
ustedesnombren

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 nombres
vosno nombres
él/ella/Ud.no nombre
nosotrosno nombremos
vosotrosno nombréis
ustedesno nombren

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

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

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

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

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