Abarcar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb abarcar means to cover, to encompass, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Abarcar means to cover or to encompass, and it is used for things that stretch over a space, a period or a subject: a bridge covers a river, a book covers a whole century, a law covers every worker. It also means to take in with the arms or with the eyes, as in abarcar con la mirada. It is a wide, general verb for scope and coverage. Like every Spanish verb, abarcar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say abarco toda la historia del siglo, and in the preterite you say abarqué muchos temas en un solo libro. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: abarcar
- English: to cover, to encompass
- Verb type: spelling-changing verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: abarcando
- Past participle: abarcado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + abarcado)
- Spelling change: the stem spelling changes in some forms so the pronunciation stays the same — see the notes under each tense.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for abarcar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is abarqué and the subjunctive is abarque — never abarcé.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for abarcar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abarco |
| tú | abarcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarca |
| nosotros/as | abarcamos |
| vosotros/as | abarcáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarcan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abarqué |
| tú | abarcaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarcó |
| nosotros/as | abarcamos |
| vosotros/as | abarcasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarcaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abarcaba |
| tú | abarcabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarcaba |
| nosotros/as | abarcábamos |
| vosotros/as | abarcabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarcaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abarcaré |
| tú | abarcarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarcará |
| nosotros/as | abarcaremos |
| vosotros/as | abarcaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarcarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abarcaría |
| tú | abarcarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarcaría |
| nosotros/as | abarcaríamos |
| vosotros/as | abarcaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarcarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he abarcado |
| tú | has abarcado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha abarcado |
| nosotros/as | hemos abarcado |
| vosotros/as | habéis abarcado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han abarcado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había abarcado |
| tú | habías abarcado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había abarcado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos abarcado |
| vosotros/as | habíais abarcado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían abarcado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré abarcado |
| tú | habrás abarcado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá abarcado |
| nosotros/as | habremos abarcado |
| vosotros/as | habréis abarcado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán abarcado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría abarcado |
| tú | habrías abarcado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría abarcado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos abarcado |
| vosotros/as | habríais abarcado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían abarcado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abarque |
| tú | abarques |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarque |
| nosotros/as | abarquemos |
| vosotros/as | abarquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abarcara |
| tú | abarcaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarcara |
| nosotros/as | abarcáramos |
| vosotros/as | abarcarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarcaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | abarca |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarque |
| nosotros/as | abarquemos |
| vosotros/as | abarcad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | abarques |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarque |
| nosotros/as | abarquemos |
| vosotros/as | abarquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | abarcando | with estar for the progressive: estoy abarcando |
| Past participle | abarcado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he abarcado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Abarco toda la historia del siglo. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is abarqué, never abarcé. For abarcar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, abarqué desde el río hasta la montaña. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, abarcaba muchos temas en un solo libro. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, abarcaré toda la ciudad con la mirada. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Abarcaría toda la historia del siglo si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he abarcado desde el río hasta la montaña. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había abarcado muchos temas en un solo libro antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré abarcado toda la ciudad con la mirada. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría abarcado toda la historia del siglo con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él abarque desde el río hasta la montaña. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él abarcara muchos temas en un solo libro, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡abarca toda la ciudad con la mirada! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abarcar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No abarques toda la historia del siglo. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with abarcar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Abarco toda la historia del siglo. — I cover the whole history of the century.
- Abarca desde el río hasta la montaña. — He/she covers from the river to the mountain.
- Ayer, abarqué muchos temas en un solo libro. — Yesterday, I covered many topics in a single book.
- Antes, nosotros abarcábamos toda la ciudad con la mirada. — Before, we used to cover the whole city with one look.
- Mañana, tú abarcarás toda la historia del siglo. — Tomorrow, you will cover the whole history of the century.
- Yo abarcaría desde el río hasta la montaña si tuviera más tiempo. — I would cover from the river to the mountain if I had more time.
- Él ha abarcado muchos temas en un solo libro. — He has covered many topics in a single book.
