Arder Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb arder means to burn, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Arder means to burn, and it is used for fire burning, a house burning, a candle burning and a person burning with fever or with shame. It also appears in the phrase arder en deseos, to burn with desire, and it is a regular -er verb. Like every Spanish verb, arder 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 ardo de fiebre en la cama, and in the preterite you say ardí de ganas de trabajar. 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: arder
- English: to burn
- Verb type: regular -er verb
- Ending: -er
- Gerund: ardiendo
- Past participle: ardido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + ardido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for arder, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Arder is a regular -er verb: ardí, ardía, arderé. Quemar burns something else; arder is the fire itself burning.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for arder. 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 | ardo |
| tú | ardes |
| él/ella/Ud. | arde |
| nosotros/as | ardemos |
| vosotros/as | ardéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | arden |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ardí |
| tú | ardiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | ardió |
| nosotros/as | ardimos |
| vosotros/as | ardisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ardieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ardía |
| tú | ardías |
| él/ella/Ud. | ardía |
| nosotros/as | ardíamos |
| vosotros/as | ardíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ardían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | arderé |
| tú | arderás |
| él/ella/Ud. | arderá |
| nosotros/as | arderemos |
| vosotros/as | arderéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | arderán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ardería |
| tú | arderías |
| él/ella/Ud. | ardería |
| nosotros/as | arderíamos |
| vosotros/as | arderíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | arderían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he ardido |
| tú | has ardido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha ardido |
| nosotros/as | hemos ardido |
| vosotros/as | habéis ardido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han ardido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había ardido |
| tú | habías ardido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había ardido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos ardido |
| vosotros/as | habíais ardido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían ardido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré ardido |
| tú | habrás ardido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá ardido |
| nosotros/as | habremos ardido |
| vosotros/as | habréis ardido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán ardido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría ardido |
| tú | habrías ardido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría ardido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos ardido |
| vosotros/as | habríais ardido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían ardido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | arda |
| tú | ardas |
| él/ella/Ud. | arda |
| nosotros/as | ardamos |
| vosotros/as | ardáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ardan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ardiera |
| tú | ardieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ardiera |
| nosotros/as | ardiéramos |
| vosotros/as | ardierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ardieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | arde |
| él/ella/Ud. | arda |
| nosotros/as | ardamos |
| vosotros/as | arded |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ardan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ardas |
| él/ella/Ud. | arda |
| nosotros/as | ardamos |
| vosotros/as | ardáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ardan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | ardiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy ardiendo |
| Past participle | ardido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he ardido |
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 arder, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Ardo de fiebre en la cama. 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 arder, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, ardí de vergüenza en público. 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 arder, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, ardía de ganas de trabajar. 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 arder, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, arderé de impaciencia en la cola. 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 arder, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Ardería de fiebre en la cama 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 arder, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he ardido de vergüenza en público. 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 arder, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había ardido de ganas de trabajar 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 arder, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré ardido de impaciencia en la cola. 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 arder, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría ardido de fiebre en la cama 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 arder, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él arda de vergüenza en público. 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 arder, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él ardiera de ganas de trabajar, 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 arder, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡arde de impaciencia en la cola! 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 arder, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No ardas de fiebre en la cama. 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 arder, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Ardo de fiebre en la cama. — I burn with fever in bed.
- Arde de vergüenza en público. — He/she burns with embarrassment in public.
- Ayer, ardí de ganas de trabajar. — Yesterday, I burned with eagerness to work.
- Antes, nosotros ardíamos de impaciencia en la cola. — Before, we used to burn with impatience in the queue.
- Mañana, tú arderás de fiebre en la cama. — Tomorrow, you will burn with fever in bed.
- Yo ardería de vergüenza en público si tuviera más tiempo. — I would burn with embarrassment in public if I had more time.
- Él ha ardido de ganas de trabajar. — He has burned with eagerness to work.
- Espero que él arda de impaciencia en la cola. — I hope he burns with impatience in the queue.
- Yo ya había ardido de fiebre en la cama antes de salir. — I had already burned with fever in bed before leaving.
- Ellos ardían de vergüenza en público cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to burn with embarrassment in public when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo arde de fiebre en la cama. — Right: Yo ardo de fiebre en la cama. — The person matters: arde is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ardo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating arder and quemar as identical in every context. — Right: Arder means to burn, while quemar means to burn something, to set fire to it. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: arder fits sentences such as Ardo de fiebre en la cama, while quemar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy ardido de vergüenza en público. — Right: Yo he ardido de vergüenza en público. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he ardido, has ardido, ha ardido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo ardí de ganas de trabajar todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo ardía de ganas de trabajar todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (ardía), not the preterite. The preterite (ardí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on arder. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de fiebre en la cama. (present tense) A. ardo B. ardes C. arde D. ardemos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ de vergüenza en público. (preterite) A. ardí B. ardiste C. ardieron D. ardió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ de ganas de trabajar. (imperfect) A. ardías B. ardían C. ardíamos D. ardía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de impaciencia en la cola. (future) A. arderemos B. arderás C. arderé D. arderá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de fiebre en la cama si pudiera. (conditional) A. ardería B. arderías C. arderían D. ardo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de vergüenza en público. (present subjunctive) A. ardas B. ardamos C. ardo D. arda
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de ganas de trabajar, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. ardiéramos B. ardo C. ardiera D. ardieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de impaciencia en la cola. (present perfect) A. han ardido B. hemos ardido C. he ardido D. has ardido
Complete the command: ¡___ de fiebre en la cama! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. arde B. arda C. ardamos D. arded
Which is the gerund of arder, used with estar for the progressive? A. ardido B. ardo C. ardí D. ardiendo
Answer key
- ardo — The first-person present of arder is ardo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- ardió — The third-person preterite of arder is ardió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- ardíamos — The nosotros imperfect of arder is ardíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- arderás — The second-person future of arder is arderás.
- ardería — The first-person conditional of arder is ardería, the form for what would happen.
- arda — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of arder is arda.
- ardiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of arder is ardiera.
- hemos ardido — The nosotros present perfect of arder is hemos ardido: hemos + ardido.
- arde — The affirmative tú imperative of arder is arde.
- ardiendo — The gerund of arder is ardiendo: estoy ardiendo. The participle ardido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does arder mean in English?
Arder means to burn. It is used in everyday situations such as Ardo de fiebre en la cama. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is arder regular or irregular?
Arder is a fully regular -er 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 ardo in the present and ardí in the preterite.
What is the difference between arder and quemar?
Arder means to burn, while quemar means to burn something, to set fire to it. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use arder when you mean to burn, as in Ardo de fiebre en la cama, and use quemar for to burn something, to set fire to it. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I burn” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo ardí de vergüenza en público. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo ardía de ganas de trabajar. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he ardido de vergüenza en público.
How do I practise arder?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the arder examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Arder in the present tense — the full present-tense table for arder.
- Arder examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for arder.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Caber conjugation — another -er verb to compare with arder.
- Caer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with arder.
- Coger conjugation — another -er verb to compare with arder.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.