Andar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb andar means to walk, to go (around), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Andar means to walk and, more broadly, to go around or to move about, and it is one of the most frequent verbs in spoken Spanish. It also works in expressions such as andar en bicicleta, andar perdido and andar buscando, where it adds a sense of being occupied or on the move. Its preterite is irregular, which is its famous trap. Like every Spanish verb, andar 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 ando por el parque cada tarde, and in the preterite you say anduve descalzo por la playa. 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: andar
- English: to walk, to go (around)
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: andando
- Past participle: andado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + andado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for andar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. The preterite is irregular: anduve, anduviste, anduvo. Never say andé — that form does not exist.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for andar. 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 | ando |
| tú | andas |
| él/ella/Ud. | anda |
| nosotros/as | andamos |
| vosotros/as | andáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | andan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | anduve |
| tú | anduviste |
| él/ella/Ud. | anduvo |
| nosotros/as | anduvimos |
| vosotros/as | anduvisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | anduvieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | andaba |
| tú | andabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | andaba |
| nosotros/as | andábamos |
| vosotros/as | andabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | andaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | andaré |
| tú | andarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | andará |
| nosotros/as | andaremos |
| vosotros/as | andaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | andarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | andaría |
| tú | andarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | andaría |
| nosotros/as | andaríamos |
| vosotros/as | andaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | andarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he andado |
| tú | has andado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha andado |
| nosotros/as | hemos andado |
| vosotros/as | habéis andado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han andado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había andado |
| tú | habías andado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había andado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos andado |
| vosotros/as | habíais andado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían andado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré andado |
| tú | habrás andado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá andado |
| nosotros/as | habremos andado |
| vosotros/as | habréis andado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán andado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría andado |
| tú | habrías andado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría andado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos andado |
| vosotros/as | habríais andado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían andado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ande |
| tú | andes |
| él/ella/Ud. | ande |
| nosotros/as | andemos |
| vosotros/as | andéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | anden |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | anduviera |
| tú | anduvieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | anduviera |
| nosotros/as | anduviéramos |
| vosotros/as | anduvierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | anduvieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | anda |
| él/ella/Ud. | ande |
| nosotros/as | andemos |
| vosotros/as | andad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | anden |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | andes |
| él/ella/Ud. | ande |
| nosotros/as | andemos |
| vosotros/as | andéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | anden |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | andando | with estar for the progressive: estoy andando |
| Past participle | andado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he andado |
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 andar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Ando por el parque cada tarde. 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: it uses the stem anduv-, so learn these forms as a set rather than deriving them from the infinitive. For andar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, anduve dos kilómetros cada día. 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 andar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, andaba descalzo por la playa. 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 andar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, andaré por las calles de Madrid. 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 andar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Andaría por el parque cada tarde 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 andar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he andado dos kilómetros cada día. 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 andar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había andado descalzo por la playa 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 andar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré andado por las calles de Madrid. 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 andar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría andado por el parque cada tarde 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 andar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él ande dos kilómetros cada día. 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: it uses the stem anduv-, so learn these forms as a set rather than deriving them from the infinitive. For andar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él anduviera descalzo por la playa, 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 andar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Anda por las calles de Madrid! 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 andar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No andes por el parque cada tarde. 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 andar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Ando por el parque cada tarde. — I walk in the park every afternoon.
- Anda dos kilómetros cada día. — He/she walks two kilometres every day.
- Ayer, anduve descalzo por la playa. — Yesterday, I walked barefoot on the beach.
- Antes, nosotros andábamos por las calles de Madrid. — Before, we used to walk through the streets of Madrid.
- Mañana, tú andarás por el parque cada tarde. — Tomorrow, you will walk in the park every afternoon.
- Yo andaría dos kilómetros cada día si tuviera más tiempo. — I would walk two kilometres every day if I had more time.
- Él ha andado descalzo por la playa. — He has walked barefoot on the beach.
- Espero que él ande por las calles de Madrid. — I hope he walks through the streets of Madrid.
- Yo ya había andado por el parque cada tarde antes de salir. — I had already walked in the park every afternoon before leaving.
- Ellos andaban dos kilómetros cada día cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to walk two kilometres every day when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo anda por el parque cada tarde. — Right: Yo ando por el parque cada tarde. — The person matters: anda is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ando. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo andé por el parque cada tarde. — Right: Ayer yo anduve por el parque cada tarde. — Andar has an irregular preterite built on the stem anduv-, so the correct first-person form is anduve, never andé.
- Wrong: Treating andar and caminar as identical in every context. — Right: Andar means to walk, to go (around), while caminar means to walk, the more literal synonym. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: andar fits sentences such as Ando por el parque cada tarde, while caminar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy andado dos kilómetros cada día. — Right: Yo he andado dos kilómetros cada día. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he andado, has andado, ha andado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo anduve descalzo por la playa todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo andaba descalzo por la playa todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (andaba), not the preterite. The preterite (anduve) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on andar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ por el parque cada tarde. (present tense) A. ando B. andas C. anda D. andamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ dos kilómetros cada día. (preterite) A. anduve B. anduviste C. anduvieron D. anduvo
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ descalzo por la playa. (imperfect) A. andabas B. andaban C. andábamos D. andaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ por las calles de Madrid. (future) A. andaremos B. andarás C. andaré D. andará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ por el parque cada tarde si pudiera. (conditional) A. andaría B. andarías C. andarían D. ando
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ dos kilómetros cada día. (present subjunctive) A. andes B. andemos C. ando D. ande
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ descalzo por la playa, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. anduviéramos B. ando C. anduviera D. anduvieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ por las calles de Madrid. (present perfect) A. han andado B. hemos andado C. he andado D. has andado
Complete the command: ¡___ por el parque cada tarde! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. anda B. ande C. andemos D. andad
Which is the gerund of andar, used with estar for the progressive? A. andado B. ando C. anduve D. andando
Answer key
- ando — The first-person present of andar is ando. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- anduvo — The third-person preterite of andar is anduvo, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- andábamos — The nosotros imperfect of andar is andábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- andarás — The second-person future of andar is andarás.
- andaría — The first-person conditional of andar is andaría, the form for what would happen.
- ande — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of andar is ande.
- anduviera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of andar is anduviera.
- hemos andado — The nosotros present perfect of andar is hemos andado: hemos + andado.
- anda — The affirmative tú imperative of andar is anda.
- andando — The gerund of andar is andando: estoy andando. The participle andado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does andar mean in English?
Andar means to walk, to go (around). It is used in everyday situations such as Ando por el parque cada tarde. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is andar regular or irregular?
Andar is irregular in preterite, imperfect-subjunctive. The other tenses follow the regular pattern. Learn the irregular forms from the tables above rather than guessing them from the infinitive.
What is the difference between andar and caminar?
Andar means to walk, to go (around), while caminar means to walk, the more literal synonym. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use andar when you mean to walk, to go (around), as in Ando por el parque cada tarde, and use caminar for to walk, the more literal synonym. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I walk” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo anduve dos kilómetros cada día. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo andaba descalzo por la playa. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he andado dos kilómetros cada día.
How do I practise andar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the andar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Andar in the preterite tense — the full preterite-tense table for andar.
- Andar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for andar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Saltar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with andar.
- Volar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with andar.
- Dibujar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with andar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.