secuestrar — Spanish conjugation

to kidnap

Frequency#1935Regular

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
yosecuestroI kidnap
secuestrasyou kidnap
vossecuestrásyou kidnap
él/ella/Ud.secuestrahe/she/it kidnaps
nosotrossecuestramoswe kidnap
vosotrossecuestráisyou (pl.) kidnap
ellos/ellas/Uds.secuestranthey kidnap

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
yosecuestréI kidnapped
secuestrasteyou kidnapped
vossecuestrasteyou kidnapped
él/ella/Ud.secuestróhe/she/it kidnapped
nosotrossecuestramoswe kidnapped
vosotrossecuestrasteisyou (pl.) kidnapped
ellos/ellas/Uds.secuestraronthey kidnapped

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
yosecuestraba
secuestrabas
vossecuestrabas
él/ella/Ud.secuestraba
nosotrossecuestrábamos
vosotrossecuestrabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.secuestraban

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
yosecuestraríaI would kidnap
secuestraríasyou would kidnap
vossecuestraríasyou would kidnap
él/ella/Ud.secuestraríahe/she/it would kidnap
nosotrossecuestraríamoswe would kidnap
vosotrossecuestraríaisyou (pl.) would kidnap
ellos/ellas/Uds.secuestraríanthey would kidnap

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
yosecuestraréI will kidnap
secuestrarásyou will kidnap
vossecuestrarásyou will kidnap
él/ella/Ud.secuestraráhe/she/it will kidnap
nosotrossecuestraremoswe will kidnap
vosotrossecuestraréisyou (pl.) will kidnap
ellos/ellas/Uds.secuestraránthey will kidnap

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 secuestradoI have kidnapped
has secuestradoyou have kidnapped
voshas secuestradoyou have kidnapped
él/ella/Ud.ha secuestradohe/she/it has kidnapped
nosotroshemos secuestradowe have kidnapped
vosotroshabéis secuestradoyou (pl.) have kidnapped
ellos/ellas/Uds.han secuestradothey have kidnapped

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 secuestradoI had kidnapped
habías secuestradoyou had kidnapped
voshabías secuestradoyou had kidnapped
él/ella/Ud.había secuestradohe/she/it had kidnapped
nosotroshabíamos secuestradowe had kidnapped
vosotroshabíais secuestradoyou (pl.) had kidnapped
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían secuestradothey had kidnapped

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

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 secuestradoI will have kidnapped
habrás secuestradoyou will have kidnapped
voshabrás secuestradoyou will have kidnapped
él/ella/Ud.habrá secuestradohe/she/it will have kidnapped
nosotroshabremos secuestradowe will have kidnapped
vosotroshabréis secuestradoyou (pl.) will have kidnapped
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán secuestradothey will have kidnapped

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
yosecuestre
secuestres
vossecuestres
él/ella/Ud.secuestre
nosotrossecuestremos
vosotrossecuestréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.secuestren

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
yosecuestrara
secuestraras
vossecuestraras
él/ella/Ud.secuestrara
nosotrossecuestráramos
vosotrossecuestrarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.secuestraran

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
yosecuestrase
secuestrases
vossecuestrases
él/ella/Ud.secuestrase
nosotrossecuestrásemos
vosotrossecuestraseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.secuestrasen

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

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

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
secuestra
vossecuestrá
él/ella/Ud.secuestre
nosotrossecuestremos
vosotrossecuestrad
ustedessecuestren

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 secuestres
vosno secuestres
él/ella/Ud.no secuestre
nosotrosno secuestremos
vosotrosno secuestréis
ustedesno secuestren

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

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

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

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

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