Bendecir Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb bendecir means to bless, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Bendecir means to bless, and it is used for blessing a person, a house, food or a marriage. It follows the pattern of decir, with the present bendigo and the preterite bendije, though its participle is regular, bendecido. Like every Spanish verb, bendecir 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 bendigo a sus hijos antes de dormir, and in the preterite you say bendije la mesa antes de comer. 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: bendecir
  • English: to bless
  • Verb type: irregular verb, stem-changing (e → i)
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: bendiciendo
  • Past participle: bendecido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + bendecido)
  • Stem change: e → i in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for bendecir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Bendecir follows decir: the present is bendigo and the preterite is bendije. Its participle is regular: bendecido.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for bendecir. 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 bendigo
tú bendices
él/ella/Ud. bendice
nosotros/as bendecimos
vosotros/as bendecís
ellos/ellas/Uds. bendicen

Preterite

Person Form
yo bendije
tú bendijiste
él/ella/Ud. bendijo
nosotros/as bendijimos
vosotros/as bendijisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. bendijeron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo bendecía
tú bendecías
él/ella/Ud. bendecía
nosotros/as bendecíamos
vosotros/as bendecíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. bendecían

Future

Person Form
yo bendeciré
tú bendecirás
él/ella/Ud. bendecirá
nosotros/as bendeciremos
vosotros/as bendeciréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. bendecirán

Conditional

Person Form
yo bendeciría
tú bendecirías
él/ella/Ud. bendeciría
nosotros/as bendeciríamos
vosotros/as bendeciríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. bendecirían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo bendiga
tú bendigas
él/ella/Ud. bendiga
nosotros/as bendigamos
vosotros/as bendigáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. bendigan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo bendijera
tú bendijeras
él/ella/Ud. bendijera
nosotros/as bendijéramos
vosotros/as bendijerais
ellos/ellas/Uds. bendijeran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú bendice
él/ella/Ud. bendiga
nosotros/as bendigamos
vosotros/as bendecid
ellos/ellas/Uds. bendigan

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú bendigas
él/ella/Ud. bendiga
nosotros/as bendigamos
vosotros/as bendigáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. bendigan

Gerund and past participle

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

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For bendecir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Bendigo a sus hijos antes de dormir. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For bendecir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, bendije la casa nueva de la familia. 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 bendecir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, bendecía la mesa antes de comer. 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 bendecir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, bendeciré a los novios en la boda. 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 bendecir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Bendeciría a sus hijos antes de dormir 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 bendecir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he bendecido la casa nueva de la familia. 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 bendecir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había bendecido la mesa antes de comer 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 bendecir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré bendecido a los novios en la boda. 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 bendecir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría bendecido a sus hijos antes de dormir 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For bendecir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él bendiga la casa nueva de la familia. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For bendecir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él bendijera la mesa antes de comer, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For bendecir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Bendice a los novios en la boda! 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For bendecir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No bendigas a sus hijos antes de dormir. 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 bendecir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Bendigo a sus hijos antes de dormir. — I bless his children before bedtime.
  2. Bendice la casa nueva de la familia. — He/she blesses the family's new house.
  3. Ayer, bendije la mesa antes de comer. — Yesterday, I blessed the table before eating.
  4. Antes, nosotros bendecíamos a los novios en la boda. — Before, we used to bless the bride and groom at the wedding.
  5. Mañana, tú bendecirás a sus hijos antes de dormir. — Tomorrow, you will bless his children before bedtime.
  6. Yo bendeciría la casa nueva de la familia si tuviera más tiempo. — I would bless the family's new house if I had more time.
  7. Él ha bendecido la mesa antes de comer. — He has blessed the table before eating.
  8. Espero que él bendiga a los novios en la boda. — I hope he blesses the bride and groom at the wedding.
  9. Yo ya había bendecido a sus hijos antes de dormir antes de salir. — I had already blessed his children before bedtime before leaving.
  10. Ellos bendecían la casa nueva de la familia cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to bless the family's new house when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo bendice a sus hijos antes de dormir. — Right: Yo bendigo a sus hijos antes de dormir. — The person matters: bendice is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is bendigo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Yo bendeco la casa nueva de la familia. — Right: Yo bendigo la casa nueva de la familia. — Bendecir is a stem-changing verb (e → i), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural. The nosotros form keeps the original stem.
  3. Wrong: Treating bendecir and maldecir as identical in every context. — Right: Bendecir means to bless, while maldecir means to curse. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: bendecir fits sentences such as Bendigo a sus hijos antes de dormir, while maldecir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy bendecido la casa nueva de la familia. — Right: Yo he bendecido la casa nueva de la familia. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he bendecido, has bendecido, ha bendecido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo bendije la mesa antes de comer todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo bendecía la mesa antes de comer todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (bendecía), not the preterite. The preterite (bendije) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a sus hijos antes de dormir. (present tense) A. bendigo B. bendices C. bendice D. bendecimos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la casa nueva de la familia. (preterite) A. bendije B. bendijiste C. bendijeron D. bendijo

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la mesa antes de comer. (imperfect) A. bendecías B. bendecían C. bendecíamos D. bendecía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a los novios en la boda. (future) A. bendeciremos B. bendecirás C. bendeciré D. bendecirá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a sus hijos antes de dormir si pudiera. (conditional) A. bendeciría B. bendecirías C. bendecirían D. bendigo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la casa nueva de la familia. (present subjunctive) A. bendigas B. bendigamos C. bendigo D. bendiga

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la mesa antes de comer, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. bendijéramos B. bendigo C. bendijera D. bendijeras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a los novios en la boda. (present perfect) A. han bendecido B. hemos bendecido C. he bendecido D. has bendecido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ a sus hijos antes de dormir! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. bendice B. bendiga C. bendigamos D. bendecid

  10. Which is the gerund of bendecir, used with estar for the progressive? A. bendecido B. bendigo C. bendije D. bendiciendo

Answer key

  1. bendigo — The first-person present of bendecir is bendigo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. bendijo — The third-person preterite of bendecir is bendijo, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. bendecíamos — The nosotros imperfect of bendecir is bendecíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. bendecirás — The second-person future of bendecir is bendecirás.
  5. bendeciría — The first-person conditional of bendecir is bendeciría, the form for what would happen.
  6. bendiga — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of bendecir is bendiga.
  7. bendijera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of bendecir is bendijera.
  8. hemos bendecido — The nosotros present perfect of bendecir is hemos bendecido: hemos + bendecido.
  9. bendice — The affirmative tú imperative of bendecir is bendice.
  10. bendiciendo — The gerund of bendecir is bendiciendo: estoy bendiciendo. The participle bendecido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does bendecir mean in English?

Bendecir means to bless. It is used in everyday situations such as Bendigo a sus hijos antes de dormir. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is bendecir regular or irregular?

Bendecir is a stem-changing verb (e → i), so it is not fully regular: the stem changes in the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. The preterite and the imperfect are regular. Check the tables above for the exact forms in each tense.

What is the difference between bendecir and maldecir?

Bendecir means to bless, while maldecir means to curse. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use bendecir when you mean to bless, as in Bendigo a sus hijos antes de dormir, and use maldecir for to curse. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I bless” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo bendije la casa nueva de la familia. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo bendecía la mesa antes de comer. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he bendecido la casa nueva de la familia.

How do I practise bendecir?

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

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