Abusar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb abusar means to abuse, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Abusar means to abuse, and it covers abusing a person's trust, abusing power, abusing alcohol and abusing a privilege. It almost always takes de for the thing abused, as in abusar de su confianza, and it is a strong moral judgement, not a neutral description. Like every Spanish verb, abusar 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 abuso de su confianza, and in the preterite you say abusé del alcohol los fines de semana. 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: abusar
  • English: to abuse
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: abusando
  • Past participle: abusado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + abusado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for abusar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Abusar always takes de: abusar de algo. Saying abusar algo without de is a common learner error.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for abusar. 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 abuso
tú abusas
él/ella/Ud. abusa
nosotros/as abusamos
vosotros/as abusáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. abusan

Preterite

Person Form
yo abusé
tú abusaste
él/ella/Ud. abusó
nosotros/as abusamos
vosotros/as abusasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. abusaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo abusaba
tú abusabas
él/ella/Ud. abusaba
nosotros/as abusábamos
vosotros/as abusabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. abusaban

Future

Person Form
yo abusaré
tú abusarás
él/ella/Ud. abusará
nosotros/as abusaremos
vosotros/as abusaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. abusarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo abusaría
tú abusarías
él/ella/Ud. abusaría
nosotros/as abusaríamos
vosotros/as abusaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. abusarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he abusado
tú has abusado
él/ella/Ud. ha abusado
nosotros/as hemos abusado
vosotros/as habéis abusado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han abusado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había abusado
tú habías abusado
él/ella/Ud. había abusado
nosotros/as habíamos abusado
vosotros/as habíais abusado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían abusado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré abusado
tú habrás abusado
él/ella/Ud. habrá abusado
nosotros/as habremos abusado
vosotros/as habréis abusado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán abusado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría abusado
tú habrías abusado
él/ella/Ud. habría abusado
nosotros/as habríamos abusado
vosotros/as habríais abusado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían abusado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo abuse
tú abuses
él/ella/Ud. abuse
nosotros/as abusemos
vosotros/as abuséis
ellos/ellas/Uds. abusen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo abusara
tú abusaras
él/ella/Ud. abusara
nosotros/as abusáramos
vosotros/as abusarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. abusaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú abusa
él/ella/Ud. abuse
nosotros/as abusemos
vosotros/as abusad
ellos/ellas/Uds. abusen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú abuses
él/ella/Ud. abuse
nosotros/as abusemos
vosotros/as abuséis
ellos/ellas/Uds. abusen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund abusando with estar for the progressive: estoy abusando
Past participle abusado with haber for the perfect tenses: he abusado

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 abusar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Abuso de su confianza. 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 abusar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, abusé de su poder en la empresa. 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 abusar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, abusaba del alcohol los fines de semana. 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 abusar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, abusaré de mi paciencia. 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 abusar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Abusaría de su confianza 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 abusar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he abusado de su poder en la empresa. 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 abusar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había abusado del alcohol los fines de semana 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 abusar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré abusado de mi paciencia. 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 abusar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría abusado de su confianza 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 abusar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él abuse de su poder en la empresa. 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 abusar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él abusara del alcohol los fines de semana, 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 abusar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡abusa de mi paciencia! 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 abusar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No abuses de su confianza. 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 abusar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Abuso de su confianza. — I abuse his trust.
  2. Abusa de su poder en la empresa. — He/she abuses his power in the company.
  3. Ayer, abusé del alcohol los fines de semana. — Yesterday, I abused alcohol at the weekends.
  4. Antes, nosotros abusábamos de mi paciencia. — Before, we used to abuse my patience.
  5. Mañana, tú abusarás de su confianza. — Tomorrow, you will abuse his trust.
  6. Yo abusaría de su poder en la empresa si tuviera más tiempo. — I would abuse his power in the company if I had more time.
  7. Él ha abusado del alcohol los fines de semana. — He has abused alcohol at the weekends.
  8. Espero que él abuse de mi paciencia. — I hope he abuses my patience.
  9. Yo ya había abusado de su confianza antes de salir. — I had already abused his trust before leaving.
  10. Ellos abusaban de su poder en la empresa cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to abuse his power in the company when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo abusa de su confianza. — Right: Yo abuso de su confianza. — The person matters: abusa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is abuso. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating abusar and aprovecharse as identical in every context. — Right: Abusar means to abuse, while aprovecharse means to take advantage of someone. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: abusar fits sentences such as Abuso de su confianza, while aprovecharse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy abusado de su poder en la empresa. — Right: Yo he abusado de su poder en la empresa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he abusado, has abusado, ha abusado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo abusé del alcohol los fines de semana todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo abusaba del alcohol los fines de semana todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (abusaba), not the preterite. The preterite (abusé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on abusar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de su confianza. (present tense) A. abuso B. abusas C. abusa D. abusamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ de su poder en la empresa. (preterite) A. abusé B. abusaste C. abusaron D. abusó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ del alcohol los fines de semana. (imperfect) A. abusabas B. abusaban C. abusábamos D. abusaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de mi paciencia. (future) A. abusaremos B. abusarás C. abusaré D. abusará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de su confianza si pudiera. (conditional) A. abusaría B. abusarías C. abusarían D. abuso

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de su poder en la empresa. (present subjunctive) A. abuses B. abusemos C. abuso D. abuse

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ del alcohol los fines de semana, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. abusáramos B. abuso C. abusara D. abusaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de mi paciencia. (present perfect) A. han abusado B. hemos abusado C. he abusado D. has abusado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ de su confianza! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. abusa B. abuse C. abusemos D. abusad

  10. Which is the gerund of abusar, used with estar for the progressive? A. abusado B. abuso C. abusé D. abusando

Answer key

  1. abuso — The first-person present of abusar is abuso. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. abusó — The third-person preterite of abusar is abusó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. abusábamos — The nosotros imperfect of abusar is abusábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. abusarás — The second-person future of abusar is abusarás.
  5. abusaría — The first-person conditional of abusar is abusaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. abuse — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of abusar is abuse.
  7. abusara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of abusar is abusara.
  8. hemos abusado — The nosotros present perfect of abusar is hemos abusado: hemos + abusado.
  9. abusa — The affirmative tú imperative of abusar is abusa.
  10. abusando — The gerund of abusar is abusando: estoy abusando. The participle abusado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does abusar mean in English?

Abusar means to abuse. It is used in everyday situations such as Abuso de su confianza. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is abusar regular or irregular?

Abusar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including abuso in the present and abusé in the preterite.

What is the difference between abusar and aprovecharse?

Abusar means to abuse, while aprovecharse means to take advantage of someone. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use abusar when you mean to abuse, as in Abuso de su confianza, and use aprovecharse for to take advantage of someone. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I abuse” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo abusé de su poder en la empresa. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo abusaba del alcohol los fines de semana. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he abusado de su poder en la empresa.

How do I practise abusar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the abusar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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