soñar — Spanish conjugation

to dream

Frequency#1186Irregular

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
yosueñoI dream
sueñasyou dream
vossoñásyou dream
él/ella/Ud.sueñahe/she/it dreams
nosotrossoñamoswe dream
vosotrossoñáisyou (pl.) dream
ellos/ellas/Uds.sueñanthey dream

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
yosoñéI dreamed
soñasteyou dreamed
vossoñasteyou dreamed
él/ella/Ud.soñóhe/she/it dreamed
nosotrossoñamoswe dreamed
vosotrossoñasteisyou (pl.) dreamed
ellos/ellas/Uds.soñaronthey dreamed

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
yosoñaba
soñabas
vossoñabas
él/ella/Ud.soñaba
nosotrossoñábamos
vosotrossoñabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.soñaban

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
yosoñaríaI would dream
soñaríasyou would dream
vossoñaríasyou would dream
él/ella/Ud.soñaríahe/she/it would dream
nosotrossoñaríamoswe would dream
vosotrossoñaríaisyou (pl.) would dream
ellos/ellas/Uds.soñaríanthey would dream

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
yosoñaréI will dream
soñarásyou will dream
vossoñarásyou will dream
él/ella/Ud.soñaráhe/she/it will dream
nosotrossoñaremoswe will dream
vosotrossoñaréisyou (pl.) will dream
ellos/ellas/Uds.soñaránthey will dream

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 soñadoI have dreamed
has soñadoyou have dreamed
voshas soñadoyou have dreamed
él/ella/Ud.ha soñadohe/she/it has dreamed
nosotroshemos soñadowe have dreamed
vosotroshabéis soñadoyou (pl.) have dreamed
ellos/ellas/Uds.han soñadothey have dreamed

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 soñadoI had dreamed
habías soñadoyou had dreamed
voshabías soñadoyou had dreamed
él/ella/Ud.había soñadohe/she/it had dreamed
nosotroshabíamos soñadowe had dreamed
vosotroshabíais soñadoyou (pl.) had dreamed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían soñadothey had dreamed

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

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 soñadoI will have dreamed
habrás soñadoyou will have dreamed
voshabrás soñadoyou will have dreamed
él/ella/Ud.habrá soñadohe/she/it will have dreamed
nosotroshabremos soñadowe will have dreamed
vosotroshabréis soñadoyou (pl.) will have dreamed
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán soñadothey will have dreamed

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
yosueñe
sueñes
vossueñes
él/ella/Ud.sueñe
nosotrossoñemos
vosotrossoñéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.sueñen

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
yosoñara
soñaras
vossoñaras
él/ella/Ud.soñara
nosotrossoñáramos
vosotrossoñarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.soñaran

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
yosoñase
soñases
vossoñases
él/ella/Ud.soñase
nosotrossoñásemos
vosotrossoñaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.soñasen

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

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

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
sueña
vossoñá
él/ella/Ud.sueñe
nosotrossoñemos
vosotrossoñad
ustedessueñen

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 sueñes
vosno sueñes
él/ella/Ud.no sueñe
nosotrosno soñemos
vosotrosno soñéis
ustedesno sueñen

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

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

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

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

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