- Espero que él abarque toda la ciudad con la mirada. — I hope he covers the whole city with one look.
- Yo ya había abarcado toda la historia del siglo antes de salir. — I had already covered the whole history of the century before leaving.
- Ellos abarcaban desde el río hasta la montaña cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to cover from the river to the mountain when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo abarca toda la historia del siglo. — Right: Yo abarco toda la historia del siglo. — The person matters: abarca is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is abarco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo abarcé muchos temas en un solo libro. — Right: Ayer, yo abarqué muchos temas en un solo libro. — Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is abarqué, never abarcé.
- Wrong: Treating abarcar and cubrir as identical in every context. — Right: Abarcar means to cover, to encompass, while cubrir means to cover something physically. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: abarcar fits sentences such as Abarco toda la historia del siglo, while cubrir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy abarcado desde el río hasta la montaña. — Right: Yo he abarcado desde el río hasta la montaña. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he abarcado, has abarcado, ha abarcado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo abarqué muchos temas en un solo libro todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo abarcaba muchos temas en un solo libro todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (abarcaba), not the preterite. The preterite (abarqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on abarcar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ toda la historia del siglo. (present tense) A. abarco B. abarcas C. abarca D. abarcamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ desde el río hasta la montaña. (preterite) A. abarqué B. abarcaste C. abarcaron D. abarcó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ muchos temas en un solo libro. (imperfect) A. abarcabas B. abarcaban C. abarcábamos D. abarcaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ toda la ciudad con la mirada. (future) A. abarcaremos B. abarcarás C. abarcaré D. abarcará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ toda la historia del siglo si pudiera. (conditional) A. abarcaría B. abarcarías C. abarcarían D. abarco
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ desde el río hasta la montaña. (present subjunctive) A. abarques B. abarquemos C. abarco D. abarque
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ muchos temas en un solo libro, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. abarcáramos B. abarco C. abarcara D. abarcaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ toda la ciudad con la mirada. (present perfect) A. han abarcado B. hemos abarcado C. he abarcado D. has abarcado
Complete the command: ¡___ toda la historia del siglo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. abarca B. abarque C. abarquemos D. abarcad
Which is the gerund of abarcar, used with estar for the progressive? A. abarcado B. abarco C. abarqué D. abarcando
Answer key
- abarco — The first-person present of abarcar is abarco. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- abarcó — The third-person preterite of abarcar is abarcó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- abarcábamos — The nosotros imperfect of abarcar is abarcábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- abarcarás — The second-person future of abarcar is abarcarás.
- abarcaría — The first-person conditional of abarcar is abarcaría, the form for what would happen.
- abarque — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of abarcar is abarque.
- abarcara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of abarcar is abarcara.
- hemos abarcado — The nosotros present perfect of abarcar is hemos abarcado: hemos + abarcado.
- abarca — The affirmative tú imperative of abarcar is abarca.
- abarcando — The gerund of abarcar is abarcando: estoy abarcando. The participle abarcado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does abarcar mean in English?
Abarcar means to cover, to encompass. It is used in everyday situations such as Abarco toda la historia del siglo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is abarcar regular or irregular?
Abarcar is a spelling-changing verb: the endings are regular, but the spelling of the stem changes in some forms so the pronunciation stays the same. For example, the preterite first person is abarqué. The other tenses follow the regular pattern for -ar verbs.
What is the difference between abarcar and cubrir?
Abarcar means to cover, to encompass, while cubrir means to cover something physically. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use abarcar when you mean to cover, to encompass, as in Abarco toda la historia del siglo, and use cubrir for to cover something physically. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I cover” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo abarqué desde el río hasta la montaña. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo abarcaba muchos temas en un solo libro. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he abarcado desde el río hasta la montaña.
How do I practise abarcar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the abarcar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Abarcar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for abarcar.
- Abarcar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for abarcar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Abandonar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with abarcar.
- Tutear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with abarcar.
- Turbar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with abarcar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.