puntuar — Spanish conjugation

to punctuate

Frequency#1996Irregular

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
yopuntúoI punctuate
puntúasyou punctuate
vospuntuásyou punctuate
él/ella/Ud.puntúahe/she/it punctuates
nosotrospuntuamoswe punctuate
vosotrospuntuáisyou (pl.) punctuate
ellos/ellas/Uds.puntúanthey punctuate

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
yopuntuéI punctuated
puntuasteyou punctuated
vospuntuasteyou punctuated
él/ella/Ud.puntuóhe/she/it punctuated
nosotrospuntuamoswe punctuated
vosotrospuntuasteisyou (pl.) punctuated
ellos/ellas/Uds.puntuaronthey punctuated

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
yopuntuaba
puntuabas
vospuntuabas
él/ella/Ud.puntuaba
nosotrospuntuábamos
vosotrospuntuabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.puntuaban

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
yopuntuaríaI would punctuate
puntuaríasyou would punctuate
vospuntuaríasyou would punctuate
él/ella/Ud.puntuaríahe/she/it would punctuate
nosotrospuntuaríamoswe would punctuate
vosotrospuntuaríaisyou (pl.) would punctuate
ellos/ellas/Uds.puntuaríanthey would punctuate

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
yopuntuaréI will punctuate
puntuarásyou will punctuate
vospuntuarásyou will punctuate
él/ella/Ud.puntuaráhe/she/it will punctuate
nosotrospuntuaremoswe will punctuate
vosotrospuntuaréisyou (pl.) will punctuate
ellos/ellas/Uds.puntuaránthey will punctuate

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 puntuadoI have punctuated
has puntuadoyou have punctuated
voshas puntuadoyou have punctuated
él/ella/Ud.ha puntuadohe/she/it has punctuated
nosotroshemos puntuadowe have punctuated
vosotroshabéis puntuadoyou (pl.) have punctuated
ellos/ellas/Uds.han puntuadothey have punctuated

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 puntuadoI had punctuated
habías puntuadoyou had punctuated
voshabías puntuadoyou had punctuated
él/ella/Ud.había puntuadohe/she/it had punctuated
nosotroshabíamos puntuadowe had punctuated
vosotroshabíais puntuadoyou (pl.) had punctuated
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían puntuadothey had punctuated

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

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 puntuadoI will have punctuated
habrás puntuadoyou will have punctuated
voshabrás puntuadoyou will have punctuated
él/ella/Ud.habrá puntuadohe/she/it will have punctuated
nosotroshabremos puntuadowe will have punctuated
vosotroshabréis puntuadoyou (pl.) will have punctuated
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán puntuadothey will have punctuated

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
yopuntúe
puntúes
vospuntúes
él/ella/Ud.puntúe
nosotrospuntuemos
vosotrospuntuéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.puntúen

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
yopuntuara
puntuaras
vospuntuaras
él/ella/Ud.puntuara
nosotrospuntuáramos
vosotrospuntuarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.puntuaran

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
yopuntuase
puntuases
vospuntuases
él/ella/Ud.puntuase
nosotrospuntuásemos
vosotrospuntuaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.puntuasen

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

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

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
puntúa
vospuntuá
él/ella/Ud.puntúe
nosotrospuntuemos
vosotrospuntuad
ustedespuntúen

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 puntúes
vosno puntúes
él/ella/Ud.no puntúe
nosotrosno puntuemos
vosotrosno puntuéis
ustedesno puntúen

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

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

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

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

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