Spanish Verbs
Cantar Conjugation
Cantar is a Spanish regular AR verb meaning "to sing". Verbs are considered regular if they follow a predictable pattern when conjugated.
Cantar is ranked on the 100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster as the #29 most used regular verb.
Present Tense
Past Tenses
Future Tenses
Subjunctive Tenses
Further Reading
100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster w/ Study Guide
A selection of the most used irregular and regular Spanish verb conjugations. A must have for anyone who wants to learn Spanish!
Cantar Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | canto | I sing |
| Tú | cantas | You sing |
| Él/Ella/ |
canta | He/She sings |
| Nosotros | cantamos | We sing |
| Vosotros | cantáis | You (plural) sing |
| Ellos/ |
cantan | They sing |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Cantar Participio
The Participio or Past Participle of Cantar is cantado. This is used to form the Cantar Present Perfect and the Cantar Past Perfect.
Cantar Gerundio
The Gerundio or Present Participle of Cantar is cantando. This is used to form the Cantar Present Continuous.
Cantar Present Continuous
The Present Continuous (presente progresivo or presente continuo) is used to describe actions that are happening right now or around now. To form the present continuous tense, combine the Estar conjugation with the Cantar Gerundio (or Present Participle).
Example: Él está siendo muy egoísta últimamente. (He is being very selfish lately.)
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy cantando | I am singing |
| Tú | estás cantando | You are singing |
| Él/Ella/ |
está cantando | He/She is singing |
| Nosotros | estamos cantando | We are singing |
| Vosotros | estáis cantando | You (plural) are singing |
| Ellos/ |
están cantando | They are singing |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topCantar Past Tense
Spanish has several past tenses, each serving a specific purpose to express actions in the past.
Additionally, the use of Spanish past tenses can vary significantly across regions due to cultural and linguistic differences.
These are some of the most commonly used Spanish past tenses:
Cantar Preterite
The Preterite Tense (Pretérito or Indefinido) is used for completed actions in the past that have a clear beginning or end.
Example: Ayer comí pizza. (Yesterday, I ate pizza).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | canté | I sang |
| Tú | cantaste | You sang |
| Él/Ella/ |
cantó | He/She sang |
| Nosotros | cantamos | We sang |
| Vosotros | cantasteis | You (plural) sang |
| Ellos/ |
cantaron | They sang |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topCantar Imperfect
The Imperfect Tense (Imperfecto) describes ongoing, habitual, or background actions in the past, often without a defined start or end.
Example: Cuando era niño, jugaba fútbol todos los días. (When I was a child, I used to play soccer every day).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | cantaba | I used to sing |
| Tú | cantabas | You used to sing |
| Él/Ella/ |
cantaba | He/She used to sing |
| Nosotros | cantábamos | We used to sing |
| Vosotros | cantabais | You (plural) used to sing |
| Ellos/ |
cantaban | They used to sing |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topCantar Present Perfect
The Present Perfect Tense (Presente Perfecto) is used to describe actions that have been completed recently or have relevance to the present moment. The Present Perfect Tense is formed by combining the Present Tense of the auxiliary verb Haber Conjugation with the Cantar Participio.
Example: He leído ese libro. (I have read that book).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he cantado | I have sung |
| Tú | has cantado | You have sung |
| Él/Ella/ |
ha cantado | He/She has sung |
| Nosotros | hemos cantado | We have sung |
| Vosotros | habéis cantado | You (plural) have sung |
| Ellos/ |
han cantado | They have sung |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topCantar Past Perfect
The Past Perfect Tense (Pluscuamperfecto) refers to actions completed before another action in the past. The Past Perfect Tense is formed by combining the Imperfect Tense of the auxiliary verb Haber Conjugation with the Cantar Participio.
Example: Había comido antes de salir. (I had eaten before leaving).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había cantado | I had sung |
| Tú | habías cantado | You had sung |
| Él/Ella/ |
había cantado | He/She had sung |
| Nosotros | habíamos cantado | We had sung |
| Vosotros | habíais cantado | You (plural) had sung |
| Ellos/ |
habían cantado | They had sung |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topCantar Future Tense
The Future Tense (Futuro) is used to describe actions or events that will happen in the future. It often expresses certainty or plans about what is yet to come.
Example: Mañana comeré pizza. (Tomorrow, I will eat pizza).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | cantaré | I will sing |
| Tú | cantarás | You will sing |
| Él/Ella/ |
cantará | He/She will sing |
| Nosotros | cantaremos | We will sing |
| Vosotros | cantaréis | You (plural) will sing |
| Ellos/ |
cantarán | They will sing |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topCantar Conditional Tense
The Conditional Tense (Condicional) is used to express hypothetical situations, polite requests, or actions that depend on other conditions. It is often used in combination with the Future Tense.
Example: Me gustaría un café, por favor.(I would like a coffee, please).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | cantaría | I would sing |
| Tú | cantarías | You would sing |
| Él/Ella/ |
cantaría | He/She would sing |
| Nosotros | cantaríamos | We would sing |
| Vosotros | cantaríais | You (plural) would sing |
| Ellos/ |
cantarían | They would sing |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topCantar Subjunctive
The Subjunctive Tense (Subjuntivo) is used to express doubt, uncertainty, desire, or emotion. It is often used in dependent clauses introduced by specific conjunctions or verbs.
Example: Espero que seas feliz. (I hope you are happy).
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | cante | I sing |
| Tú | cantes | You sing |
| Él/Ella/ |
cante | He/She sings |
| Nosotros | cantemos | We sing |
| Vosotros | cantéis | You (plural) sing |
| Ellos/ |
canten | They sing |
* Irregular forms are highlighted in red
Back to topSpanish Regular Verbs
A verb is called a regular verb when its conjugation follows a consistent and predictable pattern. In contrast, a verb that does not follow these standard patterns is called an irregular verb. In Spanish, the three regular conjugation patterns are based on the verb endings: -AR, -ER, and -IR.
Spanish Conjugation Chart
Looking for more Spanish verbs like Cantar? Check out our Spanish Conjugation Chart, the 100 Most Used Spanish Verbs Poster!
