Ayunar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb ayunar means to fast, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Ayunar means to fast, and it is used for going without food for religious, medical or health reasons. It is fully regular, and it appears in religion, health and medical contexts, usually with a time expression. Like every Spanish verb, ayunar 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 ayuno durante el Ramadán, and in the preterite you say ayuné un día a la semana. 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: ayunar
- English: to fast
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: ayunando
- Past participle: ayunado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + ayunado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ayunar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Ayunar is fully regular: ayuné, ayunaba, ayunaré. Ayunar durante el Ramadán is to fast during Ramadan.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for ayunar. 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 | ayuno |
| tú | ayunas |
| él/ella/Ud. | ayuna |
| nosotros/as | ayunamos |
| vosotros/as | ayunáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ayunan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ayuné |
| tú | ayunaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | ayunó |
| nosotros/as | ayunamos |
| vosotros/as | ayunasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ayunaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ayunaba |
| tú | ayunabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | ayunaba |
| nosotros/as | ayunábamos |
| vosotros/as | ayunabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ayunaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ayunaré |
| tú | ayunarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | ayunará |
| nosotros/as | ayunaremos |
| vosotros/as | ayunaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ayunarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ayunaría |
| tú | ayunarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | ayunaría |
| nosotros/as | ayunaríamos |
| vosotros/as | ayunaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ayunarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he ayunado |
| tú | has ayunado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha ayunado |
| nosotros/as | hemos ayunado |
| vosotros/as | habéis ayunado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han ayunado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había ayunado |
| tú | habías ayunado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había ayunado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos ayunado |
| vosotros/as | habíais ayunado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían ayunado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré ayunado |
| tú | habrás ayunado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá ayunado |
| nosotros/as | habremos ayunado |
| vosotros/as | habréis ayunado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán ayunado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría ayunado |
| tú | habrías ayunado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría ayunado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos ayunado |
| vosotros/as | habríais ayunado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían ayunado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ayune |
| tú | ayunes |
| él/ella/Ud. | ayune |
| nosotros/as | ayunemos |
| vosotros/as | ayunéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ayunen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ayunara |
| tú | ayunaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ayunara |
| nosotros/as | ayunáramos |
| vosotros/as | ayunarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ayunaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ayuna |
| él/ella/Ud. | ayune |
| nosotros/as | ayunemos |
| vosotros/as | ayunad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ayunen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ayunes |
| él/ella/Ud. | ayune |
| nosotros/as | ayunemos |
| vosotros/as | ayunéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ayunen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | ayunando | with estar for the progressive: estoy ayunando |
| Past participle | ayunado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he ayunado |
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 ayunar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Ayuno durante el Ramadán. 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 ayunar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, ayuné antes del análisis de sangre. 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 ayunar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, ayunaba un día a la semana. 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 ayunar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, ayunaré desde anoche hasta mediodía. 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 ayunar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Ayunaría durante el Ramadán 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 ayunar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he ayunado antes del análisis de sangre. 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 ayunar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había ayunado un día a la semana 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 ayunar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré ayunado desde anoche hasta mediodía. 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 ayunar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría ayunado durante el Ramadán 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 ayunar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él ayune antes del análisis de sangre. 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 ayunar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él ayunara un día a la semana, 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 ayunar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Ayuna desde anoche hasta mediodía! 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 ayunar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No ayunes durante el Ramadán. 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 ayunar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Ayuno durante el Ramadán. — I fast during Ramadan.
- Ayuna antes del análisis de sangre. — He/she fasts before the blood test.
- Ayer, ayuné un día a la semana. — Yesterday, I fasted one day a week.
- Antes, nosotros ayunábamos desde anoche hasta mediodía. — Before, we used to fast from last night until midday.
- Mañana, tú ayunarás durante el Ramadán. — Tomorrow, you will fast during Ramadan.
- Yo ayunaría antes del análisis de sangre si tuviera más tiempo. — I would fast before the blood test if I had more time.
- Él ha ayunado un día a la semana. — He has fasted one day a week.
- Espero que él ayune desde anoche hasta mediodía. — I hope he fasts from last night until midday.
- Yo ya había ayunado durante el Ramadán antes de salir. — I had already fasted during Ramadan before leaving.
- Ellos ayunaban antes del análisis de sangre cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to fast before the blood test when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo ayuna durante el Ramadán. — Right: Yo ayuno durante el Ramadán. — The person matters: ayuna is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ayuno. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo ayuno antes del análisis de sangre. — Right: Ayer yo ayuné antes del análisis de sangre. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: ayuno is happening now, while ayuné is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating ayunar and comer as identical in every context. — Right: Ayunar means to fast, while comer means to eat. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: ayunar fits sentences such as Ayuno durante el Ramadán, while comer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy ayunado antes del análisis de sangre. — Right: Yo he ayunado antes del análisis de sangre. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he ayunado, has ayunado, ha ayunado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo ayuné un día a la semana todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo ayunaba un día a la semana todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (ayunaba), not the preterite. The preterite (ayuné) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ayunar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ durante el Ramadán. (present tense) A. ayuno B. ayunas C. ayuna D. ayunamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ antes del análisis de sangre. (preterite) A. ayuné B. ayunaste C. ayunaron D. ayunó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ un día a la semana. (imperfect) A. ayunabas B. ayunaban C. ayunábamos D. ayunaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ desde anoche hasta mediodía. (future) A. ayunaremos B. ayunarás C. ayunaré D. ayunará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ durante el Ramadán si pudiera. (conditional) A. ayunaría B. ayunarías C. ayunarían D. ayuno
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ antes del análisis de sangre. (present subjunctive) A. ayunes B. ayunemos C. ayuno D. ayune
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ un día a la semana, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. ayunáramos B. ayuno C. ayunara D. ayunaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ desde anoche hasta mediodía. (present perfect) A. han ayunado B. hemos ayunado C. he ayunado D. has ayunado
Complete the command: ¡___ durante el Ramadán! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. ayuna B. ayune C. ayunemos D. ayunad
Which is the gerund of ayunar, used with estar for the progressive? A. ayunado B. ayuno C. ayuné D. ayunando
Answer key
- ayuno — The first-person present of ayunar is ayuno. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- ayunó — The third-person preterite of ayunar is ayunó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- ayunábamos — The nosotros imperfect of ayunar is ayunábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- ayunarás — The second-person future of ayunar is ayunarás.
- ayunaría — The first-person conditional of ayunar is ayunaría, the form for what would happen.
- ayune — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of ayunar is ayune.
- ayunara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of ayunar is ayunara.
- hemos ayunado — The nosotros present perfect of ayunar is hemos ayunado: hemos + ayunado.
- ayuna — The affirmative tú imperative of ayunar is ayuna.
- ayunando — The gerund of ayunar is ayunando: estoy ayunando. The participle ayunado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does ayunar mean in English?
Ayunar means to fast. It is used in everyday situations such as Ayuno durante el Ramadán. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is ayunar regular or irregular?
Ayunar 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 ayuno in the present and ayuné in the preterite.
What is the difference between ayunar and comer?
Ayunar means to fast, while comer means to eat. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use ayunar when you mean to fast, as in Ayuno durante el Ramadán, and use comer for to eat. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I fast” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo ayuné antes del análisis de sangre. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo ayunaba un día a la semana. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he ayunado antes del análisis de sangre.
How do I practise ayunar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the ayunar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Ayunar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for ayunar.
- Ayunar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for ayunar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Brindar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with ayunar.
- Alimentar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with ayunar.
- Mamar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with ayunar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.