Batir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb batir means to beat, to whisk, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Batir means to beat or to whisk, and it is used for beating eggs, whisking cream and beating a record in sport. It is fully regular, and it appears in cooking contexts, usually with los huevos or la nata. Like every Spanish verb, batir 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 bato los huevos para la tortilla, and in the preterite you say batí la masa con la batidora. 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: batir
- English: to beat, to whisk
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: batiendo
- Past participle: batido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + batido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for batir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Batir is fully regular: batí, batía, batiré. Batir los huevos is to beat the eggs.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for batir. 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 | bato |
| tú | bates |
| él/ella/Ud. | bate |
| nosotros/as | batimos |
| vosotros/as | batís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | baten |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | batí |
| tú | batiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | batió |
| nosotros/as | batimos |
| vosotros/as | batisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | batieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | batía |
| tú | batías |
| él/ella/Ud. | batía |
| nosotros/as | batíamos |
| vosotros/as | batíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | batían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | batiré |
| tú | batirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | batirá |
| nosotros/as | batiremos |
| vosotros/as | batiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | batirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | batiría |
| tú | batirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | batiría |
| nosotros/as | batiríamos |
| vosotros/as | batiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | batirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he batido |
| tú | has batido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha batido |
| nosotros/as | hemos batido |
| vosotros/as | habéis batido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han batido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había batido |
| tú | habías batido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había batido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos batido |
| vosotros/as | habíais batido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían batido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré batido |
| tú | habrás batido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá batido |
| nosotros/as | habremos batido |
| vosotros/as | habréis batido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán batido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría batido |
| tú | habrías batido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría batido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos batido |
| vosotros/as | habríais batido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían batido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | bata |
| tú | batas |
| él/ella/Ud. | bata |
| nosotros/as | batamos |
| vosotros/as | batáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | batan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | batiera |
| tú | batieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | batiera |
| nosotros/as | batiéramos |
| vosotros/as | batierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | batieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | bate |
| él/ella/Ud. | bata |
| nosotros/as | batamos |
| vosotros/as | batid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | batan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | batas |
| él/ella/Ud. | bata |
| nosotros/as | batamos |
| vosotros/as | batáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | batan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | batiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy batiendo |
| Past participle | batido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he batido |
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 batir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Bato los huevos para la tortilla. 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 batir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, batí la nata para el postre. 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 batir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, batía la masa con la batidora. 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 batir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, batiré el récord del año pasado. 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 batir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Batiría los huevos para la tortilla 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 batir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he batido la nata para el postre. 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 batir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había batido la masa con la batidora 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 batir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré batido el récord del año pasado. 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 batir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría batido los huevos para la tortilla 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 batir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él bata la nata para el postre. 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 batir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él batiera la masa con la batidora, 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 batir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Bate el récord del año pasado! 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 batir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No batas los huevos para la tortilla. 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 batir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Bato los huevos para la tortilla. — I beat the eggs for the omelette.
- Bate la nata para el postre. — He/she beats the cream for the dessert.
- Ayer, batí la masa con la batidora. — Yesterday, I beat the mixture with the whisk.
- Antes, nosotros batíamos el récord del año pasado. — Before, we used to beat last year's record.
- Mañana, tú batirás los huevos para la tortilla. — Tomorrow, you will beat the eggs for the omelette.
- Yo batiría la nata para el postre si tuviera más tiempo. — I would beat the cream for the dessert if I had more time.
- Él ha batido la masa con la batidora. — He has beaten the mixture with the whisk.
- Espero que él bata el récord del año pasado. — I hope he beats last year's record.
- Yo ya había batido los huevos para la tortilla antes de salir. — I had already beaten the eggs for the omelette before leaving.
- Ellos batían la nata para el postre cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to beat the cream for the dessert when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo bate los huevos para la tortilla. — Right: Yo bato los huevos para la tortilla. — The person matters: bate is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is bato. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo bato la nata para el postre. — Right: Ayer yo batí la nata para el postre. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: bato is happening now, while batí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating batir and mezclar as identical in every context. — Right: Batir means to beat, to whisk, while mezclar means to mix. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: batir fits sentences such as Bato los huevos para la tortilla, while mezclar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy batido la nata para el postre. — Right: Yo he batido la nata para el postre. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he batido, has batido, ha batido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo batí la masa con la batidora todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo batía la masa con la batidora todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (batía), not the preterite. The preterite (batí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on batir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ los huevos para la tortilla. (present tense) A. bato B. bates C. bate D. batimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la nata para el postre. (preterite) A. batí B. batiste C. batieron D. batió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la masa con la batidora. (imperfect) A. batías B. batían C. batíamos D. batía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el récord del año pasado. (future) A. batiremos B. batirás C. batiré D. batirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ los huevos para la tortilla si pudiera. (conditional) A. batiría B. batirías C. batirían D. bato
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la nata para el postre. (present subjunctive) A. batas B. batamos C. bato D. bata
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la masa con la batidora, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. batiéramos B. bato C. batiera D. batieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el récord del año pasado. (present perfect) A. han batido B. hemos batido C. he batido D. has batido
Complete the command: ¡___ los huevos para la tortilla! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. bate B. bata C. batamos D. batid
Which is the gerund of batir, used with estar for the progressive? A. batido B. bato C. batí D. batiendo
Answer key
- bato — The first-person present of batir is bato. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- batió — The third-person preterite of batir is batió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- batíamos — The nosotros imperfect of batir is batíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- batirás — The second-person future of batir is batirás.
- batiría — The first-person conditional of batir is batiría, the form for what would happen.
- bata — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of batir is bata.
- batiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of batir is batiera.
- hemos batido — The nosotros present perfect of batir is hemos batido: hemos + batido.
- bate — The affirmative tú imperative of batir is bate.
- batiendo — The gerund of batir is batiendo: estoy batiendo. The participle batido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does batir mean in English?
Batir means to beat, to whisk. It is used in everyday situations such as Bato los huevos para la tortilla. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is batir regular or irregular?
Batir is a fully regular -ir 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 bato in the present and batí in the preterite.
What is the difference between batir and mezclar?
Batir means to beat, to whisk, while mezclar means to mix. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use batir when you mean to beat, to whisk, as in Bato los huevos para la tortilla, and use mezclar for to mix. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I beat” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo batí la nata para el postre. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo batía la masa con la batidora. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he batido la nata para el postre.
How do I practise batir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the batir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Batir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for batir.
- Batir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for batir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Exprimir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with batir.
- Convenir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with batir.
- Prevenir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with batir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.