Aguardar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb aguardar means to wait for, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Aguardar means to wait for something, and it is a slightly formal synonym of esperar, used for waiting for a train, a letter, a reply or a person. It takes a direct object, with no preposition, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, aguardar 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 aguardo el tren en la estación, and in the preterite you say aguardé a su amigo en la puerta. 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: aguardar
- English: to wait for
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: aguardando
- Past participle: aguardado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + aguardado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for aguardar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Aguardar takes a direct object with no preposition: aguardo el tren, not aguardo por el tren.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for aguardar. 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 | aguardo |
| tú | aguardas |
| él/ella/Ud. | aguarda |
| nosotros/as | aguardamos |
| vosotros/as | aguardáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aguardan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aguardé |
| tú | aguardaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | aguardó |
| nosotros/as | aguardamos |
| vosotros/as | aguardasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aguardaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aguardaba |
| tú | aguardabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | aguardaba |
| nosotros/as | aguardábamos |
| vosotros/as | aguardabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aguardaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aguardaré |
| tú | aguardarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | aguardará |
| nosotros/as | aguardaremos |
| vosotros/as | aguardaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aguardarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aguardaría |
| tú | aguardarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | aguardaría |
| nosotros/as | aguardaríamos |
| vosotros/as | aguardaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aguardarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he aguardado |
| tú | has aguardado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha aguardado |
| nosotros/as | hemos aguardado |
| vosotros/as | habéis aguardado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han aguardado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había aguardado |
| tú | habías aguardado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había aguardado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos aguardado |
| vosotros/as | habíais aguardado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían aguardado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré aguardado |
| tú | habrás aguardado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá aguardado |
| nosotros/as | habremos aguardado |
| vosotros/as | habréis aguardado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán aguardado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría aguardado |
| tú | habrías aguardado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría aguardado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos aguardado |
| vosotros/as | habríais aguardado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían aguardado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aguarde |
| tú | aguardes |
| él/ella/Ud. | aguarde |
| nosotros/as | aguardemos |
| vosotros/as | aguardéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aguarden |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aguardara |
| tú | aguardaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | aguardara |
| nosotros/as | aguardáramos |
| vosotros/as | aguardarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aguardaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | aguarda |
| él/ella/Ud. | aguarde |
| nosotros/as | aguardemos |
| vosotros/as | aguardad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aguarden |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | aguardes |
| él/ella/Ud. | aguarde |
| nosotros/as | aguardemos |
| vosotros/as | aguardéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aguarden |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | aguardando | with estar for the progressive: estoy aguardando |
| Past participle | aguardado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he aguardado |
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 aguardar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Aguardo el tren en la estación. 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 aguardar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, aguardé la respuesta del jefe. 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 aguardar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, aguardaba a su amigo en la puerta. 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 aguardar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, aguardaré el momento adecuado. 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 aguardar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Aguardaría el tren en la estación 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 aguardar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he aguardado la respuesta del jefe. 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 aguardar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había aguardado a su amigo en la puerta 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 aguardar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré aguardado el momento adecuado. 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 aguardar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría aguardado el tren en la estación 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 aguardar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él aguarde la respuesta del jefe. 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 aguardar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él aguardara a su amigo en la puerta, 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 aguardar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Aguarda el momento adecuado! 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 aguardar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No aguardes el tren en la estación. 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 aguardar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Aguardo el tren en la estación. — I wait for the train at the station.
- Aguarda la respuesta del jefe. — He/she waits for the boss's reply.
- Ayer, aguardé a su amigo en la puerta. — Yesterday, I waited for his friend at the door.
- Antes, nosotros aguardábamos el momento adecuado. — Before, we used to wait for the right moment.
- Mañana, tú aguardarás el tren en la estación. — Tomorrow, you will wait for the train at the station.
- Yo aguardaría la respuesta del jefe si tuviera más tiempo. — I would wait for the boss's reply if I had more time.
- Él ha aguardado a su amigo en la puerta. — He has waited for his friend at the door.
- Espero que él aguarde el momento adecuado. — I hope he waits for the right moment.
- Yo ya había aguardado el tren en la estación antes de salir. — I had already waited for the train at the station before leaving.
- Ellos aguardaban la respuesta del jefe cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to wait for the boss's reply when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo aguarda el tren en la estación. — Right: Yo aguardo el tren en la estación. — The person matters: aguarda is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aguardo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo aguardo la respuesta del jefe. — Right: Ayer yo aguardé la respuesta del jefe. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: aguardo is happening now, while aguardé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating aguardar and esperar as identical in every context. — Right: Aguardar means to wait for, while esperar means to wait. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: aguardar fits sentences such as Aguardo el tren en la estación, while esperar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy aguardado la respuesta del jefe. — Right: Yo he aguardado la respuesta del jefe. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he aguardado, has aguardado, ha aguardado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo aguardé a su amigo en la puerta todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo aguardaba a su amigo en la puerta todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (aguardaba), not the preterite. The preterite (aguardé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on aguardar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el tren en la estación. (present tense) A. aguardo B. aguardas C. aguarda D. aguardamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la respuesta del jefe. (preterite) A. aguardé B. aguardaste C. aguardaron D. aguardó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a su amigo en la puerta. (imperfect) A. aguardabas B. aguardaban C. aguardábamos D. aguardaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el momento adecuado. (future) A. aguardaremos B. aguardarás C. aguardaré D. aguardará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el tren en la estación si pudiera. (conditional) A. aguardaría B. aguardarías C. aguardarían D. aguardo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la respuesta del jefe. (present subjunctive) A. aguardes B. aguardemos C. aguardo D. aguarde
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a su amigo en la puerta, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. aguardáramos B. aguardo C. aguardara D. aguardaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el momento adecuado. (present perfect) A. han aguardado B. hemos aguardado C. he aguardado D. has aguardado
Complete the command: ¡___ el tren en la estación! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. aguarda B. aguarde C. aguardemos D. aguardad
Which is the gerund of aguardar, used with estar for the progressive? A. aguardado B. aguardo C. aguardé D. aguardando
Answer key
- aguardo — The first-person present of aguardar is aguardo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- aguardó — The third-person preterite of aguardar is aguardó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- aguardábamos — The nosotros imperfect of aguardar is aguardábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- aguardarás — The second-person future of aguardar is aguardarás.
- aguardaría — The first-person conditional of aguardar is aguardaría, the form for what would happen.
- aguarde — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of aguardar is aguarde.
- aguardara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of aguardar is aguardara.
- hemos aguardado — The nosotros present perfect of aguardar is hemos aguardado: hemos + aguardado.
- aguarda — The affirmative tú imperative of aguardar is aguarda.
- aguardando — The gerund of aguardar is aguardando: estoy aguardando. The participle aguardado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does aguardar mean in English?
Aguardar means to wait for. It is used in everyday situations such as Aguardo el tren en la estación. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is aguardar regular or irregular?
Aguardar 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 aguardo in the present and aguardé in the preterite.
What is the difference between aguardar and esperar?
Aguardar means to wait for, while esperar means to wait. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use aguardar when you mean to wait for, as in Aguardo el tren en la estación, and use esperar for to wait. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I wait for” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo aguardé la respuesta del jefe. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo aguardaba a su amigo en la puerta. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he aguardado la respuesta del jefe.
How do I practise aguardar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the aguardar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Aguardar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for aguardar.
- Aguardar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for aguardar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Regatear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with aguardar.
- Descargar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with aguardar.
- Arrastrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with aguardar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.