sacrificar — Spanish conjugation

to sacrifice

Frequency#538Irregular

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
yosacrificoI sacrifice
sacrificasyou sacrifice
vossacrificásyou sacrifice
él/ella/Ud.sacrificahe/she/it sacrifices
nosotrossacrificamoswe sacrifice
vosotrossacrificáisyou (pl.) sacrifice
ellos/ellas/Uds.sacrificanthey sacrifice

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
yosacrifiquéI sacrificed
sacrificasteyou sacrificed
vossacrificasteyou sacrificed
él/ella/Ud.sacrificóhe/she/it sacrificed
nosotrossacrificamoswe sacrificed
vosotrossacrificasteisyou (pl.) sacrificed
ellos/ellas/Uds.sacrificaronthey sacrificed

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
yosacrificaba
sacrificabas
vossacrificabas
él/ella/Ud.sacrificaba
nosotrossacrificábamos
vosotrossacrificabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.sacrificaban

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
yosacrificaríaI would sacrifice
sacrificaríasyou would sacrifice
vossacrificaríasyou would sacrifice
él/ella/Ud.sacrificaríahe/she/it would sacrifice
nosotrossacrificaríamoswe would sacrifice
vosotrossacrificaríaisyou (pl.) would sacrifice
ellos/ellas/Uds.sacrificaríanthey would sacrifice

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
yosacrificaréI will sacrifice
sacrificarásyou will sacrifice
vossacrificarásyou will sacrifice
él/ella/Ud.sacrificaráhe/she/it will sacrifice
nosotrossacrificaremoswe will sacrifice
vosotrossacrificaréisyou (pl.) will sacrifice
ellos/ellas/Uds.sacrificaránthey will sacrifice

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 sacrificadoI have sacrificed
has sacrificadoyou have sacrificed
voshas sacrificadoyou have sacrificed
él/ella/Ud.ha sacrificadohe/she/it has sacrificed
nosotroshemos sacrificadowe have sacrificed
vosotroshabéis sacrificadoyou (pl.) have sacrificed
ellos/ellas/Uds.han sacrificadothey have sacrificed

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 sacrificadoI had sacrificed
habías sacrificadoyou had sacrificed
voshabías sacrificadoyou had sacrificed
él/ella/Ud.había sacrificadohe/she/it had sacrificed
nosotroshabíamos sacrificadowe had sacrificed
vosotroshabíais sacrificadoyou (pl.) had sacrificed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían sacrificadothey had sacrificed

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

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 sacrificadoI will have sacrificed
habrás sacrificadoyou will have sacrificed
voshabrás sacrificadoyou will have sacrificed
él/ella/Ud.habrá sacrificadohe/she/it will have sacrificed
nosotroshabremos sacrificadowe will have sacrificed
vosotroshabréis sacrificadoyou (pl.) will have sacrificed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán sacrificadothey will have sacrificed

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
yosacrifique
sacrifiques
vossacrifiques
él/ella/Ud.sacrifique
nosotrossacrifiquemos
vosotrossacrifiquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.sacrifiquen

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
yosacrificara
sacrificaras
vossacrificaras
él/ella/Ud.sacrificara
nosotrossacrificáramos
vosotrossacrificarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.sacrificaran

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
yosacrificase
sacrificases
vossacrificases
él/ella/Ud.sacrificase
nosotrossacrificásemos
vosotrossacrificaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.sacrificasen

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

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

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
sacrifica
vossacrificá
él/ella/Ud.sacrifique
nosotrossacrifiquemos
vosotrossacrificad
ustedessacrifiquen

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 sacrifiques
vosno sacrifiques
él/ella/Ud.no sacrifique
nosotrosno sacrifiquemos
vosotrosno sacrifiquéis
ustedesno sacrifiquen

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

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

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

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

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