Advertir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb advertir means to warn, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Advertir means to warn, and it is used for warning a driver about a danger, warning children not to touch something and warning a friend about a risk. It is a stem-changing -ir verb: e to ie in the present, e to i in the third-person preterite and in the gerund, so it is one of the trickier verbs in this batch. Like every Spanish verb, advertir 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 advierto al conductor del peligro, and in the preterite you say advertí a su amigo del riesgo. 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: advertir
- English: to warn
- Verb type: irregular verb, stem-changing (e → ie)
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: advirtiendo
- Past participle: advertido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + advertido)
- Stem change: e → ie in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for advertir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. The stem changes e to ie, and in the third-person preterite e becomes i: advirtió, advirtieron. The gerund is advirtiendo.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for advertir. 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 | advierto |
| tú | adviertes |
| él/ella/Ud. | advierte |
| nosotros/as | advertimos |
| vosotros/as | advertís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | advierten |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | advertí |
| tú | advertiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | advirtió |
| nosotros/as | advertimos |
| vosotros/as | advertisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | advirtieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | advertía |
| tú | advertías |
| él/ella/Ud. | advertía |
| nosotros/as | advertíamos |
| vosotros/as | advertíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | advertían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | advertiré |
| tú | advertirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | advertirá |
| nosotros/as | advertiremos |
| vosotros/as | advertiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | advertirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | advertiría |
| tú | advertirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | advertiría |
| nosotros/as | advertiríamos |
| vosotros/as | advertiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | advertirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he advertido |
| tú | has advertido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha advertido |
| nosotros/as | hemos advertido |
| vosotros/as | habéis advertido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han advertido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había advertido |
| tú | habías advertido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había advertido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos advertido |
| vosotros/as | habíais advertido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían advertido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré advertido |
| tú | habrás advertido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá advertido |
| nosotros/as | habremos advertido |
| vosotros/as | habréis advertido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán advertido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría advertido |
| tú | habrías advertido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría advertido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos advertido |
| vosotros/as | habríais advertido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían advertido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | advierta |
| tú | adviertas |
| él/ella/Ud. | advierta |
| nosotros/as | advirtamos |
| vosotros/as | advirtáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adviertan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | advirtiera |
| tú | advirtieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | advirtiera |
| nosotros/as | advirtiéramos |
| vosotros/as | advirtierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | advirtieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | advierte |
| él/ella/Ud. | advierta |
| nosotros/as | advirtamos |
| vosotros/as | advertid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adviertan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | adviertas |
| él/ella/Ud. | advierta |
| nosotros/as | advirtamos |
| vosotros/as | advirtáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adviertan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | advirtiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy advirtiendo |
| Past participle | advertido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he advertido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For advertir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Advierto al conductor del peligro. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For advertir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, advertí a los niños de no tocar nada. 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 advertir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, advertía a su amigo del riesgo. 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 advertir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, advertiré de los cambios en el contrato. 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 advertir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Advertiría al conductor del peligro 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 advertir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he advertido a los niños de no tocar nada. 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 advertir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había advertido a su amigo del riesgo 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 advertir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré advertido de los cambios en el contrato. 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 advertir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría advertido al conductor del peligro 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For advertir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él advierta a los niños de no tocar nada. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For advertir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él advirtiera a su amigo del riesgo, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For advertir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Advierte de los cambios en el contrato! 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For advertir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No adviertas al conductor del peligro. 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 advertir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Advierto al conductor del peligro. — I warn the driver about the danger.
- Advierte a los niños de no tocar nada. — He/she warns the children not to touch anything.
- Ayer, advertí a su amigo del riesgo. — Yesterday, I warned his friend about the risk.
- Antes, nosotros advertíamos de los cambios en el contrato. — Before, we used to warn of the changes in the contract.
- Mañana, tú advertirás al conductor del peligro. — Tomorrow, you will warn the driver about the danger.
- Yo advertiría a los niños de no tocar nada si tuviera más tiempo. — I would warn the children not to touch anything if I had more time.
- Él ha advertido a su amigo del riesgo. — He has warned his friend about the risk.
- Espero que él advierta de los cambios en el contrato. — I hope he warns of the changes in the contract.
- Yo ya había advertido al conductor del peligro antes de salir. — I had already warned the driver about the danger before leaving.
- Ellos advertían a los niños de no tocar nada cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to warn the children not to touch anything when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo advierte al conductor del peligro. — Right: Yo advierto al conductor del peligro. — The person matters: advierte is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is advierto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo adverto a los niños de no tocar nada. — Right: Yo advierto a los niños de no tocar nada. — In the present, the correct first-person form is advierto, not adverto. advertir is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.
- Wrong: Treating advertir and avisar as identical in every context. — Right: Advertir means to warn, while avisar means to notify in advance. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: advertir fits sentences such as Advierto al conductor del peligro, while avisar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy advertido a los niños de no tocar nada. — Right: Yo he advertido a los niños de no tocar nada. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he advertido, has advertido, ha advertido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo advertí a su amigo del riesgo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo advertía a su amigo del riesgo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (advertía), not the preterite. The preterite (advertí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on advertir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al conductor del peligro. (present tense) A. advierto B. adviertes C. advierte D. advertimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a los niños de no tocar nada. (preterite) A. advertí B. advertiste C. advirtieron D. advirtió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a su amigo del riesgo. (imperfect) A. advertías B. advertían C. advertíamos D. advertía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de los cambios en el contrato. (future) A. advertiremos B. advertirás C. advertiré D. advertirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al conductor del peligro si pudiera. (conditional) A. advertiría B. advertirías C. advertirían D. advierto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a los niños de no tocar nada. (present subjunctive) A. adviertas B. advirtamos C. advierto D. advierta
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a su amigo del riesgo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. advirtiéramos B. advierto C. advirtiera D. advirtieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de los cambios en el contrato. (present perfect) A. han advertido B. hemos advertido C. he advertido D. has advertido
Complete the command: ¡___ al conductor del peligro! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. advierte B. advierta C. advirtamos D. advertid
Which is the gerund of advertir, used with estar for the progressive? A. advertido B. advierto C. advertí D. advirtiendo
Answer key
- advierto — The first-person present of advertir is advierto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- advirtió — The third-person preterite of advertir is advirtió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- advertíamos — The nosotros imperfect of advertir is advertíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- advertirás — The second-person future of advertir is advertirás.
- advertiría — The first-person conditional of advertir is advertiría, the form for what would happen.
- advierta — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of advertir is advierta.
- advirtiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of advertir is advirtiera.
- hemos advertido — The nosotros present perfect of advertir is hemos advertido: hemos + advertido.
- advierte — The affirmative tú imperative of advertir is advierte.
- advirtiendo — The gerund of advertir is advirtiendo: estoy advirtiendo. The participle advertido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does advertir mean in English?
Advertir means to warn. It is used in everyday situations such as Advierto al conductor del peligro. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is advertir regular or irregular?
Advertir is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so it is not fully regular: the stem changes in the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. The preterite and the imperfect are regular. Check the tables above for the exact forms in each tense.
What is the difference between advertir and avisar?
Advertir means to warn, while avisar means to notify in advance. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use advertir when you mean to warn, as in Advierto al conductor del peligro, and use avisar for to notify in advance. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I warn” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo advertí a los niños de no tocar nada. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo advertía a su amigo del riesgo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he advertido a los niños de no tocar nada.
How do I practise advertir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the advertir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Advertir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for advertir.
- Advertir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for advertir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Sugerir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with advertir.
- Exigir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with advertir.
- Debatir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with advertir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.