Afirmar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb afirmar means to affirm, to state, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Afirmar means to affirm or to state, and it is a formal verb for saying something firmly: you state a fact, you affirm your innocence, you confirm a position in a debate. It appears in law, journalism and academic writing, and it is stronger than decir. Like every Spanish verb, afirmar 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 afirmo mi inocencia ante el juez, and in the preterite you say afirmé mi apoyo al proyecto. 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: afirmar
- English: to affirm, to state
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: afirmando
- Past participle: afirmado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + afirmado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for afirmar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Afirmar is fully regular: afirmé, afirmaba, afirmaré. To say the opposite, use negar, to deny.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for afirmar. 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 | afirmo |
| tú | afirmas |
| él/ella/Ud. | afirma |
| nosotros/as | afirmamos |
| vosotros/as | afirmáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | afirman |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | afirmé |
| tú | afirmaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | afirmó |
| nosotros/as | afirmamos |
| vosotros/as | afirmasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | afirmaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | afirmaba |
| tú | afirmabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | afirmaba |
| nosotros/as | afirmábamos |
| vosotros/as | afirmabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | afirmaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | afirmaré |
| tú | afirmarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | afirmará |
| nosotros/as | afirmaremos |
| vosotros/as | afirmaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | afirmarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | afirmaría |
| tú | afirmarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | afirmaría |
| nosotros/as | afirmaríamos |
| vosotros/as | afirmaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | afirmarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he afirmado |
| tú | has afirmado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha afirmado |
| nosotros/as | hemos afirmado |
| vosotros/as | habéis afirmado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han afirmado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había afirmado |
| tú | habías afirmado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había afirmado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos afirmado |
| vosotros/as | habíais afirmado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían afirmado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré afirmado |
| tú | habrás afirmado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá afirmado |
| nosotros/as | habremos afirmado |
| vosotros/as | habréis afirmado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán afirmado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría afirmado |
| tú | habrías afirmado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría afirmado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos afirmado |
| vosotros/as | habríais afirmado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían afirmado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | afirme |
| tú | afirmes |
| él/ella/Ud. | afirme |
| nosotros/as | afirmemos |
| vosotros/as | afirméis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | afirmen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | afirmara |
| tú | afirmaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | afirmara |
| nosotros/as | afirmáramos |
| vosotros/as | afirmarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | afirmaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | afirma |
| él/ella/Ud. | afirme |
| nosotros/as | afirmemos |
| vosotros/as | afirmad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | afirmen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | afirmes |
| él/ella/Ud. | afirme |
| nosotros/as | afirmemos |
| vosotros/as | afirméis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | afirmen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | afirmando | with estar for the progressive: estoy afirmando |
| Past participle | afirmado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he afirmado |
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 afirmar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Afirmo mi inocencia ante el juez. 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 afirmar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, afirmé que todo está bajo control. 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 afirmar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, afirmaba mi apoyo al proyecto. 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 afirmar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, afirmaré la verdad en la entrevista. 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 afirmar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Afirmaría mi inocencia ante el juez 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 afirmar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he afirmado que todo está bajo control. 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 afirmar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había afirmado mi apoyo al proyecto 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 afirmar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré afirmado la verdad en la entrevista. 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 afirmar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría afirmado mi inocencia ante el juez 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 afirmar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él afirme que todo está bajo control. 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 afirmar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él afirmara mi apoyo al proyecto, 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 afirmar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡afirma la verdad en la entrevista! 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 afirmar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No afirmes mi inocencia ante el juez. 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 afirmar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Afirmo mi inocencia ante el juez. — I affirm my innocence before the judge.
- Afirma que todo está bajo control. — He/she affirms that everything is under control.
- Ayer, afirmé mi apoyo al proyecto. — Yesterday, I affirmed my support for the project.
- Antes, nosotros afirmábamos la verdad en la entrevista. — Before, we used to affirm the truth in the interview.
