Aspirar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb aspirar means to aspire, to inhale, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Aspirar means to aspire or to inhale, and the two senses share the idea of drawing something in: you aspire to a better job, you inhale air, a vacuum cleaner sucks up dust. It takes a for the goal aspired to, as in aspirar a ser médico. Like every Spanish verb, aspirar 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 aspiro a ser médico algún día, and in the preterite you say aspiré a ganar el premio este año. 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: aspirar
- English: to aspire, to inhale
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: aspirando
- Past participle: aspirado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + aspirado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for aspirar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Aspirar takes a for the goal: aspirar a ser médico. Do not use de or por after it.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for aspirar. 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 | aspiro |
| tú | aspiras |
| él/ella/Ud. | aspira |
| nosotros/as | aspiramos |
| vosotros/as | aspiráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aspiran |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aspiré |
| tú | aspiraste |
| él/ella/Ud. | aspiró |
| nosotros/as | aspiramos |
| vosotros/as | aspirasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aspiraron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aspiraba |
| tú | aspirabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | aspiraba |
| nosotros/as | aspirábamos |
| vosotros/as | aspirabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aspiraban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aspiraré |
| tú | aspirarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | aspirará |
| nosotros/as | aspiraremos |
| vosotros/as | aspiraréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aspirarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aspiraría |
| tú | aspirarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | aspiraría |
| nosotros/as | aspiraríamos |
| vosotros/as | aspiraríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aspirarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he aspirado |
| tú | has aspirado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha aspirado |
| nosotros/as | hemos aspirado |
| vosotros/as | habéis aspirado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han aspirado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había aspirado |
| tú | habías aspirado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había aspirado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos aspirado |
| vosotros/as | habíais aspirado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían aspirado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré aspirado |
| tú | habrás aspirado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá aspirado |
| nosotros/as | habremos aspirado |
| vosotros/as | habréis aspirado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán aspirado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría aspirado |
| tú | habrías aspirado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría aspirado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos aspirado |
| vosotros/as | habríais aspirado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían aspirado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aspire |
| tú | aspires |
| él/ella/Ud. | aspire |
| nosotros/as | aspiremos |
| vosotros/as | aspiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aspiren |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aspirara |
| tú | aspiraras |
| él/ella/Ud. | aspirara |
| nosotros/as | aspiráramos |
| vosotros/as | aspirarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aspiraran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | aspira |
| él/ella/Ud. | aspire |
| nosotros/as | aspiremos |
| vosotros/as | aspirad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aspiren |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | aspires |
| él/ella/Ud. | aspire |
| nosotros/as | aspiremos |
| vosotros/as | aspiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aspiren |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | aspirando | with estar for the progressive: estoy aspirando |
| Past participle | aspirado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he aspirado |
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 aspirar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Aspiro a ser médico algún día. 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 aspirar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, aspiré a un puesto mejor en la empresa. 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 aspirar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, aspiraba a ganar el premio este año. 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 aspirar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, aspiraré a una vida sin preocupaciones. 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 aspirar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Aspiraría a ser médico algún día 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 aspirar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he aspirado a un puesto mejor en la empresa. 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 aspirar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había aspirado a ganar el premio este año 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 aspirar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré aspirado a una vida sin preocupaciones. 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 aspirar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría aspirado a ser médico algún día 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 aspirar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él aspire a un puesto mejor en la empresa. 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 aspirar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él aspirara a ganar el premio este año, 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 aspirar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡aspira a una vida sin preocupaciones! 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 aspirar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No aspires a ser médico algún día. 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 aspirar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Aspiro a ser médico algún día. — I aspire to be a doctor one day.
- Aspira a un puesto mejor en la empresa. — He/she aspires to a better job in the company.
- Ayer, aspiré a ganar el premio este año. — Yesterday, I aspired to win the prize this year.
- Antes, nosotros aspirábamos a una vida sin preocupaciones. — Before, we used to aspire to a life without worries.
