Abastecer Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb abastecer means to supply, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Abastecer means to supply, and it is the verb of shops, markets, warehouses and water systems: a shop supplies a neighbourhood, a lorry supplies a market, a river supplies a city with water. It takes a direct object for the place or person supplied, and often de for the thing supplied, as in abastecer la tienda de pan. Like every Spanish verb, abastecer 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 abastezco la tienda de pan cada mañana, and in the preterite you say abastecí la ciudad de agua potable. 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: abastecer
- English: to supply
- Verb type: spelling-changing verb
- Ending: -er
- Gerund: abasteciendo
- Past participle: abastecido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + abastecido)
- 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 abastecer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes zc before o and a, so the present is yo abastezco and the subjunctive is abastezca.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for abastecer. 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 | abastezco |
| tú | abasteces |
| él/ella/Ud. | abastece |
| nosotros/as | abastecemos |
| vosotros/as | abastecéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abastecen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abastecí |
| tú | abasteciste |
| él/ella/Ud. | abasteció |
| nosotros/as | abastecimos |
| vosotros/as | abastecisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abastecieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abastecía |
| tú | abastecías |
| él/ella/Ud. | abastecía |
| nosotros/as | abastecíamos |
| vosotros/as | abastecíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abastecían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abasteceré |
| tú | abastecerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | abastecerá |
| nosotros/as | abasteceremos |
| vosotros/as | abasteceréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abastecerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abastecería |
| tú | abastecerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | abastecería |
| nosotros/as | abasteceríamos |
| vosotros/as | abasteceríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abastecerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he abastecido |
| tú | has abastecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha abastecido |
| nosotros/as | hemos abastecido |
| vosotros/as | habéis abastecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han abastecido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había abastecido |
| tú | habías abastecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había abastecido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos abastecido |
| vosotros/as | habíais abastecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían abastecido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré abastecido |
| tú | habrás abastecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá abastecido |
| nosotros/as | habremos abastecido |
| vosotros/as | habréis abastecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán abastecido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría abastecido |
| tú | habrías abastecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría abastecido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos abastecido |
| vosotros/as | habríais abastecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían abastecido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abastezca |
| tú | abastezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | abastezca |
| nosotros/as | abastezcamos |
| vosotros/as | abastecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abastezcan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abasteciera |
| tú | abastecieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | abasteciera |
| nosotros/as | abasteciéramos |
| vosotros/as | abastecierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abastecieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | abastece |
| él/ella/Ud. | abastezca |
| nosotros/as | abastezcamos |
| vosotros/as | abasteced |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abastezcan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | abastezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | abastezca |
| nosotros/as | abastezcamos |
| vosotros/as | abastecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abastezcan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | abasteciendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy abasteciendo |
| Past participle | abastecido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he abastecido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the present is yo abastezco, never abasteco. For abastecer, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Abastezco la tienda de pan cada mañana. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abastecer, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, abastecí el mercado con verduras frescas. 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 abastecer, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, abastecía la ciudad de agua potable. 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 abastecer, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, abasteceré el hospital con medicinas. 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 abastecer, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Abastecería la tienda de pan cada mañana 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 abastecer, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he abastecido el mercado con verduras frescas. 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 abastecer, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había abastecido la ciudad de agua potable 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 abastecer, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré abastecido el hospital con medicinas. 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 abastecer, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría abastecido la tienda de pan cada mañana 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 abastecer, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él abastezca el mercado con verduras frescas. 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 abastecer, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él abasteciera la ciudad de agua potable, 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 abastecer, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡abastece el hospital con medicinas! 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 abastecer, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No abastezcas la tienda de pan cada mañana. 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 abastecer, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Abastezco la tienda de pan cada mañana. — I supply the shop with bread every morning.
- Abastece el mercado con verduras frescas. — He/she supplies the market with fresh vegetables.
- Ayer, abastecí la ciudad de agua potable. — Yesterday, I supplied the city with drinking water.
- Antes, nosotros abastecíamos el hospital con medicinas. — Before, we used to supply the hospital with medicines.
- Mañana, tú abastecerás la tienda de pan cada mañana. — Tomorrow, you will supply the shop with bread every morning.
