Spanish Tenses

The 14 Spanish Tenses You Really Need to Know

When you’re learning Spanish, one thing you’ll always run into is verb tenses. Tenses are just the way we show when something happens—past, present, or future—and who is doing it. Without them, it would be hard to tell if you’re talking about yesterday, today, or tomorrow!

You might wonder: How many tenses are there in Spanish?

The Royal Spanish Academy recognizes 17 different tenses. But here’s the good news: Spanish speakers only use 14 of them in everyday conversations. The other three (the preterite perfect, the future subjunctive, and the future perfect subjunctive) are very old-fashioned. You’ll mostly see them in old books, poems, or classic movies.

That means you only need to focus on 14 tenses to sound natural in Spanish.

Why Tenses Matter

They tell you when something happens (past, present, future).

They also tell you who is doing the action.

For example:

Marta escribe una carta. → Marta writes a letter. (present)

Ayer jugamos al fútbol. → Yesterday we played soccer. (past)

Mañana viajarán a México. → Tomorrow they will travel to Mexico. (future)

See how the verb changes to match both time and subject? That’s what tenses do.

The 14 Tenses to Learn

Here’s the complete list of the tenses you’ll actually need:

Indicative (for facts and real actions)

Present – what’s happening right now.

Preterite – a one-time action in the past.

Imperfect – repeated or ongoing past actions, descriptions.

Future – what will happen.

Conditional – what would happen.

Compound Indicative Tenses (use “haber” + past participle)

Present Perfect – what has happened.

Pluperfect (Past Perfect) – what had happened.

Future Perfect – what will have happened.

Conditional Perfect – what would have happened.

Imperative (for commands)

Imperative – telling someone to do something.

Subjunctive (for wishes, doubts, hypotheticals)

Present Subjunctive – express hopes, desires, or uncertainty now/future.

Imperfect Subjunctive – past wishes or hypotheticals.

Present Perfect Subjunctive – what has happened in a wish/doubt.

Pluperfect Subjunctive – what would have happened in a wish/doubt.

Quick Tip for Students

Don’t panic! You don’t need to learn all of these at once. Start with the present, preterite, and imperfect—these three will help you talk about most real-life situations. Then add the others step by step as your Spanish grows.

Key Things to Remember About Spanish Tenses

Spanish verb tenses can feel tricky at first, but here are the main ideas to keep in mind:

There are 14 tenses you’ll actually use often in Spanish.
Tenses show when an action happens—past, present, or future.
Tenses can be simple (one verb) or compound (two verbs together).
Compound tenses use the verb haber (in the right tense) + a past participle.
Indicative tenses talk about real actions, facts, and things that are certain.
Subjunctive tenses express wishes, doubts, hopes, and possibilities.
Moods show how something is being expressed (fact vs. hypothetical), while tenses show when it happens.
The imperative mood is for giving commands.
Progressive forms (like estoy estudiando) highlight that something is happening right now.

What Order Should You Learn Spanish Tenses In?

Spanish speakers use all 14 main verb tenses in real life. But as a learner, it’s best to build up step by step instead of trying to tackle them all at once. Here’s a good order to follow:

Present
Preterite
Imperfect
Present Perfect
Future
Conditional
Pluperfect (Past Perfect)
Imperative
Future Perfect
Conditional Perfect
Present Subjunctive
Present Perfect Subjunctive
Imperfect Subjunctive
Past Perfect Subjunctive

Note: In Spanish, the subjunctive mood is used just as often as the indicative (fact-based) tenses. But it’s usually easier to focus on the indicative tenses first. Once you feel comfortable with those, you can dive into the subjunctive.

Best Strategies for Learning Spanish Tenses

Learning verb tenses is essential if you want to hold real conversations. Here are some helpful tips to make the process easier:

Focus on endings: Spanish verbs change a lot depending on the subject and tense. Learn the common endings, since they’re the key to conjugation. (Tip: if you’re learning Latin American Spanish, you can skip the vosotros forms, since they’re mainly used in Spain.)
Pay attention to context: Each tense has a purpose. Notice how native speakers use different tenses depending on the situation.
Practice with transformations: Take a simple sentence and rewrite it in different tenses. This helps you see how meanings change.
Use time markers: Words like ayer (yesterday), hoy (today), or mañana (tomorrow) give strong clues about which tense to use. Learn to spot them.
Quiz yourself often: Practice with online quizzes, worksheets, or flashcards. Keep track of your mistakes so you can focus on what needs improvement.

Home | Resources | Blog | Student Hub | About & Contact

Where intention meets every chapter of the classroom story.

Page updated

Google Sites

Report abuse