sentarse — Spanish conjugation

to sit down

IrregularReflexivesentar → sentarse

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

PronounSpanish
yome siento
te sientas
voste sentás
él/ella/Ud.se sienta
nosotrosnos sentamos
vosotrosos sentáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se sientan

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

PronounSpanish
yome senté
te sentaste
voste sentaste
él/ella/Ud.se sentó
nosotrosnos sentamos
vosotrosos sentasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se sentaron

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
yome sentaba
te sentabas
voste sentabas
él/ella/Ud.se sentaba
nosotrosnos sentábamos
vosotrosos sentabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se sentaban

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?

PronounSpanish
yome sentaría
te sentarías
voste sentarías
él/ella/Ud.se sentaría
nosotrosnos sentaríamos
vosotrosos sentaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se sentarían

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

PronounSpanish
yome sentaré
te sentarás
voste sentarás
él/ella/Ud.se sentará
nosotrosnos sentaremos
vosotrosos sentaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se sentarán

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

PronounSpanish
yome he sentado
te has sentado
voste has sentado
él/ella/Ud.se ha sentado
nosotrosnos hemos sentado
vosotrosos habéis sentado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se han sentado

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

PronounSpanish
yome había sentado
te habías sentado
voste habías sentado
él/ella/Ud.se había sentado
nosotrosnos habíamos sentado
vosotrosos habíais sentado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habían sentado

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
yome habría sentado
te habrías sentado
voste habrías sentado
él/ella/Ud.se habría sentado
nosotrosnos habríamos sentado
vosotrosos habríais sentado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habrían sentado

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

PronounSpanish
yome habré sentado
te habrás sentado
voste habrás sentado
él/ella/Ud.se habrá sentado
nosotrosnos habremos sentado
vosotrosos habréis sentado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se habrán sentado

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
yome siente
te sientes
voste sientes
él/ella/Ud.se siente
nosotrosnos sentemos
vosotrosos sentéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se sienten

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
yome sentara
te sentaras
voste sentaras
él/ella/Ud.se sentara
nosotrosnos sentáramos
vosotrosos sentarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.se sentaran

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
yome sentase
te sentases
voste sentases
él/ella/Ud.se sentase
nosotrosnos sentásemos
vosotrosos sentaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.se sentasen

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
yome haya sentado
te hayas sentado
voste hayas sentado
él/ella/Ud.se haya sentado
nosotrosnos hayamos sentado
vosotrosos hayáis sentado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se hayan sentado

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
yome hubiera sentado
te hubieras sentado
voste hubieras sentado
él/ella/Ud.se hubiera sentado
nosotrosnos hubiéramos sentado
vosotrosos hubierais sentado
ellos/ellas/Uds.se hubieran sentado

Other forms

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
yome estoy sentando
te estás sentando
voste estás sentando
él/ella/Ud.se está sentando
nosotrosnos estamos sentando
vosotrosos estáis sentando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se están sentando

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
yome estuve sentando
te estuviste sentando
voste estuviste sentando
él/ella/Ud.se estuvo sentando
nosotrosnos estuvimos sentando
vosotrosos estuvisteis sentando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estuvieron sentando

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
yome estaba sentando
te estabas sentando
voste estabas sentando
él/ella/Ud.se estaba sentando
nosotrosnos estábamos sentando
vosotrosos estabais sentando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estaban sentando

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
yome estaría sentando
te estarías sentando
voste estarías sentando
él/ella/Ud.se estaría sentando
nosotrosnos estaríamos sentando
vosotrosos estaríais sentando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estarían sentando

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
yome estaré sentando
te estarás sentando
voste estarás sentando
él/ella/Ud.se estará sentando
nosotrosnos estaremos sentando
vosotrosos estaréis sentando
ellos/ellas/Uds.se estarán sentando