Atravesar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb atravesar means to cross, to go through, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Atravesar means to cross or go through something: atravesar la calle, atravesar el bosque. It also works figuratively: atravesar una crisis means to go through a difficult period. Like every Spanish verb, atravesar 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 Yo atravieso la calle por el paso de peatones — "I cross the street at the zebra crossing". 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.

The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: atravieso, atraviesas, atraviesa and atraviesan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: atravesamos, atravesáis.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: atravesar
  • English: to cross, to go through
  • Verb type: stem-changing -ar verb (e → ie)
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: atravesando
  • Past participle: atravesado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + atravesado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for atravesar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for atravesar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | atravieso | | tú | atraviesas | | él/ella/Ud. | atraviesa | | nosotros/as | atravesamos | | vosotros/as | atravesáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | atraviesan |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | atravesé | | tú | atravesaste | | él/ella/Ud. | atravesó | | nosotros/as | atravesamos | | vosotros/as | atravesasteis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | atravesaron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | atravesaba | | tú | atravesabas | | él/ella/Ud. | atravesaba | | nosotros/as | atravesábamos | | vosotros/as | atravesabais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | atravesaban |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | atravesaré | | tú | atravesarás | | él/ella/Ud. | atravesará | | nosotros/as | atravesaremos | | vosotros/as | atravesaréis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | atravesarán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | atravesaría | | tú | atravesarías | | él/ella/Ud. | atravesaría | | nosotros/as | atravesaríamos | | vosotros/as | atravesaríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | atravesarían |

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | atraviese | | tú | atravieses | | él/ella/Ud. | atraviese | | nosotros/as | atravesemos | | vosotros/as | atraveséis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | atraviesen |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | atravesara | | tú | atravesaras | | él/ella/Ud. | atravesara | | nosotros/as | atravesáramos | | vosotros/as | atravesarais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | atravesaran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | atraviesa | | él/ella/Ud. | atraviese | | nosotros/as | atravesemos | | vosotros/as | atravesad | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | atraviesen |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | atravieses | | él/ella/Ud. | atraviese | | nosotros/as | atravesemos | | vosotros/as | atraveséis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | atraviesen |

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund atravesando with estar for the progressive: está atravesando
Past participle atravesado with haber for the perfect tenses: he atravesado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: atravieso, atraviesas, atraviesa and atraviesan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: atravesamos, atravesáis. For atravesar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo atravieso la calle por el paso de peatones — "I cross the street at the zebra crossing".

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 atravesar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo atravesé el bosque en una hora — "Yesterday, I crossed the forest in an hour".

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 atravesar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo atravesaba el desierto con camellos — "As a child, I used to cross the desert by camel".

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 atravesar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo atravesaré una crisis difícil — "Tomorrow, I will cross a difficult crisis".

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 atravesar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo atravesaría la calle por el paso de peatones si pudiera — "I would cross the street at the zebra crossing if I could".

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 atravesar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he atravesado el bosque en una hora — "Today, I have crossed the forest in an hour".

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 atravesar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había atravesado el desierto con camellos antes de salir — "I already had crossed the desert by camel before leaving".

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 atravesar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré atravesado una crisis difícil — "By tomorrow, I will have crossed a difficult crisis".

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 atravesar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría atravesado la calle por el paso de peatones con más tiempo — "I would have crossed the street at the zebra crossing with more time".

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: atravieso, atraviesas, atraviesa and atraviesan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: atravesamos, atravesáis. For atravesar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él atraviese el bosque en una hora — "I hope he crosses the forest in an hour".

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past. The -ra forms are 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 atravesar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo atravesara el desierto con camellos, todo cambiaría — "If I crossed the desert by camel, everything would change".

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: atravieso, atraviesas, atraviesa and atraviesan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: atravesamos, atravesáis. For atravesar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Atraviesa una crisis difícil. — "Cross a difficult crisis.".

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: atravieso, atraviesas, atraviesa and atraviesan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: atravesamos, atravesáis. For atravesar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No atravieses la calle por el paso de peatones. — "Do not cross the street at the zebra crossing.".

