vencer — Spanish conjugation

to overcome

Frequency#527IrregularReflexivevencerse — to expire (LatAm); to give way

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
yovenzoI overcome
vencesyou overcome
vosvencésyou overcome
él/ella/Ud.vencehe/she/it overcomes
nosotrosvencemoswe overcome
vosotrosvencéisyou (pl.) overcome
ellos/ellas/Uds.vencenthey overcome

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
yovencíI overcame
vencisteyou overcame
vosvencisteyou overcame
él/ella/Ud.vencióhe/she/it overcame
nosotrosvencimoswe overcame
vosotrosvencisteisyou (pl.) overcame
ellos/ellas/Uds.vencieronthey overcame

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
yovencía
vencías
vosvencías
él/ella/Ud.vencía
nosotrosvencíamos
vosotrosvencíais
ellos/ellas/Uds.vencían

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
yovenceríaI would overcome
venceríasyou would overcome
vosvenceríasyou would overcome
él/ella/Ud.venceríahe/she/it would overcome
nosotrosvenceríamoswe would overcome
vosotrosvenceríaisyou (pl.) would overcome
ellos/ellas/Uds.venceríanthey would overcome

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
yovenceréI will overcome
vencerásyou will overcome
vosvencerásyou will overcome
él/ella/Ud.venceráhe/she/it will overcome
nosotrosvenceremoswe will overcome
vosotrosvenceréisyou (pl.) will overcome
ellos/ellas/Uds.venceránthey will overcome

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 vencidoI have overcome
has vencidoyou have overcome
voshas vencidoyou have overcome
él/ella/Ud.ha vencidohe/she/it has overcome
nosotroshemos vencidowe have overcome
vosotroshabéis vencidoyou (pl.) have overcome
ellos/ellas/Uds.han vencidothey have overcome

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 vencidoI had overcome
habías vencidoyou had overcome
voshabías vencidoyou had overcome
él/ella/Ud.había vencidohe/she/it had overcome
nosotroshabíamos vencidowe had overcome
vosotroshabíais vencidoyou (pl.) had overcome
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían vencidothey had overcome

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

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 vencidoI will have overcome
habrás vencidoyou will have overcome
voshabrás vencidoyou will have overcome
él/ella/Ud.habrá vencidohe/she/it will have overcome
nosotroshabremos vencidowe will have overcome
vosotroshabréis vencidoyou (pl.) will have overcome
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán vencidothey will have overcome

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
yovenza
venzas
vosvenzas
él/ella/Ud.venza
nosotrosvenzamos
vosotrosvenzáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.venzan

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
yovenciera
vencieras
vosvencieras
él/ella/Ud.venciera
nosotrosvenciéramos
vosotrosvencierais
ellos/ellas/Uds.vencieran

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
yovenciese
vencieses
vosvencieses
él/ella/Ud.venciese
nosotrosvenciésemos
vosotrosvencieseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.venciesen

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

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

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
vence
vosvencé
él/ella/Ud.venza
nosotrosvenzamos
vosotrosvenced
ustedesvenzan

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 venzas
vosno venzas
él/ella/Ud.no venza
nosotrosno venzamos
vosotrosno venzáis
ustedesno venzan

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

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

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

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

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