Brillar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb brillar means to shine, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Brillar means to shine, and it is used for the sun, the stars and lights shining, and figuratively for a person shining on stage or in a competition. It is a regular -ar verb, and it appears in nature, in praise and in idioms such as brillar con luz propia, to shine with your own light. Like every Spanish verb, brillar 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 brillo en el escenario, and in the preterite you say brillé en la oscuridad de la noche. 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: brillar
- English: to shine
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: brillando
- Past participle: brillado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + brillado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for brillar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Brillar is fully regular: brillé, brillaba, brillaré. The noun is brillo, shine or brightness.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for brillar. 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 | brillo |
| tú | brillas |
| él/ella/Ud. | brilla |
| nosotros/as | brillamos |
| vosotros/as | brilláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | brillan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | brillé |
| tú | brillaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | brilló |
| nosotros/as | brillamos |
| vosotros/as | brillasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | brillaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | brillaba |
| tú | brillabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | brillaba |
| nosotros/as | brillábamos |
| vosotros/as | brillabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | brillaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | brillaré |
| tú | brillarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | brillará |
| nosotros/as | brillaremos |
| vosotros/as | brillaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | brillarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | brillaría |
| tú | brillarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | brillaría |
| nosotros/as | brillaríamos |
| vosotros/as | brillaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | brillarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he brillado |
| tú | has brillado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha brillado |
| nosotros/as | hemos brillado |
| vosotros/as | habéis brillado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han brillado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había brillado |
| tú | habías brillado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había brillado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos brillado |
| vosotros/as | habíais brillado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían brillado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré brillado |
| tú | habrás brillado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá brillado |
| nosotros/as | habremos brillado |
| vosotros/as | habréis brillado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán brillado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría brillado |
| tú | habrías brillado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría brillado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos brillado |
| vosotros/as | habríais brillado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían brillado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | brille |
| tú | brilles |
| él/ella/Ud. | brille |
| nosotros/as | brillemos |
| vosotros/as | brilléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | brillen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | brillara |
| tú | brillaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | brillara |
| nosotros/as | brilláramos |
| vosotros/as | brillarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | brillaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | brilla |
| él/ella/Ud. | brille |
| nosotros/as | brillemos |
| vosotros/as | brillad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | brillen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | brilles |
| él/ella/Ud. | brille |
| nosotros/as | brillemos |
| vosotros/as | brilléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | brillen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | brillando | with estar for the progressive: estoy brillando |
| Past participle | brillado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he brillado |
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 brillar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Brillo en el escenario. 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 brillar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, brillé con luz propia. 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 brillar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, brillaba en la oscuridad de la noche. 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 brillar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, brillaré más que las estrellas. 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 brillar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Brillaría en el escenario 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 brillar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he brillado con luz propia. 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 brillar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había brillado en la oscuridad de la noche 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 brillar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré brillado más que las estrellas. 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 brillar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría brillado en el escenario 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 brillar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él brille con luz propia. 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 brillar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él brillara en la oscuridad de la noche, 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 brillar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡brilla más que las estrellas! 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 brillar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No brilles en el escenario. 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 brillar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Brillo en el escenario. — I shine on stage.
- Brilla con luz propia. — He/she shines with your own light.
- Ayer, brillé en la oscuridad de la noche. — Yesterday, I shone in the darkness of the night.
- Antes, nosotros brillábamos más que las estrellas. — Before, we used to shine more than the stars.
- Mañana, tú brillarás en el escenario. — Tomorrow, you will shine on stage.
- Yo brillaría con luz propia si tuviera más tiempo. — I would shine with your own light if I had more time.
- Él ha brillado en la oscuridad de la noche. — He has shone in the darkness of the night.
- Espero que él brille más que las estrellas. — I hope he shines more than the stars.
- Yo ya había brillado en el escenario antes de salir. — I had already shone on stage before leaving.
- Ellos brillaban con luz propia cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to shine with your own light when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo brilla en el escenario. — Right: Yo brillo en el escenario. — The person matters: brilla is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is brillo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating brillar and resplandecer as identical in every context. — Right: Brillar means to shine, while resplandecer means to shine brightly, the literary synonym. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: brillar fits sentences such as Brillo en el escenario, while resplandecer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy brillado con luz propia. — Right: Yo he brillado con luz propia. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he brillado, has brillado, ha brillado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo brillé en la oscuridad de la noche todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo brillaba en la oscuridad de la noche todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (brillaba), not the preterite. The preterite (brillé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on brillar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en el escenario. (present tense) A. brillo B. brillas C. brilla D. brillamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ con luz propia. (preterite) A. brillé B. brillaste C. brillaron D. brilló
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en la oscuridad de la noche. (imperfect) A. brillabas B. brillaban C. brillábamos D. brillaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ más que las estrellas. (future) A. brillaremos B. brillarás C. brillaré D. brillará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en el escenario si pudiera. (conditional) A. brillaría B. brillarías C. brillarían D. brillo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con luz propia. (present subjunctive) A. brilles B. brillemos C. brillo D. brille
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en la oscuridad de la noche, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. brilláramos B. brillo C. brillara D. brillaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ más que las estrellas. (present perfect) A. han brillado B. hemos brillado C. he brillado D. has brillado
Complete the command: ¡___ en el escenario! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. brilla B. brille C. brillemos D. brillad
Which is the gerund of brillar, used with estar for the progressive? A. brillado B. brillo C. brillé D. brillando
Answer key
- brillo — The first-person present of brillar is brillo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- brilló — The third-person preterite of brillar is brilló, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- brillábamos — The nosotros imperfect of brillar is brillábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- brillarás — The second-person future of brillar is brillarás.
- brillaría — The first-person conditional of brillar is brillaría, the form for what would happen.
- brille — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of brillar is brille.
- brillara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of brillar is brillara.
- hemos brillado — The nosotros present perfect of brillar is hemos brillado: hemos + brillado.
- brilla — The affirmative tú imperative of brillar is brilla.
- brillando — The gerund of brillar is brillando: estoy brillando. The participle brillado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does brillar mean in English?
Brillar means to shine. It is used in everyday situations such as Brillo en el escenario. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is brillar regular or irregular?
Brillar 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 brillo in the present and brillé in the preterite.
What is the difference between brillar and resplandecer?
Brillar means to shine, while resplandecer means to shine brightly, the literary synonym. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use brillar when you mean to shine, as in Brillo en el escenario, and use resplandecer for to shine brightly, the literary synonym. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I shine” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo brillé con luz propia. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo brillaba en la oscuridad de la noche. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he brillado con luz propia.
How do I practise brillar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the brillar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Brillar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for brillar.
- Brillar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for brillar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Borrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with brillar.
- Bloquear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with brillar.
- Beneficiar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with brillar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.