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with atravesar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo atravieso la calle por el paso de peatones — "I cross the street at the zebra crossing"
  2. Mi amigo atraviesa el bosque en una hora — "My friend crosses the forest in an hour"
  3. Ayer, yo atravesé el desierto con camellos — "Yesterday, I crossed the desert by camel"
  4. Antes, nosotros atravesábamos una crisis difícil — "Before, we used to cross a difficult crisis"
  5. Mañana, tú atravesarás el río por el puente — "Tomorrow, you will cross the river by the bridge"
  6. Yo atravesaría la calle por el paso de peatones si tuviera más tiempo — "I would cross the street at the zebra crossing if I had more time"
  7. Él ha atravesado el bosque en una hora — "He has crossed the forest in an hour"
  8. Espero que él atraviese el desierto con camellos — "I hope he crosses the desert by camel"
  9. Yo ya había atravesado una crisis difícil antes de salir — "I already had crossed a difficult crisis before leaving"
  10. Ellos atravesaban el río por el puente cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to cross the river by the bridge when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo atraveso el bosque en una hora. — Right: Yo atravieso el bosque en una hora. — atravesar is a stem-changing verb (e → ie): the stem vowel changes in the stressed present forms, so the yo form is atravieso, not atraveso.
  2. Wrong: Espero que él atraviesa el bosque en una hora — Right: Espero que él atraviese el bosque en una hora — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él atraviese el bosque en una hora — not the indicative Espero que él atraviesa el bosque en una hora.
  3. Wrong: Ayer, yo atravieso el desierto con camellos — Right: Ayer, yo atravesé el desierto con camellos — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo atravesé el desierto con camellos.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo atravesé una crisis difícil todos los días — Right: De niño, yo atravesaba una crisis difícil todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo atravesaba una crisis difícil todos los días.
  5. Wrong: Yo atravieso en la calle por el paso de peatones. — Right: Yo atravieso la calle por el paso de peatones. — atravesar takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo atravieso la calle por el paso de peatones.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ la calle por el paso de peatones — "I cross the street at the zebra crossing" (present) A. atraviesas B. atraviesa C. atravesamos D. atravieso

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el bosque en una hora — "He crossed the forest in an hour" (preterite) A. atravesaste B. atravesamos C. atravesó D. atravesé

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ el desierto con camellos — "We used to cross the desert by camel" (imperfect) A. atravesaba B. atravesabas C. atravesabais D. atravesábamos

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ una crisis difícil — "You will cross a difficult crisis" (future) A. atravesaré B. atravesará C. atravesaremos D. atravesarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el río por el puente — "I would cross the river by the bridge" (conditional) A. atravesaríamos B. atravesaríais C. atravesaría D. atravesarías

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ la calle por el paso de peatones — "I hope he crosses the street at the zebra crossing" (present subjunctive) A. atravesemos B. atraveséis C. atraviese D. atravieses

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ el bosque en una hora, todo cambiaría — "If I crossed the forest in an hour, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. atravesáramos B. atravesarais C. atravesara D. atravesaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ el desierto con camellos — "We have crossed the desert by camel" (present perfect) A. he atravesado B. has atravesado C. ha atravesado D. hemos atravesado

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ una crisis difícil. — "Do not cross a difficult crisis." (negative imperative) A. atraviese B. atravesemos C. atraveséis D. atravieses

  10. Which is the gerund of atravesar, used with estar for the progressive? A. atravesé B. atravesando C. atravesado D. atravieso

Answer key

  1. atravieso — The present form for yo is atravieso.
  2. atravesó — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is atravesó.
  3. atravesábamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is atravesábamos.
  4. atravesarás — The future form for tú is atravesarás.
  5. atravesaría — The conditional form for yo is atravesaría.
  6. atraviese — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is atraviese.
  7. atravesara — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is atravesara.
  8. hemos atravesado — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos atravesado.
  9. atravieses — The negative imperative form is atravieses.
  10. atravesando — The gerund of atravesar is atravesando: estoy atravesando. The participle atravesado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does atravesar mean in English?

atravesar means to cross, to go through. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo atravieso la calle por el paso de peatones — "I cross the street at the zebra crossing". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is atravesar regular?

No. atravesar is a stem-changing -ar verb (e → ie). The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: atravieso, atraviesas, atraviesa and atraviesan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: atravesamos, atravesáis. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the plain stem, which is the part learners most often get right by accident.

What is the gerund and the past participle of atravesar?

The gerund is atravesando and the past participle is atravesado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do I say "I cross" in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo atravesé el bosque en una hora — "Yesterday, I crossed the forest in an hour". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo atravesaba el desierto con camellos — "As a child, I used to cross the desert by camel". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he atravesado el bosque en una hora — "Today, I have crossed the forest in an hour".

What is the difference between atravesar and cruzar?

Cruzar is the everyday verb for crossing a street or a river. Atravesar often implies going through something — a forest, a desert, a crisis. Atravesar means to cross or go through something: atravesar la calle, atravesar el bosque. It also works figuratively: atravesar una crisis means to go through a difficult period.

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