Borrar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb borrar means to erase, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Borrar means to erase, and it is used for erasing a blackboard, deleting a message, removing a name from a list and wiping a photo. It is a regular -ar verb, common in school and in computing. Like every Spanish verb, borrar 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 borro la pizarra después de clase, and in the preterite you say borré mi nombre de la lista. 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: borrar
  • English: to erase
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: borrando
  • Past participle: borrado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + borrado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for borrar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Borrar is fully regular: borré, borraba, borraré. The noun is borrador, eraser or draft.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for borrar. 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 borro
tú borras
él/ella/Ud. borra
nosotros/as borramos
vosotros/as borráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. borran

Preterite

Person Form
yo borré
tú borraste
él/ella/Ud. borró
nosotros/as borramos
vosotros/as borrasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. borraron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo borraba
tú borrabas
él/ella/Ud. borraba
nosotros/as borrábamos
vosotros/as borrabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. borraban

Future

Person Form
yo borraré
tú borrarás
él/ella/Ud. borrará
nosotros/as borraremos
vosotros/as borraréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. borrarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo borraría
tú borrarías
él/ella/Ud. borraría
nosotros/as borraríamos
vosotros/as borraríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. borrarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo borre
tú borres
él/ella/Ud. borre
nosotros/as borremos
vosotros/as borréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. borren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo borrara
tú borraras
él/ella/Ud. borrara
nosotros/as borráramos
vosotros/as borrarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. borraran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú borra
él/ella/Ud. borre
nosotros/as borremos
vosotros/as borrad
ellos/ellas/Uds. borren

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú borres
él/ella/Ud. borre
nosotros/as borremos
vosotros/as borréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. borren

Gerund and past participle

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

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 borrar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Borro la pizarra después de clase. 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 borrar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, borré el mensaje del móvil. 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 borrar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, borraba mi nombre de la lista. 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 borrar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, borraré la foto del álbum. 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 borrar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Borraría la pizarra después de clase 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 borrar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he borrado el mensaje del móvil. 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 borrar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había borrado mi nombre de la lista 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 borrar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré borrado la foto del álbum. 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 borrar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría borrado la pizarra después de clase 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 borrar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él borre el mensaje del móvil. 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 borrar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él borrara mi nombre de la lista, 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 borrar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡borra la foto del álbum! 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 borrar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No borres la pizarra después de clase. 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 borrar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Borro la pizarra después de clase. — I erase the blackboard after class.
  2. Borra el mensaje del móvil. — He/she erases the message on the phone.
  3. Ayer, borré mi nombre de la lista. — Yesterday, I erased my name from the list.
  4. Antes, nosotros borrábamos la foto del álbum. — Before, we used to erase the photo from the album.
  5. Mañana, tú borrarás la pizarra después de clase. — Tomorrow, you will erase the blackboard after class.
  6. Yo borraría el mensaje del móvil si tuviera más tiempo. — I would erase the message on the phone if I had more time.
  7. Él ha borrado mi nombre de la lista. — He has erased my name from the list.
  8. Espero que él borre la foto del álbum. — I hope he erases the photo from the album.
  9. Yo ya había borrado la pizarra después de clase antes de salir. — I had already erased the blackboard after class before leaving.
  10. Ellos borraban el mensaje del móvil cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to erase the message on the phone when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo borra la pizarra después de clase. — Right: Yo borro la pizarra después de clase. — The person matters: borra is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is borro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating borrar and eliminar as identical in every context. — Right: Borrar means to erase, while eliminar means to delete or remove something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: borrar fits sentences such as Borro la pizarra después de clase, while eliminar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy borrado el mensaje del móvil. — Right: Yo he borrado el mensaje del móvil. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he borrado, has borrado, ha borrado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo borré mi nombre de la lista todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo borraba mi nombre de la lista todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (borraba), not the preterite. The preterite (borré) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la pizarra después de clase. (present tense) A. borro B. borras C. borra D. borramos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el mensaje del móvil. (preterite) A. borré B. borraste C. borraron D. borró

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ mi nombre de la lista. (imperfect) A. borrabas B. borraban C. borrábamos D. borraba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la foto del álbum. (future) A. borraremos B. borrarás C. borraré D. borrará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la pizarra después de clase si pudiera. (conditional) A. borraría B. borrarías C. borrarían D. borro

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el mensaje del móvil. (present subjunctive) A. borres B. borremos C. borro D. borre

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ mi nombre de la lista, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. borráramos B. borro C. borrara D. borraras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la foto del álbum. (present perfect) A. han borrado B. hemos borrado C. he borrado D. has borrado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ la pizarra después de clase! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. borra B. borre C. borremos D. borrad

  10. Which is the gerund of borrar, used with estar for the progressive? A. borrado B. borro C. borré D. borrando

Answer key

  1. borro — The first-person present of borrar is borro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. borró — The third-person preterite of borrar is borró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. borrábamos — The nosotros imperfect of borrar is borrábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. borrarás — The second-person future of borrar is borrarás.
  5. borraría — The first-person conditional of borrar is borraría, the form for what would happen.
  6. borre — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of borrar is borre.
  7. borrara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of borrar is borrara.
  8. hemos borrado — The nosotros present perfect of borrar is hemos borrado: hemos + borrado.
  9. borra — The affirmative tú imperative of borrar is borra.
  10. borrando — The gerund of borrar is borrando: estoy borrando. The participle borrado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does borrar mean in English?

Borrar means to erase. It is used in everyday situations such as Borro la pizarra después de clase. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is borrar regular or irregular?

Borrar 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 borro in the present and borré in the preterite.

What is the difference between borrar and eliminar?

Borrar means to erase, while eliminar means to delete or remove something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use borrar when you mean to erase, as in Borro la pizarra después de clase, and use eliminar for to delete or remove something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I erase” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo borré el mensaje del móvil. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo borraba mi nombre de la lista. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he borrado el mensaje del móvil.

How do I practise borrar?

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

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