Añorar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb añorar means to miss, to long for, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Añorar means to miss or to long for, and it is a nostalgic verb: you miss your homeland, you long for the summers of your childhood, you miss people who are far away. It is stronger and more poetic than echar de menos, and it appears in songs, letters and literature. Like every Spanish verb, añorar 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 añoro mi tierra natal, and in the preterite you say añoré a mis abuelos. 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: añorar
  • English: to miss, to long for
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: añorando
  • Past participle: añorado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + añorado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for añorar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Añorar is a regular -ar verb: añoré, añoraba, añoraré. Remember the ñ: añoro, añoras, añora.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for añorar. 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 añoro
tú añoras
él/ella/Ud. añora
nosotros/as añoramos
vosotros/as añoráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. añoran

Preterite

Person Form
yo añoré
tú añoraste
él/ella/Ud. añoró
nosotros/as añoramos
vosotros/as añorasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. añoraron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo añoraba
tú añorabas
él/ella/Ud. añoraba
nosotros/as añorábamos
vosotros/as añorabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. añoraban

Future

Person Form
yo añoraré
tú añorarás
él/ella/Ud. añorará
nosotros/as añoraremos
vosotros/as añoraréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. añorarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo añoraría
tú añorarías
él/ella/Ud. añoraría
nosotros/as añoraríamos
vosotros/as añoraríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. añorarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he añorado
tú has añorado
él/ella/Ud. ha añorado
nosotros/as hemos añorado
vosotros/as habéis añorado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han añorado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había añorado
tú habías añorado
él/ella/Ud. había añorado
nosotros/as habíamos añorado
vosotros/as habíais añorado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían añorado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré añorado
tú habrás añorado
él/ella/Ud. habrá añorado
nosotros/as habremos añorado
vosotros/as habréis añorado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán añorado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría añorado
tú habrías añorado
él/ella/Ud. habría añorado
nosotros/as habríamos añorado
vosotros/as habríais añorado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían añorado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo añore
tú añores
él/ella/Ud. añore
nosotros/as añoremos
vosotros/as añoréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. añoren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo añorara
tú añoraras
él/ella/Ud. añorara
nosotros/as añoráramos
vosotros/as añorarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. añoraran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú añora
él/ella/Ud. añore
nosotros/as añoremos
vosotros/as añorad
ellos/ellas/Uds. añoren

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú añores
él/ella/Ud. añore
nosotros/as añoremos
vosotros/as añoréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. añoren

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund añorando with estar for the progressive: estoy añorando
Past participle añorado with haber for the perfect tenses: he añorado

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 añorar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Añoro mi tierra natal. 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 añorar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, añoré los veranos de mi infancia. 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 añorar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, añoraba a mis abuelos. 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 añorar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, añoraré aquellos días felices. 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 añorar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Añoraría mi tierra natal 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 añorar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he añorado los veranos de mi infancia. 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 añorar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había añorado a mis abuelos 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 añorar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré añorado aquellos días felices. 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 añorar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría añorado mi tierra natal 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 añorar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él añore los veranos de mi infancia. 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 añorar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él añorara a mis abuelos, 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 añorar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡añora aquellos días felices! 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 añorar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No añores mi tierra natal. 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 añorar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Añoro mi tierra natal. — I miss my homeland.
  2. Añora los veranos de mi infancia. — He/she misses the summers of my childhood.
  3. Ayer, añoré a mis abuelos. — Yesterday, I missed my grandparents.
  4. Antes, nosotros añorábamos aquellos días felices. — Before, we used to miss those happy days.
  5. Mañana, tú añorarás mi tierra natal. — Tomorrow, you will miss my homeland.
  6. Yo añoraría los veranos de mi infancia si tuviera más tiempo. — I would miss the summers of my childhood if I had more time.
  7. Él ha añorado a mis abuelos. — He has missed my grandparents.
  8. Espero que él añore aquellos días felices. — I hope he misses those happy days.
  9. Yo ya había añorado mi tierra natal antes de salir. — I had already missed my homeland before leaving.
  10. Ellos añoraban los veranos de mi infancia cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to miss the summers of my childhood when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo añora mi tierra natal. — Right: Yo añoro mi tierra natal. — The person matters: añora is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is añoro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating añorar and echar de menos as identical in every context. — Right: Añorar means to miss, to long for, while echar de menos means to miss someone or something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: añorar fits sentences such as Añoro mi tierra natal, while echar de menos belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy añorado los veranos de mi infancia. — Right: Yo he añorado los veranos de mi infancia. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he añorado, has añorado, ha añorado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo añoré a mis abuelos todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo añoraba a mis abuelos todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (añoraba), not the preterite. The preterite (añoré) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on añorar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mi tierra natal. (present tense) A. añoro B. añoras C. añora D. añoramos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ los veranos de mi infancia. (preterite) A. añoré B. añoraste C. añoraron D. añoró

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a mis abuelos. (imperfect) A. añorabas B. añoraban C. añorábamos D. añoraba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ aquellos días felices. (future) A. añoraremos B. añorarás C. añoraré D. añorará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mi tierra natal si pudiera. (conditional) A. añoraría B. añorarías C. añorarían D. añoro

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ los veranos de mi infancia. (present subjunctive) A. añores B. añoremos C. añoro D. añore

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a mis abuelos, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. añoráramos B. añoro C. añorara D. añoraras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ aquellos días felices. (present perfect) A. han añorado B. hemos añorado C. he añorado D. has añorado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ mi tierra natal! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. añora B. añore C. añoremos D. añorad

  10. Which is the gerund of añorar, used with estar for the progressive? A. añorado B. añoro C. añoré D. añorando

Answer key

  1. añoro — The first-person present of añorar is añoro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. añoró — The third-person preterite of añorar is añoró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. añorábamos — The nosotros imperfect of añorar is añorábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. añorarás — The second-person future of añorar is añorarás.
  5. añoraría — The first-person conditional of añorar is añoraría, the form for what would happen.
  6. añore — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of añorar is añore.
  7. añorara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of añorar is añorara.
  8. hemos añorado — The nosotros present perfect of añorar is hemos añorado: hemos + añorado.
  9. añora — The affirmative tú imperative of añorar is añora.
  10. añorando — The gerund of añorar is añorando: estoy añorando. The participle añorado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does añorar mean in English?

Añorar means to miss, to long for. It is used in everyday situations such as Añoro mi tierra natal. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is añorar regular or irregular?

Añorar 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 añoro in the present and añoré in the preterite.

What is the difference between añorar and echar de menos?

Añorar means to miss, to long for, while echar de menos means to miss someone or something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use añorar when you mean to miss, to long for, as in Añoro mi tierra natal, and use echar de menos for to miss someone or something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I miss” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo añoré los veranos de mi infancia. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo añoraba a mis abuelos. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he añorado los veranos de mi infancia.

How do I practise añorar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the añorar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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