prohibir — Spanish conjugation

to prohibit

Frequency#279Irregular

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
yoprohíboI prohibit
prohíbesyou prohibit
vosprohibísyou prohibit
él/ella/Ud.prohíbehe/she/it prohibits
nosotrosprohibimoswe prohibit
vosotrosprohibísyou (pl.) prohibit
ellos/ellas/Uds.prohíbenthey prohibit

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
yoprohibíI prohibited
prohibisteyou prohibited
vosprohibisteyou prohibited
él/ella/Ud.prohibióhe/she/it prohibited
nosotrosprohibimoswe prohibited
vosotrosprohibisteisyou (pl.) prohibited
ellos/ellas/Uds.prohibieronthey prohibited

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
yoprohibía
prohibías
vosprohibías
él/ella/Ud.prohibía
nosotrosprohibíamos
vosotrosprohibíais
ellos/ellas/Uds.prohibían

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
yoprohibiríaI would prohibit
prohibiríasyou would prohibit
vosprohibiríasyou would prohibit
él/ella/Ud.prohibiríahe/she/it would prohibit
nosotrosprohibiríamoswe would prohibit
vosotrosprohibiríaisyou (pl.) would prohibit
ellos/ellas/Uds.prohibiríanthey would prohibit

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
yoprohibiréI will prohibit
prohibirásyou will prohibit
vosprohibirásyou will prohibit
él/ella/Ud.prohibiráhe/she/it will prohibit
nosotrosprohibiremoswe will prohibit
vosotrosprohibiréisyou (pl.) will prohibit
ellos/ellas/Uds.prohibiránthey will prohibit

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 prohibidoI have prohibited
has prohibidoyou have prohibited
voshas prohibidoyou have prohibited
él/ella/Ud.ha prohibidohe/she/it has prohibited
nosotroshemos prohibidowe have prohibited
vosotroshabéis prohibidoyou (pl.) have prohibited
ellos/ellas/Uds.han prohibidothey have prohibited

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 prohibidoI had prohibited
habías prohibidoyou had prohibited
voshabías prohibidoyou had prohibited
él/ella/Ud.había prohibidohe/she/it had prohibited
nosotroshabíamos prohibidowe had prohibited
vosotroshabíais prohibidoyou (pl.) had prohibited
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían prohibidothey had prohibited

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

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 prohibidoI will have prohibited
habrás prohibidoyou will have prohibited
voshabrás prohibidoyou will have prohibited
él/ella/Ud.habrá prohibidohe/she/it will have prohibited
nosotroshabremos prohibidowe will have prohibited
vosotroshabréis prohibidoyou (pl.) will have prohibited
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán prohibidothey will have prohibited

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
yoprohíba
prohíbas
vosprohíbas
él/ella/Ud.prohíba
nosotrosprohibamos
vosotrosprohibáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.prohíban

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
yoprohibiera
prohibieras
vosprohibieras
él/ella/Ud.prohibiera
nosotrosprohibiéramos
vosotrosprohibierais
ellos/ellas/Uds.prohibieran

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
yoprohibiese
prohibieses
vosprohibieses
él/ella/Ud.prohibiese
nosotrosprohibiésemos
vosotrosprohibieseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.prohibiesen

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

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

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
prohíbe
vosprohibí
él/ella/Ud.prohíba
nosotrosprohibamos
vosotrosprohibid
ustedesprohíban

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 prohíbas
vosno prohíbas
él/ella/Ud.no prohíba
nosotrosno prohibamos
vosotrosno prohibáis
ustedesno prohíban

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

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

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

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

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