Adiestrar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb adiestrar means to train (an animal), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Adiestrar means to train an animal, to teach a dog, a horse or a falcon to obey commands or perform tasks. It is used in dog training, horse riding and working animals, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, adiestrar 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 adiestro al perro para obedecer órdenes, and in the preterite you say adiestré al halcón para la caza. 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: adiestrar
- English: to train (an animal)
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: adiestrando
- Past participle: adiestrado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + adiestrado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for adiestrar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Adiestrar is fully regular: adiestro, adiestra. It trains animals; enseñar teaches people.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for adiestrar. 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 | adiestro |
| tú | adiestras |
| él/ella/Ud. | adiestra |
| nosotros/as | adiestramos |
| vosotros/as | adiestráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adiestran |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adiestré |
| tú | adiestraste |
| él/ella/Ud. | adiestró |
| nosotros/as | adiestramos |
| vosotros/as | adiestrasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adiestraron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adiestraba |
| tú | adiestrabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | adiestraba |
| nosotros/as | adiestrábamos |
| vosotros/as | adiestrabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adiestraban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adiestraré |
| tú | adiestrarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | adiestrará |
| nosotros/as | adiestraremos |
| vosotros/as | adiestraréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adiestrarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adiestraría |
| tú | adiestrarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | adiestraría |
| nosotros/as | adiestraríamos |
| vosotros/as | adiestraríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adiestrarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he adiestrado |
| tú | has adiestrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha adiestrado |
| nosotros/as | hemos adiestrado |
| vosotros/as | habéis adiestrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han adiestrado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había adiestrado |
| tú | habías adiestrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había adiestrado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos adiestrado |
| vosotros/as | habíais adiestrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían adiestrado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré adiestrado |
| tú | habrás adiestrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá adiestrado |
| nosotros/as | habremos adiestrado |
| vosotros/as | habréis adiestrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán adiestrado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría adiestrado |
| tú | habrías adiestrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría adiestrado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos adiestrado |
| vosotros/as | habríais adiestrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían adiestrado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adiestre |
| tú | adiestres |
| él/ella/Ud. | adiestre |
| nosotros/as | adiestremos |
| vosotros/as | adiestréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adiestren |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adiestrara |
| tú | adiestraras |
| él/ella/Ud. | adiestrara |
| nosotros/as | adiestráramos |
| vosotros/as | adiestrarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adiestraran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | adiestra |
| él/ella/Ud. | adiestre |
| nosotros/as | adiestremos |
| vosotros/as | adiestrad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adiestren |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | adiestres |
| él/ella/Ud. | adiestre |
| nosotros/as | adiestremos |
| vosotros/as | adiestréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adiestren |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | adiestrando | with estar for the progressive: estoy adiestrando |
| Past participle | adiestrado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he adiestrado |
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 adiestrar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Adiestro al perro para obedecer órdenes. 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 adiestrar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, adiestré al caballo para el salto. 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 adiestrar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, adiestraba al halcón para la caza. 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 adiestrar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, adiestraré al perro guía para ayudar a su dueño. 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 adiestrar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Adiestraría al perro para obedecer órdenes 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 adiestrar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he adiestrado al caballo para el salto. 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 adiestrar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había adiestrado al halcón para la caza 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 adiestrar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré adiestrado al perro guía para ayudar a su dueño. 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 adiestrar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría adiestrado al perro para obedecer órdenes 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 adiestrar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él adiestre al caballo para el salto. 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 adiestrar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él adiestrara al halcón para la caza, 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 adiestrar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Adiestra al perro guía para ayudar a su dueño! 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 adiestrar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No adiestres al perro para obedecer órdenes. 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 adiestrar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Adiestro al perro para obedecer órdenes. — I train the dog to obey orders.
- Adiestra al caballo para el salto. — He/she trains the horse for jumping.
- Ayer, adiestré al halcón para la caza. — Yesterday, I trained the falcon for hunting.
- Antes, nosotros adiestrábamos al perro guía para ayudar a su dueño. — Before, we used to train the guide dog to help its owner.
- Mañana, tú adiestrarás al perro para obedecer órdenes. — Tomorrow, you will train the dog to obey orders.
