predicar — Spanish conjugation

to preach

Frequency#693Irregular

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
yopredicoI preach
predicasyou preach
vospredicásyou preach
él/ella/Ud.predicahe/she/it preaches
nosotrospredicamoswe preach
vosotrospredicáisyou (pl.) preach
ellos/ellas/Uds.predicanthey preach

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
yoprediquéI preached
predicasteyou preached
vospredicasteyou preached
él/ella/Ud.predicóhe/she/it preached
nosotrospredicamoswe preached
vosotrospredicasteisyou (pl.) preached
ellos/ellas/Uds.predicaronthey preached

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
yopredicaba
predicabas
vospredicabas
él/ella/Ud.predicaba
nosotrospredicábamos
vosotrospredicabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.predicaban

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
yopredicaríaI would preach
predicaríasyou would preach
vospredicaríasyou would preach
él/ella/Ud.predicaríahe/she/it would preach
nosotrospredicaríamoswe would preach
vosotrospredicaríaisyou (pl.) would preach
ellos/ellas/Uds.predicaríanthey would preach

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
yopredicaréI will preach
predicarásyou will preach
vospredicarásyou will preach
él/ella/Ud.predicaráhe/she/it will preach
nosotrospredicaremoswe will preach
vosotrospredicaréisyou (pl.) will preach
ellos/ellas/Uds.predicaránthey will preach

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 predicadoI have preached
has predicadoyou have preached
voshas predicadoyou have preached
él/ella/Ud.ha predicadohe/she/it has preached
nosotroshemos predicadowe have preached
vosotroshabéis predicadoyou (pl.) have preached
ellos/ellas/Uds.han predicadothey have preached

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 predicadoI had preached
habías predicadoyou had preached
voshabías predicadoyou had preached
él/ella/Ud.había predicadohe/she/it had preached
nosotroshabíamos predicadowe had preached
vosotroshabíais predicadoyou (pl.) had preached
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían predicadothey had preached

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

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 predicadoI will have preached
habrás predicadoyou will have preached
voshabrás predicadoyou will have preached
él/ella/Ud.habrá predicadohe/she/it will have preached
nosotroshabremos predicadowe will have preached
vosotroshabréis predicadoyou (pl.) will have preached
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán predicadothey will have preached

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
yopredique
prediques
vosprediques
él/ella/Ud.predique
nosotrosprediquemos
vosotrosprediquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.prediquen

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
yopredicara
predicaras
vospredicaras
él/ella/Ud.predicara
nosotrospredicáramos
vosotrospredicarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.predicaran

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
yopredicase
predicases
vospredicases
él/ella/Ud.predicase
nosotrospredicásemos
vosotrospredicaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.predicasen

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

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

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
predica
vospredicá
él/ella/Ud.predique
nosotrosprediquemos
vosotrospredicad
ustedesprediquen

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 prediques
vosno prediques
él/ella/Ud.no predique
nosotrosno prediquemos
vosotrosno prediquéis
ustedesno prediquen

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

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

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

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

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