- Mañana, tú aspirarás a ser médico algún día. — Tomorrow, you will aspire to be a doctor one day.
- Yo aspiraría a un puesto mejor en la empresa si tuviera más tiempo. — I would aspire to a better job in the company if I had more time.
- Él ha aspirado a ganar el premio este año. — He has aspired to win the prize this year.
- Espero que él aspire a una vida sin preocupaciones. — I hope he aspires to a life without worries.
- Yo ya había aspirado a ser médico algún día antes de salir. — I had already aspired to be a doctor one day before leaving.
- Ellos aspiraban a un puesto mejor en la empresa cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to aspire to a better job in the company when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo aspira a ser médico algún día. — Right: Yo aspiro a ser médico algún día. — The person matters: aspira is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aspiro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating aspirar and desear as identical in every context. — Right: Aspirar means to aspire, to inhale, while desear means to wish for something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: aspirar fits sentences such as Aspiro a ser médico algún día, while desear belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy aspirado a un puesto mejor en la empresa. — Right: Yo he aspirado a un puesto mejor en la empresa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he aspirado, has aspirado, ha aspirado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo aspiré a ganar el premio este año todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo aspiraba a ganar el premio este año todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (aspiraba), not the preterite. The preterite (aspiré) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on aspirar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a ser médico algún día. (present tense) A. aspiro B. aspiras C. aspira D. aspiramos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a un puesto mejor en la empresa. (preterite) A. aspiré B. aspiraste C. aspiraron D. aspiró
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a ganar el premio este año. (imperfect) A. aspirabas B. aspiraban C. aspirábamos D. aspiraba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a una vida sin preocupaciones. (future) A. aspiraremos B. aspirarás C. aspiraré D. aspirará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a ser médico algún día si pudiera. (conditional) A. aspiraría B. aspirarías C. aspirarían D. aspiro
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a un puesto mejor en la empresa. (present subjunctive) A. aspires B. aspiremos C. aspiro D. aspire
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a ganar el premio este año, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. aspiráramos B. aspiro C. aspirara D. aspiraras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a una vida sin preocupaciones. (present perfect) A. han aspirado B. hemos aspirado C. he aspirado D. has aspirado
Complete the command: ¡___ a ser médico algún día! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. aspira B. aspire C. aspiremos D. aspirad
Which is the gerund of aspirar, used with estar for the progressive? A. aspirado B. aspiro C. aspiré D. aspirando
Answer key
- aspiro — The first-person present of aspirar is aspiro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- aspiró — The third-person preterite of aspirar is aspiró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- aspirábamos — The nosotros imperfect of aspirar is aspirábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- aspirarás — The second-person future of aspirar is aspirarás.
- aspiraría — The first-person conditional of aspirar is aspiraría, the form for what would happen.
- aspire — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of aspirar is aspire.
- aspirara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of aspirar is aspirara.
- hemos aspirado — The nosotros present perfect of aspirar is hemos aspirado: hemos + aspirado.
- aspira — The affirmative tú imperative of aspirar is aspira.
- aspirando — The gerund of aspirar is aspirando: estoy aspirando. The participle aspirado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does aspirar mean in English?
Aspirar means to aspire, to inhale. It is used in everyday situations such as Aspiro a ser médico algún día. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is aspirar regular or irregular?
Aspirar 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 aspiro in the present and aspiré in the preterite.
What is the difference between aspirar and desear?
Aspirar means to aspire, to inhale, while desear means to wish for something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use aspirar when you mean to aspire, to inhale, as in Aspiro a ser médico algún día, and use desear for to wish for something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I aspire” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo aspiré a un puesto mejor en la empresa. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo aspiraba a ganar el premio este año. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he aspirado a un puesto mejor en la empresa.
How do I practise aspirar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the aspirar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Aspirar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for aspirar.
- Aspirar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for aspirar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Asombrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with aspirar.
- Aterrorizar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with aspirar.
- Asociar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with aspirar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.