Calificar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb calificar means to grade, to qualify, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Calificar means to grade or to qualify, and it covers grading students, rating work as excellent, qualifying a team for a tournament and rating a film with five stars. It is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e. Like every Spanish verb, calificar 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 califico a los alumnos con notas, and in the preterite you say califiqué al equipo en el torneo. 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: calificar
- English: to grade, to qualify
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: calificando
- Past participle: calificado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + calificado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for calificar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is califiqué and the subjunctive is califique.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for calificar. 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 | califico |
| tú | calificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | califica |
| nosotros/as | calificamos |
| vosotros/as | calificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | califican |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | califiqué |
| tú | calificaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | calificó |
| nosotros/as | calificamos |
| vosotros/as | calificasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | calificaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | calificaba |
| tú | calificabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | calificaba |
| nosotros/as | calificábamos |
| vosotros/as | calificabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | calificaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | calificaré |
| tú | calificarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | calificará |
| nosotros/as | calificaremos |
| vosotros/as | calificaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | calificarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | calificaría |
| tú | calificarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | calificaría |
| nosotros/as | calificaríamos |
| vosotros/as | calificaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | calificarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he calificado |
| tú | has calificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha calificado |
| nosotros/as | hemos calificado |
| vosotros/as | habéis calificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han calificado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había calificado |
| tú | habías calificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había calificado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos calificado |
| vosotros/as | habíais calificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían calificado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré calificado |
| tú | habrás calificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá calificado |
| nosotros/as | habremos calificado |
| vosotros/as | habréis calificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán calificado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría calificado |
| tú | habrías calificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría calificado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos calificado |
| vosotros/as | habríais calificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían calificado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | califique |
| tú | califiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | califique |
| nosotros/as | califiquemos |
| vosotros/as | califiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | califiquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | calificara |
| tú | calificaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | calificara |
| nosotros/as | calificáramos |
| vosotros/as | calificarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | calificaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | califica |
| él/ella/Ud. | califique |
| nosotros/as | califiquemos |
| vosotros/as | calificad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | califiquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | califiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | califique |
| nosotros/as | califiquemos |
| vosotros/as | califiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | califiquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | calificando | with estar for the progressive: estoy calificando |
| Past participle | calificado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he calificado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For calificar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Califico a los alumnos con notas. 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. Note the spelling change in the first person: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is califiqué. For calificar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, califiqué el trabajo como excelente. 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 calificar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, calificaba al equipo en el torneo. 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 calificar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, calificaré la película con cinco 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 calificar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Calificaría a los alumnos con notas 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 calificar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he calificado el trabajo como excelente. 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 calificar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había calificado al equipo en el torneo 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 calificar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré calificado la película con cinco 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 calificar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría calificado a los alumnos con notas 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For calificar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él califique el trabajo como excelente. 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 calificar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él calificara al equipo en el torneo, 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For calificar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Califica la película con cinco 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For calificar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No califiques a los alumnos con notas. 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 calificar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Califico a los alumnos con notas. — I grade the students with marks.
- Califica el trabajo como excelente. — He/she grades the work as excellent.
- Ayer, califiqué al equipo en el torneo. — Yesterday, I graded the team in the tournament.
- Antes, nosotros calificábamos la película con cinco estrellas. — Before, we used to grade the film with five stars.
- Mañana, tú calificarás a los alumnos con notas. — Tomorrow, you will grade the students with marks.
- Yo calificaría el trabajo como excelente si tuviera más tiempo. — I would grade the work as excellent if I had more time.
- Él ha calificado al equipo en el torneo. — He has graded the team in the tournament.
- Espero que él califique la película con cinco estrellas. — I hope he grades the film with five stars.
- Yo ya había calificado a los alumnos con notas antes de salir. — I had already graded the students with marks before leaving.
- Ellos calificaban el trabajo como excelente cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to grade the work as excellent when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo califica a los alumnos con notas. — Right: Yo califico a los alumnos con notas. — The person matters: califica is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is califico. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo calificé el trabajo como excelente. — Right: Yo califiqué el trabajo como excelente. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is califiqué, not calificé. calificar is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
- Wrong: Treating calificar and evaluar as identical in every context. — Right: Calificar means to grade, to qualify, while evaluar means to evaluate, the formal partner. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: calificar fits sentences such as Califico a los alumnos con notas, while evaluar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy calificado el trabajo como excelente. — Right: Yo he calificado el trabajo como excelente. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he calificado, has calificado, ha calificado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo califiqué al equipo en el torneo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo calificaba al equipo en el torneo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (calificaba), not the preterite. The preterite (califiqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on calificar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los alumnos con notas. (present tense) A. califico B. calificas C. califica D. calificamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el trabajo como excelente. (preterite) A. califiqué B. calificaste C. calificaron D. calificó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ al equipo en el torneo. (imperfect) A. calificabas B. calificaban C. calificábamos D. calificaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la película con cinco estrellas. (future) A. calificaremos B. calificarás C. calificaré D. calificará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los alumnos con notas si pudiera. (conditional) A. calificaría B. calificarías C. calificarían D. califico
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el trabajo como excelente. (present subjunctive) A. califiques B. califiquemos C. califico D. califique
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ al equipo en el torneo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. calificáramos B. califico C. calificara D. calificaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la película con cinco estrellas. (present perfect) A. han calificado B. hemos calificado C. he calificado D. has calificado
Complete the command: ¡___ a los alumnos con notas! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. califica B. califique C. califiquemos D. calificad
Which is the gerund of calificar, used with estar for the progressive? A. calificado B. califico C. califiqué D. calificando
Answer key
- califico — The first-person present of calificar is califico. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- calificó — The third-person preterite of calificar is calificó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- calificábamos — The nosotros imperfect of calificar is calificábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- calificarás — The second-person future of calificar is calificarás.
- calificaría — The first-person conditional of calificar is calificaría, the form for what would happen.
- califique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of calificar is califique.
- calificara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of calificar is calificara.
- hemos calificado — The nosotros present perfect of calificar is hemos calificado: hemos + calificado.
- califica — The affirmative tú imperative of calificar is califica.
- calificando — The gerund of calificar is calificando: estoy calificando. The participle calificado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does calificar mean in English?
Calificar means to grade, to qualify. It is used in everyday situations such as Califico a los alumnos con notas. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is calificar regular or irregular?
Calificar 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 califico in the present and califiqué in the preterite.
What is the difference between calificar and evaluar?
Calificar means to grade, to qualify, while evaluar means to evaluate, the formal partner. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use calificar when you mean to grade, to qualify, as in Califico a los alumnos con notas, and use evaluar for to evaluate, the formal partner. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I grade” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo califiqué el trabajo como excelente. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo calificaba al equipo en el torneo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he calificado el trabajo como excelente.
How do I practise calificar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the calificar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Calificar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for calificar.
- Calificar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for calificar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Justificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with calificar.
- Modificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with calificar.
- Notificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with calificar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.