Barnizar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb barnizar means to varnish, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Barnizar means to varnish, to cover wood or another surface with varnish to protect it and make it shine. It is a workshop verb, and it is a spelling-change verb: z becomes c before e. Like every Spanish verb, barnizar 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 barnizo la mesa de madera, and in the preterite you say barnicé el suelo de la casa. 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: barnizar
- English: to varnish
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: barnizando
- Past participle: barnizado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + barnizado)
- Spelling change: Spelling change: z becomes c before e, so the present subjunctive is barnice and the preterite first person is barnicé — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for barnizar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: z becomes c before e, so the subjunctive and the preterite first person use barnic-. In the present tense it is regular: barnizo.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for barnizar. 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 | barnizo |
| tú | barnizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | barniza |
| nosotros/as | barnizamos |
| vosotros/as | barnizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | barnizan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | barnicé |
| tú | barnizaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | barnizó |
| nosotros/as | barnizamos |
| vosotros/as | barnizasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | barnizaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | barnizaba |
| tú | barnizabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | barnizaba |
| nosotros/as | barnizábamos |
| vosotros/as | barnizabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | barnizaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | barnizaré |
| tú | barnizarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | barnizará |
| nosotros/as | barnizaremos |
| vosotros/as | barnizaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | barnizarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | barnizaría |
| tú | barnizarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | barnizaría |
| nosotros/as | barnizaríamos |
| vosotros/as | barnizaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | barnizarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he barnizado |
| tú | has barnizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha barnizado |
| nosotros/as | hemos barnizado |
| vosotros/as | habéis barnizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han barnizado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había barnizado |
| tú | habías barnizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había barnizado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos barnizado |
| vosotros/as | habíais barnizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían barnizado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré barnizado |
| tú | habrás barnizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá barnizado |
| nosotros/as | habremos barnizado |
| vosotros/as | habréis barnizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán barnizado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría barnizado |
| tú | habrías barnizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría barnizado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos barnizado |
| vosotros/as | habríais barnizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían barnizado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | barnice |
| tú | barnices |
| él/ella/Ud. | barnice |
| nosotros/as | barnicemos |
| vosotros/as | barnicéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | barnicen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | barnizara |
| tú | barnizaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | barnizara |
| nosotros/as | barnizáramos |
| vosotros/as | barnizarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | barnizaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | barniza |
| él/ella/Ud. | barnice |
| nosotros/as | barnicemos |
| vosotros/as | barnizad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | barnicen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | barnices |
| él/ella/Ud. | barnice |
| nosotros/as | barnicemos |
| vosotros/as | barnicéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | barnicen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | barnizando | with estar for the progressive: estoy barnizando |
| Past participle | barnizado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he barnizado |
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 barnizar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Barnizo la mesa de madera. 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: z becomes c before e, so the present subjunctive is barnice and the preterite first person is barnicé — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. For barnizar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, barnicé la puerta del jardín. 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 barnizar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, barnizaba el suelo de la casa. 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 barnizar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, barnizaré el mueble antiguo. 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 barnizar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Barnizaría la mesa de madera 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 barnizar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he barnizado la puerta del jardín. 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 barnizar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había barnizado el suelo de la casa 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 barnizar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré barnizado el mueble antiguo. 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 barnizar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría barnizado la mesa de madera 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: z becomes c before e, so the present subjunctive is barnice and the preterite first person is barnicé — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. For barnizar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él barnice la puerta del jardín. 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 barnizar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él barnizara el suelo de la casa, 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: z becomes c before e, so the present subjunctive is barnice and the preterite first person is barnicé — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. For barnizar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Barniza el mueble antiguo! 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: z becomes c before e, so the present subjunctive is barnice and the preterite first person is barnicé — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. For barnizar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No barnices la mesa de madera. 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 barnizar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Barnizo la mesa de madera. — I varnish the wooden table.
- Barniza la puerta del jardín. — He/she varnishes the garden door.
- Ayer, barnicé el suelo de la casa. — Yesterday, I varnished the floor of the house.
- Antes, nosotros barnizábamos el mueble antiguo. — Before, we used to varnish the antique piece of furniture.
