Azotar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb azotar means to whip, to lash, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Azotar means to whip or to lash, to hit with a whip, and also for wind and rain lashing a place. It is a fully regular verb used in history, weather and figurative speech. Like every Spanish verb, azotar 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 azoto al caballo para que corra, and in the preterite you say azoté al prisionero en la novela. 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: azotar
  • English: to whip, to lash
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: azotando
  • Past participle: azotado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + azotado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for azotar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Azotar is fully regular: azoto, azota. It is whipping or lashing; golpear is hitting in general.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for azotar. 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 azoto
tú azotas
él/ella/Ud. azota
nosotros/as azotamos
vosotros/as azotáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. azotan

Preterite

Person Form
yo azoté
tú azotaste
él/ella/Ud. azotó
nosotros/as azotamos
vosotros/as azotasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. azotaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo azotaba
tú azotabas
él/ella/Ud. azotaba
nosotros/as azotábamos
vosotros/as azotabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. azotaban

Future

Person Form
yo azotaré
tú azotarás
él/ella/Ud. azotará
nosotros/as azotaremos
vosotros/as azotaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. azotarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo azotaría
tú azotarías
él/ella/Ud. azotaría
nosotros/as azotaríamos
vosotros/as azotaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. azotarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo azote
tú azotes
él/ella/Ud. azote
nosotros/as azotemos
vosotros/as azotéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. azoten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo azotara
tú azotaras
él/ella/Ud. azotara
nosotros/as azotáramos
vosotros/as azotarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. azotaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú azota
él/ella/Ud. azote
nosotros/as azotemos
vosotros/as azotad
ellos/ellas/Uds. azoten

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú azotes
él/ella/Ud. azote
nosotros/as azotemos
vosotros/as azotéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. azoten

Gerund and past participle

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

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 azotar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Azoto al caballo para que corra. 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 azotar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, azoté la costa con fuerza. 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 azotar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, azotaba al prisionero en la novela. 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 azotar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, azotaré el barco con olas enormes. 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 azotar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Azotaría al caballo para que corra 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 azotar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he azotado la costa con fuerza. 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 azotar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había azotado al prisionero en la novela 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 azotar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré azotado el barco con olas enormes. 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 azotar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría azotado al caballo para que corra 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 azotar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él azote la costa con fuerza. 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 azotar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él azotara al prisionero en la novela, 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 azotar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Azota el barco con olas enormes! 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 azotar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No azotes al caballo para que corra. 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 azotar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Azoto al caballo para que corra. — I whip the horse to make it run.
  2. Azota la costa con fuerza. — He/she whips the coast with force.
  3. Ayer, azoté al prisionero en la novela. — Yesterday, I whipped the prisoner in the novel.
  4. Antes, nosotros azotábamos el barco con olas enormes. — Before, we used to whip the ship with huge waves.
  5. Mañana, tú azotarás al caballo para que corra. — Tomorrow, you will whip the horse to make it run.
  6. Yo azotaría la costa con fuerza si tuviera más tiempo. — I would whip the coast with force if I had more time.
  7. Él ha azotado al prisionero en la novela. — He has whipped the prisoner in the novel.
  8. Espero que él azote el barco con olas enormes. — I hope he whips the ship with huge waves.
  9. Yo ya había azotado al caballo para que corra antes de salir. — I had already whipped the horse to make it run before leaving.
  10. Ellos azotaban la costa con fuerza cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to whip the coast with force when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo azota al caballo para que corra. — Right: Yo azoto al caballo para que corra. — The person matters: azota is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is azoto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo azoto la costa con fuerza. — Right: Ayer yo azoté la costa con fuerza. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: azoto is happening now, while azoté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating azotar and golpear as identical in every context. — Right: Azotar means to whip, to lash, while golpear means to hit. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: azotar fits sentences such as Azoto al caballo para que corra, while golpear belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy azotado la costa con fuerza. — Right: Yo he azotado la costa con fuerza. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he azotado, has azotado, ha azotado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo azoté al prisionero en la novela todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo azotaba al prisionero en la novela todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (azotaba), not the preterite. The preterite (azoté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al caballo para que corra. (present tense) A. azoto B. azotas C. azota D. azotamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la costa con fuerza. (preterite) A. azoté B. azotaste C. azotaron D. azotó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ al prisionero en la novela. (imperfect) A. azotabas B. azotaban C. azotábamos D. azotaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el barco con olas enormes. (future) A. azotaremos B. azotarás C. azotaré D. azotará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ al caballo para que corra si pudiera. (conditional) A. azotaría B. azotarías C. azotarían D. azoto

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la costa con fuerza. (present subjunctive) A. azotes B. azotemos C. azoto D. azote

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ al prisionero en la novela, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. azotáramos B. azoto C. azotara D. azotaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el barco con olas enormes. (present perfect) A. han azotado B. hemos azotado C. he azotado D. has azotado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ al caballo para que corra! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. azota B. azote C. azotemos D. azotad

  10. Which is the gerund of azotar, used with estar for the progressive? A. azotado B. azoto C. azoté D. azotando

Answer key

  1. azoto — The first-person present of azotar is azoto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. azotó — The third-person preterite of azotar is azotó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. azotábamos — The nosotros imperfect of azotar is azotábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. azotarás — The second-person future of azotar is azotarás.
  5. azotaría — The first-person conditional of azotar is azotaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. azote — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of azotar is azote.
  7. azotara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of azotar is azotara.
  8. hemos azotado — The nosotros present perfect of azotar is hemos azotado: hemos + azotado.
  9. azota — The affirmative tú imperative of azotar is azota.
  10. azotando — The gerund of azotar is azotando: estoy azotando. The participle azotado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does azotar mean in English?

Azotar means to whip, to lash. It is used in everyday situations such as Azoto al caballo para que corra. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is azotar regular or irregular?

Azotar 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 azoto in the present and azoté in the preterite.

What is the difference between azotar and golpear?

Azotar means to whip, to lash, while golpear means to hit. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use azotar when you mean to whip, to lash, as in Azoto al caballo para que corra, and use golpear for to hit. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I whip” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo azoté la costa con fuerza. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo azotaba al prisionero en la novela. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he azotado la costa con fuerza.

How do I practise azotar?

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

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