Verbs are what breathe life and action into Spanish and every other language. Forming present and past participles in Spanish lets you talk in active present tense to say, “I’m dancing,” and about what you did last night: “I danced!” The following tables show you how to form present and past participles for regular Spanish verbs ending in –ar, –er, and –ir.
Forming Present Participles in Spanish
| Ending |
Verb Example |
Meaning |
Participle |
Meaning |
| -ar |
bailar |
to dance |
bailando |
dancing |
| -er |
comer |
to eat |
comiendo |
eating |
| -ir |
subir |
to go up |
subiendo |
going up |
Forming Past Participles in Spanish
| Ending |
Verb Example |
Meaning |
Participle |
Meaning |
| -ar |
bailar |
to dance |
bailado |
danced |
| -er |
comer |
to eat |
comido |
eaten |
| -ir |
subir |
to go up |
subido |
gone up |
