Agrandar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb agrandar means to enlarge, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Agrandar means to enlarge, and it is used for making things bigger in size or in importance: you enlarge a photo, a house, a business or a problem. It is the opposite of achicar or reducir, and it appears in photography, building and business language. Like every Spanish verb, agrandar 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 agrando la foto para el marco, and in the preterite you say agrandé el negocio con una tienda nueva. 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: agrandar
- English: to enlarge
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: agrandando
- Past participle: agrandado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + agrandado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for agrandar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Agrandar is fully regular: agrandé, agrandaba, agrandaré. Its opposite is achicar, to make smaller.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for agrandar. 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 | agrando |
| tú | agrandas |
| él/ella/Ud. | agranda |
| nosotros/as | agrandamos |
| vosotros/as | agrandáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | agrandan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | agrandé |
| tú | agrandaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | agrandó |
| nosotros/as | agrandamos |
| vosotros/as | agrandasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | agrandaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | agrandaba |
| tú | agrandabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | agrandaba |
| nosotros/as | agrandábamos |
| vosotros/as | agrandabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | agrandaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | agrandaré |
| tú | agrandarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | agrandará |
| nosotros/as | agrandaremos |
| vosotros/as | agrandaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | agrandarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | agrandaría |
| tú | agrandarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | agrandaría |
| nosotros/as | agrandaríamos |
| vosotros/as | agrandaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | agrandarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he agrandado |
| tú | has agrandado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha agrandado |
| nosotros/as | hemos agrandado |
| vosotros/as | habéis agrandado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han agrandado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había agrandado |
| tú | habías agrandado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había agrandado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos agrandado |
| vosotros/as | habíais agrandado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían agrandado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré agrandado |
| tú | habrás agrandado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá agrandado |
| nosotros/as | habremos agrandado |
| vosotros/as | habréis agrandado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán agrandado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría agrandado |
| tú | habrías agrandado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría agrandado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos agrandado |
| vosotros/as | habríais agrandado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían agrandado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | agrande |
| tú | agrandes |
| él/ella/Ud. | agrande |
| nosotros/as | agrandemos |
| vosotros/as | agrandéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | agranden |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | agrandara |
| tú | agrandaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | agrandara |
| nosotros/as | agrandáramos |
| vosotros/as | agrandarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | agrandaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | agranda |
| él/ella/Ud. | agrande |
| nosotros/as | agrandemos |
| vosotros/as | agrandad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | agranden |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | agrandes |
| él/ella/Ud. | agrande |
| nosotros/as | agrandemos |
| vosotros/as | agrandéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | agranden |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | agrandando | with estar for the progressive: estoy agrandando |
| Past participle | agrandado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he agrandado |
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 agrandar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Agrando la foto para el marco. 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 agrandar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, agrandé la casa con una habitación más. 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 agrandar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, agrandaba el negocio con una tienda nueva. 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 agrandar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, agrandaré el problema con rumores. 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 agrandar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Agrandaría la foto para el marco 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 agrandar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he agrandado la casa con una habitación más. 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 agrandar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había agrandado el negocio con una tienda nueva 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 agrandar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré agrandado el problema con rumores. 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 agrandar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría agrandado la foto para el marco 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 agrandar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él agrande la casa con una habitación más. 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 agrandar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él agrandara el negocio con una tienda nueva, 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 agrandar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡agranda el problema con rumores! 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 agrandar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No agrandes la foto para el marco. 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 agrandar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Agrando la foto para el marco. — I enlarge the photo for the frame.
- Agranda la casa con una habitación más. — He/she enlarges the house with one more room.
- Ayer, agrandé el negocio con una tienda nueva. — Yesterday, I enlarged the business with a new shop.
- Antes, nosotros agrandábamos el problema con rumores. — Before, we used to enlarge the problem with rumours.
- Mañana, tú agrandarás la foto para el marco. — Tomorrow, you will enlarge the photo for the frame.
- Yo agrandaría la casa con una habitación más si tuviera más tiempo. — I would enlarge the house with one more room if I had more time.
- Él ha agrandado el negocio con una tienda nueva. — He has enlarged the business with a new shop.
- Espero que él agrande el problema con rumores. — I hope he enlarges the problem with rumours.
- Yo ya había agrandado la foto para el marco antes de salir. — I had already enlarged the photo for the frame before leaving.
- Ellos agrandaban la casa con una habitación más cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to enlarge the house with one more room when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo agranda la foto para el marco. — Right: Yo agrando la foto para el marco. — The person matters: agranda is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is agrando. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating agrandar and ampliar as identical in every context. — Right: Agrandar means to enlarge, while ampliar means to enlarge or extend something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: agrandar fits sentences such as Agrando la foto para el marco, while ampliar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy agrandado la casa con una habitación más. — Right: Yo he agrandado la casa con una habitación más. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he agrandado, has agrandado, ha agrandado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo agrandé el negocio con una tienda nueva todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo agrandaba el negocio con una tienda nueva todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (agrandaba), not the preterite. The preterite (agrandé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on agrandar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la foto para el marco. (present tense) A. agrando B. agrandas C. agranda D. agrandamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la casa con una habitación más. (preterite) A. agrandé B. agrandaste C. agrandaron D. agrandó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el negocio con una tienda nueva. (imperfect) A. agrandabas B. agrandaban C. agrandábamos D. agrandaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el problema con rumores. (future) A. agrandaremos B. agrandarás C. agrandaré D. agrandará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la foto para el marco si pudiera. (conditional) A. agrandaría B. agrandarías C. agrandarían D. agrando
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la casa con una habitación más. (present subjunctive) A. agrandes B. agrandemos C. agrando D. agrande
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el negocio con una tienda nueva, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. agrandáramos B. agrando C. agrandara D. agrandaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el problema con rumores. (present perfect) A. han agrandado B. hemos agrandado C. he agrandado D. has agrandado
Complete the command: ¡___ la foto para el marco! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. agranda B. agrande C. agrandemos D. agrandad
Which is the gerund of agrandar, used with estar for the progressive? A. agrandado B. agrando C. agrandé D. agrandando
Answer key
- agrando — The first-person present of agrandar is agrando. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- agrandó — The third-person preterite of agrandar is agrandó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- agrandábamos — The nosotros imperfect of agrandar is agrandábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- agrandarás — The second-person future of agrandar is agrandarás.
- agrandaría — The first-person conditional of agrandar is agrandaría, the form for what would happen.
- agrande — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of agrandar is agrande.
- agrandara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of agrandar is agrandara.
- hemos agrandado — The nosotros present perfect of agrandar is hemos agrandado: hemos + agrandado.
- agranda — The affirmative tú imperative of agrandar is agranda.
- agrandando — The gerund of agrandar is agrandando: estoy agrandando. The participle agrandado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does agrandar mean in English?
Agrandar means to enlarge. It is used in everyday situations such as Agrando la foto para el marco. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is agrandar regular or irregular?
Agrandar 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 agrando in the present and agrandé in the preterite.
What is the difference between agrandar and ampliar?
Agrandar means to enlarge, while ampliar means to enlarge or extend something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use agrandar when you mean to enlarge, as in Agrando la foto para el marco, and use ampliar for to enlarge or extend something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I enlarge” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo agrandé la casa con una habitación más. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo agrandaba el negocio con una tienda nueva. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he agrandado la casa con una habitación más.
How do I practise agrandar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the agrandar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Agrandar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for agrandar.
- Agrandar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for agrandar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Agradar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with agrandar.
- Agrupar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with agrandar.
- Aguantar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with agrandar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.