- Yo abastecería el mercado con verduras frescas si tuviera más tiempo. — I would supply the market with fresh vegetables if I had more time.
- Él ha abastecido la ciudad de agua potable. — He has supplied the city with drinking water.
- Espero que él abastezca el hospital con medicinas. — I hope he supplies the hospital with medicines.
- Yo ya había abastecido la tienda de pan cada mañana antes de salir. — I had already supplied the shop with bread every morning before leaving.
- Ellos abastecían el mercado con verduras frescas cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to supply the market with fresh vegetables when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo abastece la tienda de pan cada mañana. — Right: Yo abastezco la tienda de pan cada mañana. — The person matters: abastece is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is abastezco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo abasteco el mercado con verduras frescas. — Right: Yo abastezco el mercado con verduras frescas. — Spelling change: c becomes zc before o and a, so the present is yo abastezco, never abasteco.
- Wrong: Treating abastecer and suministrar as identical in every context. — Right: Abastecer means to supply, while suministrar means to supply, the more formal synonym. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: abastecer fits sentences such as Abastezco la tienda de pan cada mañana, while suministrar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy abastecido el mercado con verduras frescas. — Right: Yo he abastecido el mercado con verduras frescas. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he abastecido, has abastecido, ha abastecido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo abastecí la ciudad de agua potable todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo abastecía la ciudad de agua potable todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (abastecía), not the preterite. The preterite (abastecí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on abastecer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la tienda de pan cada mañana. (present tense) A. abastezco B. abasteces C. abastece D. abastecemos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el mercado con verduras frescas. (preterite) A. abastecí B. abasteciste C. abastecieron D. abasteció
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la ciudad de agua potable. (imperfect) A. abastecías B. abastecían C. abastecíamos D. abastecía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el hospital con medicinas. (future) A. abasteceremos B. abastecerás C. abasteceré D. abastecerá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la tienda de pan cada mañana si pudiera. (conditional) A. abastecería B. abastecerías C. abastecerían D. abastezco
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el mercado con verduras frescas. (present subjunctive) A. abastezcas B. abastezcamos C. abastezco D. abastezca
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la ciudad de agua potable, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. abasteciéramos B. abastezco C. abasteciera D. abastecieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el hospital con medicinas. (present perfect) A. han abastecido B. hemos abastecido C. he abastecido D. has abastecido
Complete the command: ¡___ la tienda de pan cada mañana! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. abastece B. abastezca C. abastezcamos D. abasteced
Which is the gerund of abastecer, used with estar for the progressive? A. abastecido B. abastezco C. abastecí D. abasteciendo
Answer key
- abastezco — The first-person present of abastecer is abastezco. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- abasteció — The third-person preterite of abastecer is abasteció, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- abastecíamos — The nosotros imperfect of abastecer is abastecíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- abastecerás — The second-person future of abastecer is abastecerás.
- abastecería — The first-person conditional of abastecer is abastecería, the form for what would happen.
- abastezca — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of abastecer is abastezca.
- abasteciera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of abastecer is abasteciera.
- hemos abastecido — The nosotros present perfect of abastecer is hemos abastecido: hemos + abastecido.
- abastece — The affirmative tú imperative of abastecer is abastece.
- abasteciendo — The gerund of abastecer is abasteciendo: estoy abasteciendo. The participle abastecido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does abastecer mean in English?
Abastecer means to supply. It is used in everyday situations such as Abastezco la tienda de pan cada mañana. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is abastecer regular or irregular?
Abastecer 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 abastezco. The other tenses follow the regular pattern for -er verbs.
What is the difference between abastecer and suministrar?
Abastecer means to supply, while suministrar means to supply, the more formal synonym. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use abastecer when you mean to supply, as in Abastezco la tienda de pan cada mañana, and use suministrar for to supply, the more formal synonym. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I supply” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo abastecí el mercado con verduras frescas. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo abastecía la ciudad de agua potable. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he abastecido el mercado con verduras frescas.
How do I practise abastecer?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the abastecer examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Abastecer in the present tense — the full present-tense table for abastecer.
- Abastecer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for abastecer.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Aborrecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with abastecer.
- Acceder conjugation — another -er verb to compare with abastecer.
- Arder conjugation — another -er verb to compare with abastecer.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.