Atacar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb atacar means to attack, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Atacar means to attack, and it covers attacking an enemy, a city, a goalkeeper with a shot and, figuratively, attacking a problem head-on. It is the opposite of defender, and it is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e. Like every Spanish verb, atacar 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 ataco al enemigo al amanecer, and in the preterite you say ataqué al portero con un disparo. 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: atacar
  • English: to attack
  • Verb type: irregular verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: atacando
  • Past participle: atacado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + atacado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for atacar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is ataqué and the subjunctive is ataque. Atacar de frente is to attack head-on.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for atacar. 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 ataco
tú atacas
él/ella/Ud. ataca
nosotros/as atacamos
vosotros/as atacáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. atacan

Preterite

Person Form
yo ataqué
tú atacaste
él/ella/Ud. atacó
nosotros/as atacamos
vosotros/as atacasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. atacaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo atacaba
tú atacabas
él/ella/Ud. atacaba
nosotros/as atacábamos
vosotros/as atacabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. atacaban

Future

Person Form
yo atacaré
tú atacarás
él/ella/Ud. atacará
nosotros/as atacaremos
vosotros/as atacaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. atacarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo atacaría
tú atacarías
él/ella/Ud. atacaría
nosotros/as atacaríamos
vosotros/as atacaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. atacarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo ataque
tú ataques
él/ella/Ud. ataque
nosotros/as ataquemos
vosotros/as ataquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. ataquen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo atacara
tú atacaras
él/ella/Ud. atacara
nosotros/as atacáramos
vosotros/as atacarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. atacaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú ataca
él/ella/Ud. ataque
nosotros/as ataquemos
vosotros/as atacad
ellos/ellas/Uds. ataquen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú ataques
él/ella/Ud. ataque
nosotros/as ataquemos
vosotros/as ataquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. ataquen

Gerund and past participle

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

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For atacar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Ataco al enemigo al amanecer. 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. Note the spelling change in the first person: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is ataqué. For atacar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, ataqué la ciudad con artillería. 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 atacar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, atacaba al portero con un disparo. 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 atacar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, atacaré el problema de frente. 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 atacar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Atacaría al enemigo al amanecer 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 atacar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he atacado la ciudad con artillería. 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 atacar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había atacado al portero con un disparo 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 atacar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré atacado el problema de frente. 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 atacar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría atacado al enemigo al amanecer 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For atacar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él ataque la ciudad con artillería. 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 atacar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él atacara al portero con un disparo, 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For atacar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Ataca el problema de frente! 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For atacar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No ataques al enemigo al amanecer. 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 atacar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Ataco al enemigo al amanecer. — I attack the enemy at dawn.
  2. Ataca la ciudad con artillería. — He/she attacks the city with artillery.
  3. Ayer, ataqué al portero con un disparo. — Yesterday, I attacked the goalkeeper with a shot.
  4. Antes, nosotros atacábamos el problema de frente. — Before, we used to attack the problem head-on.
  5. Mañana, tú atacarás al enemigo al amanecer. — Tomorrow, you will attack the enemy at dawn.
  6. Yo atacaría la ciudad con artillería si tuviera más tiempo. — I would attack the city with artillery if I had more time.
  7. Él ha atacado al portero con un disparo. — He has attacked the goalkeeper with a shot.
  8. Espero que él ataque el problema de frente. — I hope he attacks the problem head-on.
  9. Yo ya había atacado al enemigo al amanecer antes de salir. — I had already attacked the enemy at dawn before leaving.
  10. Ellos atacaban la ciudad con artillería cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to attack the city with artillery when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo ataca al enemigo al amanecer. — Right: Yo ataco al enemigo al amanecer. — The person matters: ataca is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ataco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Yo atacé la ciudad con artillería. — Right: Yo ataqué la ciudad con artillería. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is ataqué, not atacé. atacar is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
  3. Wrong: Treating atacar and defender as identical in every context. — Right: Atacar means to attack, while defender means to defend, its opposite. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: atacar fits sentences such as Ataco al enemigo al amanecer, while defender belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy atacado la ciudad con artillería. — Right: Yo he atacado la ciudad con artillería. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he atacado, has atacado, ha atacado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo ataqué al portero con un disparo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo atacaba al portero con un disparo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (atacaba), not the preterite. The preterite (ataqué) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al enemigo al amanecer. (present tense) A. ataco B. atacas C. ataca D. atacamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la ciudad con artillería. (preterite) A. ataqué B. atacaste C. atacaron D. atacó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ al portero con un disparo. (imperfect) A. atacabas B. atacaban C. atacábamos D. atacaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el problema de frente. (future) A. atacaremos B. atacarás C. atacaré D. atacará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al enemigo al amanecer si pudiera. (conditional) A. atacaría B. atacarías C. atacarían D. ataco

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la ciudad con artillería. (present subjunctive) A. ataques B. ataquemos C. ataco D. ataque

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ al portero con un disparo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. atacáramos B. ataco C. atacara D. atacaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el problema de frente. (present perfect) A. han atacado B. hemos atacado C. he atacado D. has atacado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ al enemigo al amanecer! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. ataca B. ataque C. ataquemos D. atacad

  10. Which is the gerund of atacar, used with estar for the progressive? A. atacado B. ataco C. ataqué D. atacando

Answer key

  1. ataco — The first-person present of atacar is ataco. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. atacó — The third-person preterite of atacar is atacó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. atacábamos — The nosotros imperfect of atacar is atacábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. atacarás — The second-person future of atacar is atacarás.
  5. atacaría — The first-person conditional of atacar is atacaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. ataque — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of atacar is ataque.
  7. atacara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of atacar is atacara.
  8. hemos atacado — The nosotros present perfect of atacar is hemos atacado: hemos + atacado.
  9. ataca — The affirmative tú imperative of atacar is ataca.
  10. atacando — The gerund of atacar is atacando: estoy atacando. The participle atacado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does atacar mean in English?

Atacar means to attack. It is used in everyday situations such as Ataco al enemigo al amanecer. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is atacar regular or irregular?

Atacar 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 ataco in the present and ataqué in the preterite.

What is the difference between atacar and defender?

Atacar means to attack, while defender means to defend, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use atacar when you mean to attack, as in Ataco al enemigo al amanecer, and use defender for to defend, its opposite. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I attack” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo ataqué la ciudad con artillería. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo atacaba al portero con un disparo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he atacado la ciudad con artillería.

How do I practise atacar?

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

Related links