- Yo adiestraría al caballo para el salto si tuviera más tiempo. — I would train the horse for jumping if I had more time.
- Él ha adiestrado al halcón para la caza. — He has trained the falcon for hunting.
- Espero que él adiestre al perro guía para ayudar a su dueño. — I hope he trains the guide dog to help its owner.
- Yo ya había adiestrado al perro para obedecer órdenes antes de salir. — I had already trained the dog to obey orders before leaving.
- Ellos adiestraban al caballo para el salto cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to train the horse for jumping when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo adiestra al perro para obedecer órdenes. — Right: Yo adiestro al perro para obedecer órdenes. — The person matters: adiestra is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is adiestro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo adiestro al caballo para el salto. — Right: Ayer yo adiestré al caballo para el salto. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: adiestro is happening now, while adiestré is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating adiestrar and enseñar as identical in every context. — Right: Adiestrar means to train (an animal), while enseñar means to teach. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: adiestrar fits sentences such as Adiestro al perro para obedecer órdenes, while enseñar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy adiestrado al caballo para el salto. — Right: Yo he adiestrado al caballo para el salto. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he adiestrado, has adiestrado, ha adiestrado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo adiestré al halcón para la caza todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo adiestraba al halcón para la caza todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (adiestraba), not the preterite. The preterite (adiestré) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on adiestrar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al perro para obedecer órdenes. (present tense) A. adiestro B. adiestras C. adiestra D. adiestramos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ al caballo para el salto. (preterite) A. adiestré B. adiestraste C. adiestraron D. adiestró
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ al halcón para la caza. (imperfect) A. adiestrabas B. adiestraban C. adiestrábamos D. adiestraba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ al perro guía para ayudar a su dueño. (future) A. adiestraremos B. adiestrarás C. adiestraré D. adiestrará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al perro para obedecer órdenes si pudiera. (conditional) A. adiestraría B. adiestrarías C. adiestrarían D. adiestro
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ al caballo para el salto. (present subjunctive) A. adiestres B. adiestremos C. adiestro D. adiestre
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ al halcón para la caza, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. adiestráramos B. adiestro C. adiestrara D. adiestraras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ al perro guía para ayudar a su dueño. (present perfect) A. han adiestrado B. hemos adiestrado C. he adiestrado D. has adiestrado
Complete the command: ¡___ al perro para obedecer órdenes! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. adiestra B. adiestre C. adiestremos D. adiestrad
Which is the gerund of adiestrar, used with estar for the progressive? A. adiestrado B. adiestro C. adiestré D. adiestrando
Answer key
- adiestro — The first-person present of adiestrar is adiestro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- adiestró — The third-person preterite of adiestrar is adiestró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- adiestrábamos — The nosotros imperfect of adiestrar is adiestrábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- adiestrarás — The second-person future of adiestrar is adiestrarás.
- adiestraría — The first-person conditional of adiestrar is adiestraría, the form for what would happen.
- adiestre — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of adiestrar is adiestre.
- adiestrara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of adiestrar is adiestrara.
- hemos adiestrado — The nosotros present perfect of adiestrar is hemos adiestrado: hemos + adiestrado.
- adiestra — The affirmative tú imperative of adiestrar is adiestra.
- adiestrando — The gerund of adiestrar is adiestrando: estoy adiestrando. The participle adiestrado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does adiestrar mean in English?
Adiestrar means to train (an animal). It is used in everyday situations such as Adiestro al perro para obedecer órdenes. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is adiestrar regular or irregular?
Adiestrar 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 adiestro in the present and adiestré in the preterite.
What is the difference between adiestrar and enseñar?
Adiestrar means to train (an animal), while enseñar means to teach. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use adiestrar when you mean to train (an animal), as in Adiestro al perro para obedecer órdenes, and use enseñar for to teach. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I train (an animal)” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo adiestré al caballo para el salto. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo adiestraba al halcón para la caza. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he adiestrado al caballo para el salto.
How do I practise adiestrar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the adiestrar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Adiestrar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for adiestrar.
- Adiestrar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for adiestrar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Abonar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with adiestrar.
- Domesticar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with adiestrar.
- Abrochar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with adiestrar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.