- Mañana, tú afirmarás mi inocencia ante el juez. — Tomorrow, you will affirm my innocence before the judge.
- Yo afirmaría que todo está bajo control si tuviera más tiempo. — I would affirm that everything is under control if I had more time.
- Él ha afirmado mi apoyo al proyecto. — He has affirmed my support for the project.
- Espero que él afirme la verdad en la entrevista. — I hope he affirms the truth in the interview.
- Yo ya había afirmado mi inocencia ante el juez antes de salir. — I had already affirmed my innocence before the judge before leaving.
- Ellos afirmaban que todo está bajo control cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to affirm that everything is under control when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo afirma mi inocencia ante el juez. — Right: Yo afirmo mi inocencia ante el juez. — The person matters: afirma is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is afirmo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating afirmar and declarar as identical in every context. — Right: Afirmar means to affirm, to state, while declarar means to declare something officially. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: afirmar fits sentences such as Afirmo mi inocencia ante el juez, while declarar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy afirmado que todo está bajo control. — Right: Yo he afirmado que todo está bajo control. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he afirmado, has afirmado, ha afirmado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo afirmé mi apoyo al proyecto todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo afirmaba mi apoyo al proyecto todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (afirmaba), not the preterite. The preterite (afirmé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on afirmar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mi inocencia ante el juez. (present tense) A. afirmo B. afirmas C. afirma D. afirmamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ que todo está bajo control. (preterite) A. afirmé B. afirmaste C. afirmaron D. afirmó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ mi apoyo al proyecto. (imperfect) A. afirmabas B. afirmaban C. afirmábamos D. afirmaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la verdad en la entrevista. (future) A. afirmaremos B. afirmarás C. afirmaré D. afirmará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mi inocencia ante el juez si pudiera. (conditional) A. afirmaría B. afirmarías C. afirmarían D. afirmo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ que todo está bajo control. (present subjunctive) A. afirmes B. afirmemos C. afirmo D. afirme
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ mi apoyo al proyecto, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. afirmáramos B. afirmo C. afirmara D. afirmaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la verdad en la entrevista. (present perfect) A. han afirmado B. hemos afirmado C. he afirmado D. has afirmado
Complete the command: ¡___ mi inocencia ante el juez! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. afirma B. afirme C. afirmemos D. afirmad
Which is the gerund of afirmar, used with estar for the progressive? A. afirmado B. afirmo C. afirmé D. afirmando
Answer key
- afirmo — The first-person present of afirmar is afirmo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- afirmó — The third-person preterite of afirmar is afirmó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- afirmábamos — The nosotros imperfect of afirmar is afirmábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- afirmarás — The second-person future of afirmar is afirmarás.
- afirmaría — The first-person conditional of afirmar is afirmaría, the form for what would happen.
- afirme — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of afirmar is afirme.
- afirmara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of afirmar is afirmara.
- hemos afirmado — The nosotros present perfect of afirmar is hemos afirmado: hemos + afirmado.
- afirma — The affirmative tú imperative of afirmar is afirma.
- afirmando — The gerund of afirmar is afirmando: estoy afirmando. The participle afirmado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does afirmar mean in English?
Afirmar means to affirm, to state. It is used in everyday situations such as Afirmo mi inocencia ante el juez. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is afirmar regular or irregular?
Afirmar 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 afirmo in the present and afirmé in the preterite.
What is the difference between afirmar and declarar?
Afirmar means to affirm, to state, while declarar means to declare something officially. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use afirmar when you mean to affirm, to state, as in Afirmo mi inocencia ante el juez, and use declarar for to declare something officially. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I affirm” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo afirmé que todo está bajo control. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo afirmaba mi apoyo al proyecto. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he afirmado que todo está bajo control.
How do I practise afirmar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the afirmar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Afirmar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for afirmar.
- Afirmar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for afirmar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Afeitar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with afirmar.
- Agitar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with afirmar.
- Afectar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with afirmar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.