Spanish Tense Names
A table of all common Spanish Tense names and English equivalents
There are so many names in use for many Spanish tenses it can be very confusing - even for us! To be consistent, we have adopted one name to consistently for each tense. This table shows the other common names in use, their English names, and examples:
Kwiziq Spanish tense name | English name | Alternative name used in Europe | Alternative name used in America | Example | Short definition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
El Presente | Present Tense, Simple Present | Presente |
yo juego, tú comes soy |
Expresses what happens or is happening | |
El Presente Progresivo | Present Progressive, Present Continuous | Presente Continuo |
yo estoy jugando, tú estas comiendo estoy siendo |
Describes a present action that is in progress. | |
El Pretérito Perfecto | Present Perfect | Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto | Antepresente |
yo he jugado, tú has comido he sido |
Expresses an action completed but with a connection to the present |
El Pretérito Imperfecto | Imperfect Past | Imperfecto | Copretérito |
yo jugaba, tú comías, era, |
Expresses what was happening in the past or what used to happen |
El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto | Pluperfect | Pluscuamperfecto | Antecopretérito |
yo había jugado, tú habías comido había sido |
Expresses what had happened before something else happened |
El Pretérito Indefinido | Preterite, Simple Past | Pretérito Perfecto Simple | Pretérito |
yo jugué, tú comiste fui |
Expresses an action completed in the past |
Los Pasados Progresivos | Past Progressive, Past Continuous | Pasado Continuo |
yo estaba jugando, tú estabas comiendo estaba siendo |
Past action in progress (in the past) | |
El Pretérito Anterior | Past Perfect, Pluperfect | Antepretérito |
yo hube jugado, tú hubiste comido hube sido |
Expresses a past fact that happened immediately before another past fact. | |
El Futuro Próximo | Near Future |
voy a jugar, vas a comer voy a ser |
Expresses what is going to happen | ||
El Futuro Simple | Future, Simple Future | Futuro Imperfecto | Futuro |
yo jugaré, tú comerás seré |
Expresses what will happen |
El Futuro Perfecto | Future Perfect | Antefuturo |
yo habré jugado, tú habrás comido, habré sido |
Expresses what will have happened at some point in the future | |
El Imperativo | Imperative | ¡come! ¡bailad! ¡id! ¡hablemos! | Expresses a command, request or advice | ||
El Presente de Subjuntivo | Subjunctive, Present Subjunctive | Subjuntivo |
yo juegue, tú comas yo sea |
Expresses subjectivity in a subordinate clause | |
El Pretérito Perfecto del Subjuntivo | Present Perfect Subjunctive | Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto de Subjuntivo | Antepresente |
yo haya jugado, tú hayas comido haya sido |
Expresses what has happened or what will have happened |
El Imperfecto Subjuntivo | Imperfect Subjunctive | Imperfecto de Subjuntivo |
yo jugara, tú comieras fuera |
Expresses an imperfect action or state in the subjunctive mood | |
El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo | Pluperfect Subjunctive | Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo | Antepretérito |
yo hubiera jugado, tú hubieras comido hubiera sido |
Expresses an action completed before another action in the past (literary) |
El Condicional Simple | Conditional | Condicional Imperfecto | Pospretérito |
yo jugaría, tú comerías sería |
Expresses a hypothetical action that would or might happen in the future |
El Condicional Perfecto | Conditional Perfect, Past Conditional | Condicional Compuesto | Antepospretérito |
yo habría jugado, tú habrías comido habría sido |
Expresses an action that would have or might have happened in the past |
See all Spanish grammar lessons by tense