- Mañana, tú barnizarás la mesa de madera. — Tomorrow, you will varnish the wooden table.
- Yo barnizaría la puerta del jardín si tuviera más tiempo. — I would varnish the garden door if I had more time.
- Él ha barnizado el suelo de la casa. — He has varnished the floor of the house.
- Espero que él barnice el mueble antiguo. — I hope he varnishes the antique piece of furniture.
- Yo ya había barnizado la mesa de madera antes de salir. — I had already varnished the wooden table before leaving.
- Ellos barnizaban la puerta del jardín cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to varnish the garden door when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo barniza la mesa de madera. — Right: Yo barnizo la mesa de madera. — The person matters: barniza is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is barnizo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Espero que yo barnize la puerta del jardín. — Right: Espero que yo barnice la puerta del jardín. — Spelling change: z becomes c before e, so the present subjunctive is barnice, never barnize.
- Wrong: Treating barnizar and pintar as identical in every context. — Right: Barnizar means to varnish, while pintar means to paint. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: barnizar fits sentences such as Barnizo la mesa de madera, while pintar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy barnizado la puerta del jardín. — Right: Yo he barnizado la puerta del jardín. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he barnizado, has barnizado, ha barnizado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo barnicé el suelo de la casa todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo barnizaba el suelo de la casa todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (barnizaba), not the preterite. The preterite (barnicé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on barnizar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la mesa de madera. (present tense) A. barnizo B. barnizas C. barniza D. barnizamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la puerta del jardín. (preterite) A. barnicé B. barnizaste C. barnizaron D. barnizó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el suelo de la casa. (imperfect) A. barnizabas B. barnizaban C. barnizábamos D. barnizaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el mueble antiguo. (future) A. barnizaremos B. barnizarás C. barnizaré D. barnizará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la mesa de madera si pudiera. (conditional) A. barnizaría B. barnizarías C. barnizarían D. barnizo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la puerta del jardín. (present subjunctive) A. barnices B. barnicemos C. barnizo D. barnice
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el suelo de la casa, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. barnizáramos B. barnizo C. barnizara D. barnizaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el mueble antiguo. (present perfect) A. han barnizado B. hemos barnizado C. he barnizado D. has barnizado
Complete the command: ¡___ la mesa de madera! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. barniza B. barnice C. barnicemos D. barnizad
Which is the gerund of barnizar, used with estar for the progressive? A. barnizado B. barnizo C. barnicé D. barnizando
Answer key
- barnizo — The first-person present of barnizar is barnizo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- barnizó — The third-person preterite of barnizar is barnizó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- barnizábamos — The nosotros imperfect of barnizar is barnizábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- barnizarás — The second-person future of barnizar is barnizarás.
- barnizaría — The first-person conditional of barnizar is barnizaría, the form for what would happen.
- barnice — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of barnizar is barnice.
- barnizara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of barnizar is barnizara.
- hemos barnizado — The nosotros present perfect of barnizar is hemos barnizado: hemos + barnizado.
- barniza — The affirmative tú imperative of barnizar is barniza.
- barnizando — The gerund of barnizar is barnizando: estoy barnizando. The participle barnizado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does barnizar mean in English?
Barnizar means to varnish. It is used in everyday situations such as Barnizo la mesa de madera. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is barnizar regular or irregular?
Barnizar is a spelling-change verb, so it is not fully regular. Spelling change: z becomes c before e, so the present subjunctive is barnice and the preterite first person is barnicé — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. The other tenses follow the regular -ar endings. Learn the changed forms from the tables above rather than applying the regular spelling.
What is the difference between barnizar and pintar?
Barnizar means to varnish, while pintar means to paint. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use barnizar when you mean to varnish, as in Barnizo la mesa de madera, and use pintar for to paint. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I varnish” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo barnicé la puerta del jardín. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo barnizaba el suelo de la casa. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he barnizado la puerta del jardín.
How do I practise barnizar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the barnizar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Barnizar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for barnizar.
- Barnizar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for barnizar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Enmarcar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with barnizar.
- Desembarcar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with barnizar.
- Soldar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with barnizar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.