Avisar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb avisar means to warn, to notify, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Avisar means to warn or to notify, and it covers telling someone about a meeting, a water cut or a change of plan in advance. It takes de for the thing warned about, and it is a fully regular -ar verb. It is lighter than advertir, which warns of danger. Like every Spanish verb, avisar 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 aviso a María de la reunión, and in the preterite you say avisé a los vecinos del corte de agua. 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: avisar
  • English: to warn, to notify
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: avisando
  • Past participle: avisado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + avisado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for avisar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Avisar is fully regular: avisé, avisaba, avisaré. Avisar de algo is to give advance warning about it.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for avisar. 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 aviso
tú avisas
él/ella/Ud. avisa
nosotros/as avisamos
vosotros/as avisáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. avisan

Preterite

Person Form
yo avisé
tú avisaste
él/ella/Ud. avisó
nosotros/as avisamos
vosotros/as avisasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. avisaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo avisaba
tú avisabas
él/ella/Ud. avisaba
nosotros/as avisábamos
vosotros/as avisabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. avisaban

Future

Person Form
yo avisaré
tú avisarás
él/ella/Ud. avisará
nosotros/as avisaremos
vosotros/as avisaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. avisarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo avisaría
tú avisarías
él/ella/Ud. avisaría
nosotros/as avisaríamos
vosotros/as avisaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. avisarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo avise
tú avises
él/ella/Ud. avise
nosotros/as avisemos
vosotros/as aviséis
ellos/ellas/Uds. avisen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo avisara
tú avisaras
él/ella/Ud. avisara
nosotros/as avisáramos
vosotros/as avisarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. avisaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú avisa
él/ella/Ud. avise
nosotros/as avisemos
vosotros/as avisad
ellos/ellas/Uds. avisen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú avises
él/ella/Ud. avise
nosotros/as avisemos
vosotros/as aviséis
ellos/ellas/Uds. avisen

Gerund and past participle

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

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 avisar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Aviso a María de la reunión. 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 avisar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, avisé al médico del dolor. 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 avisar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, avisaba a los vecinos del corte de agua. 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 avisar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, avisaré con tiempo antes de salir. 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 avisar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Avisaría a María de la reunión 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 avisar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he avisado al médico del dolor. 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 avisar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había avisado a los vecinos del corte de agua 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 avisar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré avisado con tiempo antes de salir. 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 avisar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría avisado a María de la reunión 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 avisar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él avise al médico del dolor. 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 avisar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él avisara a los vecinos del corte de agua, 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 avisar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Avisa con tiempo antes de salir! 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 avisar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No avises a María de la reunión. 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 avisar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Aviso a María de la reunión. — I notify María about the meeting.
  2. Avisa al médico del dolor. — He/she notifies the doctor about the pain.
  3. Ayer, avisé a los vecinos del corte de agua. — Yesterday, I notified the neighbours about the water cut.
  4. Antes, nosotros avisábamos con tiempo antes de salir. — Before, we used to notify in good time before leaving.
  5. Mañana, tú avisarás a María de la reunión. — Tomorrow, you will notify María about the meeting.
  6. Yo avisaría al médico del dolor si tuviera más tiempo. — I would notify the doctor about the pain if I had more time.
  7. Él ha avisado a los vecinos del corte de agua. — He has notified the neighbours about the water cut.
  8. Espero que él avise con tiempo antes de salir. — I hope he notifies in good time before leaving.
  9. Yo ya había avisado a María de la reunión antes de salir. — I had already notified María about the meeting before leaving.
  10. Ellos avisaban al médico del dolor cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to notify the doctor about the pain when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo avisa a María de la reunión. — Right: Yo aviso a María de la reunión. — The person matters: avisa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aviso. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Vosotros avisais al médico del dolor. — Right: Vosotros avisáis al médico del dolor. — The vosotros present form carries a written accent: avisáis, not avisais. The accent marks the stressed vowel.
  3. Wrong: Treating avisar and advertir as identical in every context. — Right: Avisar means to warn, to notify, while advertir means to warn about a danger. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: avisar fits sentences such as Aviso a María de la reunión, while advertir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy avisado al médico del dolor. — Right: Yo he avisado al médico del dolor. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he avisado, has avisado, ha avisado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo avisé a los vecinos del corte de agua todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo avisaba a los vecinos del corte de agua todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (avisaba), not the preterite. The preterite (avisé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a María de la reunión. (present tense) A. aviso B. avisas C. avisa D. avisamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ al médico del dolor. (preterite) A. avisé B. avisaste C. avisaron D. avisó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a los vecinos del corte de agua. (imperfect) A. avisabas B. avisaban C. avisábamos D. avisaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con tiempo antes de salir. (future) A. avisaremos B. avisarás C. avisaré D. avisará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a María de la reunión si pudiera. (conditional) A. avisaría B. avisarías C. avisarían D. aviso

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ al médico del dolor. (present subjunctive) A. avises B. avisemos C. aviso D. avise

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a los vecinos del corte de agua, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. avisáramos B. aviso C. avisara D. avisaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con tiempo antes de salir. (present perfect) A. han avisado B. hemos avisado C. he avisado D. has avisado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ a María de la reunión! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. avisa B. avise C. avisemos D. avisad

  10. Which is the gerund of avisar, used with estar for the progressive? A. avisado B. aviso C. avisé D. avisando

Answer key

  1. aviso — The first-person present of avisar is aviso. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. avisó — The third-person preterite of avisar is avisó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. avisábamos — The nosotros imperfect of avisar is avisábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. avisarás — The second-person future of avisar is avisarás.
  5. avisaría — The first-person conditional of avisar is avisaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. avise — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of avisar is avise.
  7. avisara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of avisar is avisara.
  8. hemos avisado — The nosotros present perfect of avisar is hemos avisado: hemos + avisado.
  9. avisa — The affirmative tú imperative of avisar is avisa.
  10. avisando — The gerund of avisar is avisando: estoy avisando. The participle avisado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does avisar mean in English?

Avisar means to warn, to notify. It is used in everyday situations such as Aviso a María de la reunión. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is avisar regular or irregular?

Avisar 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 aviso in the present and avisé in the preterite.

What is the difference between avisar and advertir?

Avisar means to warn, to notify, while advertir means to warn about a danger. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use avisar when you mean to warn, to notify, as in Aviso a María de la reunión, and use advertir for to warn about a danger. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I warn” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo avisé al médico del dolor. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo avisaba a los vecinos del corte de agua. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he avisado al médico del dolor.

How do I practise avisar?

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

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