trocar — Spanish conjugation

to exchange

Frequency#242Irregular

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
yotruecoI exchange
truecasyou exchange
vostrocásyou exchange
él/ella/Ud.truecahe/she/it exchanges
nosotrostrocamoswe exchange
vosotrostrocáisyou (pl.) exchange
ellos/ellas/Uds.truecanthey exchange

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
yotroquéI exchanged
trocasteyou exchanged
vostrocasteyou exchanged
él/ella/Ud.trocóhe/she/it exchanged
nosotrostrocamoswe exchanged
vosotrostrocasteisyou (pl.) exchanged
ellos/ellas/Uds.trocaronthey exchanged

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
yotrocaba
trocabas
vostrocabas
él/ella/Ud.trocaba
nosotrostrocábamos
vosotrostrocabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.trocaban

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
yotrocaríaI would exchange
trocaríasyou would exchange
vostrocaríasyou would exchange
él/ella/Ud.trocaríahe/she/it would exchange
nosotrostrocaríamoswe would exchange
vosotrostrocaríaisyou (pl.) would exchange
ellos/ellas/Uds.trocaríanthey would exchange

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
yotrocaréI will exchange
trocarásyou will exchange
vostrocarásyou will exchange
él/ella/Ud.trocaráhe/she/it will exchange
nosotrostrocaremoswe will exchange
vosotrostrocaréisyou (pl.) will exchange
ellos/ellas/Uds.trocaránthey will exchange

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 trocadoI have exchanged
has trocadoyou have exchanged
voshas trocadoyou have exchanged
él/ella/Ud.ha trocadohe/she/it has exchanged
nosotroshemos trocadowe have exchanged
vosotroshabéis trocadoyou (pl.) have exchanged
ellos/ellas/Uds.han trocadothey have exchanged

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 trocadoI had exchanged
habías trocadoyou had exchanged
voshabías trocadoyou had exchanged
él/ella/Ud.había trocadohe/she/it had exchanged
nosotroshabíamos trocadowe had exchanged
vosotroshabíais trocadoyou (pl.) had exchanged
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían trocadothey had exchanged

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

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 trocadoI will have exchanged
habrás trocadoyou will have exchanged
voshabrás trocadoyou will have exchanged
él/ella/Ud.habrá trocadohe/she/it will have exchanged
nosotroshabremos trocadowe will have exchanged
vosotroshabréis trocadoyou (pl.) will have exchanged
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán trocadothey will have exchanged

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
yotrueque
trueques
vostrueques
él/ella/Ud.trueque
nosotrostroquemos
vosotrostroquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.truequen

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
yotrocara
trocaras
vostrocaras
él/ella/Ud.trocara
nosotrostrocáramos
vosotrostrocarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.trocaran

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
yotrocase
trocases
vostrocases
él/ella/Ud.trocase
nosotrostrocásemos
vosotrostrocaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.trocasen

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

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

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
trueca
vostrocá
él/ella/Ud.trueque
nosotrostroquemos
vosotrostrocad
ustedestruequen

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 trueques
vosno trueques
él/ella/Ud.no trueque
nosotrosno troquemos
vosotrosno troquéis
ustedesno truequen

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

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

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

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

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