Botar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb botar means to throw away, to bounce, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Botar means to throw away or to bounce, to get rid of rubbish, and also for a ball bouncing. The two meanings share the idea of throwing, and the verb is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, botar 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 boto la basura en el contenedor, and in the preterite you say boté los zapatos viejos. 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: botar
- English: to throw away, to bounce
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: botando
- Past participle: botado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + botado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for botar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Botar is fully regular: boto, bota. It is throwing away rubbish or bouncing a ball; tirar is the general word for throwing.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for botar. 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 | boto |
| tú | botas |
| él/ella/Ud. | bota |
| nosotros/as | botamos |
| vosotros/as | botáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | botan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | boté |
| tú | botaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | botó |
| nosotros/as | botamos |
| vosotros/as | botasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | botaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | botaba |
| tú | botabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | botaba |
| nosotros/as | botábamos |
| vosotros/as | botabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | botaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | botaré |
| tú | botarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | botará |
| nosotros/as | botaremos |
| vosotros/as | botaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | botarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | botaría |
| tú | botarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | botaría |
| nosotros/as | botaríamos |
| vosotros/as | botaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | botarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he botado |
| tú | has botado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha botado |
| nosotros/as | hemos botado |
| vosotros/as | habéis botado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han botado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había botado |
| tú | habías botado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había botado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos botado |
| vosotros/as | habíais botado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían botado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré botado |
| tú | habrás botado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá botado |
| nosotros/as | habremos botado |
| vosotros/as | habréis botado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán botado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría botado |
| tú | habrías botado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría botado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos botado |
| vosotros/as | habríais botado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían botado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | bote |
| tú | botes |
| él/ella/Ud. | bote |
| nosotros/as | botemos |
| vosotros/as | botéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | boten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | botara |
| tú | botaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | botara |
| nosotros/as | botáramos |
| vosotros/as | botarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | botaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | bota |
| él/ella/Ud. | bote |
| nosotros/as | botemos |
| vosotros/as | botad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | boten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | botes |
| él/ella/Ud. | bote |
| nosotros/as | botemos |
| vosotros/as | botéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | boten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | botando | with estar for the progressive: estoy botando |
| Past participle | botado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he botado |
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 botar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Boto la basura en el contenedor. 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 botar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, boté la pelota en el patio. 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 botar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, botaba los zapatos viejos. 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 botar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, botaré el balón contra el suelo. 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 botar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Botaría la basura en el contenedor 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 botar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he botado la pelota en el patio. 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 botar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había botado los zapatos viejos 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 botar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré botado el balón contra el suelo. 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 botar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría botado la basura en el contenedor 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 botar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él bote la pelota en el patio. 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 botar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él botara los zapatos viejos, 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 botar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Bota el balón contra el suelo! 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 botar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No botes la basura en el contenedor. 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 botar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Boto la basura en el contenedor. — I throw away the rubbish in the container.
- Bota la pelota en el patio. — He/she throws away the ball in the yard.
- Ayer, boté los zapatos viejos. — Yesterday, I threw away the old shoes.
- Antes, nosotros botábamos el balón contra el suelo. — Before, we used to throw away the ball against the ground.
- Mañana, tú botarás la basura en el contenedor. — Tomorrow, you will throw away the rubbish in the container.
- Yo botaría la pelota en el patio si tuviera más tiempo. — I would throw away the ball in the yard if I had more time.
- Él ha botado los zapatos viejos. — He has thrown away the old shoes.
- Espero que él bote el balón contra el suelo. — I hope he throws away the ball against the ground.
- Yo ya había botado la basura en el contenedor antes de salir. — I had already thrown away the rubbish in the container before leaving.
- Ellos botaban la pelota en el patio cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to throw away the ball in the yard when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo bota la basura en el contenedor. — Right: Yo boto la basura en el contenedor. — The person matters: bota is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is boto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo boto la pelota en el patio. — Right: Ayer yo boté la pelota en el patio. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: boto is happening now, while boté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating botar and tirar as identical in every context. — Right: Botar means to throw away, to bounce, while tirar means to throw. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: botar fits sentences such as Boto la basura en el contenedor, while tirar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy botado la pelota en el patio. — Right: Yo he botado la pelota en el patio. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he botado, has botado, ha botado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo boté los zapatos viejos todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo botaba los zapatos viejos todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (botaba), not the preterite. The preterite (boté) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on botar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la basura en el contenedor. (present tense) A. boto B. botas C. bota D. botamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la pelota en el patio. (preterite) A. boté B. botaste C. botaron D. botó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ los zapatos viejos. (imperfect) A. botabas B. botaban C. botábamos D. botaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el balón contra el suelo. (future) A. botaremos B. botarás C. botaré D. botará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la basura en el contenedor si pudiera. (conditional) A. botaría B. botarías C. botarían D. boto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la pelota en el patio. (present subjunctive) A. botes B. botemos C. boto D. bote
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ los zapatos viejos, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. botáramos B. boto C. botara D. botaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el balón contra el suelo. (present perfect) A. han botado B. hemos botado C. he botado D. has botado
Complete the command: ¡___ la basura en el contenedor! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. bota B. bote C. botemos D. botad
Which is the gerund of botar, used with estar for the progressive? A. botado B. boto C. boté D. botando
Answer key
- boto — The first-person present of botar is boto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- botó — The third-person preterite of botar is botó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- botábamos — The nosotros imperfect of botar is botábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- botarás — The second-person future of botar is botarás.
- botaría — The first-person conditional of botar is botaría, the form for what would happen.
- bote — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of botar is bote.
- botara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of botar is botara.
- hemos botado — The nosotros present perfect of botar is hemos botado: hemos + botado.
- bota — The affirmative tú imperative of botar is bota.
- botando — The gerund of botar is botando: estoy botando. The participle botado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does botar mean in English?
Botar means to throw away, to bounce. It is used in everyday situations such as Boto la basura en el contenedor. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is botar regular or irregular?
Botar 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 boto in the present and boté in the preterite.
What is the difference between botar and tirar?
Botar means to throw away, to bounce, while tirar means to throw. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use botar when you mean to throw away, to bounce, as in Boto la basura en el contenedor, and use tirar for to throw. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I throw away” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo boté la pelota en el patio. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo botaba los zapatos viejos. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he botado la pelota en el patio.
How do I practise botar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the botar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Botar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for botar.
- Botar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for botar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Cabecear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with botar.
- Bromear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with botar.
- Azotar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with botar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.