Causar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb causar means to cause, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Causar means to cause, and it is used for anything that produces an effect: rain causes delays, a fire causes damage, a decision causes problems, good news causes joy. It is a regular -ar verb, common in news and in science. Like every Spanish verb, causar 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 causo retrasos en el tráfico, and in the preterite you say causé problemas en la oficina. 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: causar
- English: to cause
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: causando
- Past participle: causado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + causado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for causar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Causar is fully regular: causé, causaba, causaré. The noun is causa, cause.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for causar. 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 | causo |
| tú | causas |
| él/ella/Ud. | causa |
| nosotros/as | causamos |
| vosotros/as | causáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | causan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | causé |
| tú | causaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | causó |
| nosotros/as | causamos |
| vosotros/as | causasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | causaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | causaba |
| tú | causabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | causaba |
| nosotros/as | causábamos |
| vosotros/as | causabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | causaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | causaré |
| tú | causarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | causará |
| nosotros/as | causaremos |
| vosotros/as | causaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | causarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | causaría |
| tú | causarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | causaría |
| nosotros/as | causaríamos |
| vosotros/as | causaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | causarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he causado |
| tú | has causado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha causado |
| nosotros/as | hemos causado |
| vosotros/as | habéis causado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han causado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había causado |
| tú | habías causado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había causado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos causado |
| vosotros/as | habíais causado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían causado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré causado |
| tú | habrás causado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá causado |
| nosotros/as | habremos causado |
| vosotros/as | habréis causado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán causado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría causado |
| tú | habrías causado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría causado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos causado |
| vosotros/as | habríais causado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían causado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cause |
| tú | causes |
| él/ella/Ud. | cause |
| nosotros/as | causemos |
| vosotros/as | causéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | causen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | causara |
| tú | causaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | causara |
| nosotros/as | causáramos |
| vosotros/as | causarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | causaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | causa |
| él/ella/Ud. | cause |
| nosotros/as | causemos |
| vosotros/as | causad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | causen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | causes |
| él/ella/Ud. | cause |
| nosotros/as | causemos |
| vosotros/as | causéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | causen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | causando | with estar for the progressive: estoy causando |
| Past participle | causado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he causado |
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 causar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Causo retrasos en el tráfico. 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 causar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, causé daños en la casa. 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 causar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, causaba problemas en la oficina. 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 causar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, causaré una gran alegría. 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 causar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Causaría retrasos en el tráfico 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 causar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he causado daños en la casa. 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 causar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había causado problemas en la oficina 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 causar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré causado una gran alegría. 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 causar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría causado retrasos en el tráfico 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 causar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él cause daños en la casa. 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 causar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él causara problemas en la oficina, 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 causar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡causa una gran alegría! 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 causar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No causes retrasos en el tráfico. 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 causar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Causo retrasos en el tráfico. — I cause delays in the traffic.
- Causa daños en la casa. — He/she causes damage to the house.
- Ayer, causé problemas en la oficina. — Yesterday, I caused problems in the office.
- Antes, nosotros causábamos una gran alegría. — Before, we used to cause great joy.
- Mañana, tú causarás retrasos en el tráfico. — Tomorrow, you will cause delays in the traffic.
- Yo causaría daños en la casa si tuviera más tiempo. — I would cause damage to the house if I had more time.
- Él ha causado problemas en la oficina. — He has caused problems in the office.
- Espero que él cause una gran alegría. — I hope he causes great joy.
- Yo ya había causado retrasos en el tráfico antes de salir. — I had already caused delays in the traffic before leaving.
- Ellos causaban daños en la casa cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to cause damage to the house when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo causa retrasos en el tráfico. — Right: Yo causo retrasos en el tráfico. — The person matters: causa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is causo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating causar and provocar as identical in every context. — Right: Causar means to cause, while provocar means to cause or provoke something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: causar fits sentences such as Causo retrasos en el tráfico, while provocar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy causado daños en la casa. — Right: Yo he causado daños en la casa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he causado, has causado, ha causado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo causé problemas en la oficina todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo causaba problemas en la oficina todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (causaba), not the preterite. The preterite (causé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on causar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ retrasos en el tráfico. (present tense) A. causo B. causas C. causa D. causamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ daños en la casa. (preterite) A. causé B. causaste C. causaron D. causó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ problemas en la oficina. (imperfect) A. causabas B. causaban C. causábamos D. causaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ una gran alegría. (future) A. causaremos B. causarás C. causaré D. causará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ retrasos en el tráfico si pudiera. (conditional) A. causaría B. causarías C. causarían D. causo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ daños en la casa. (present subjunctive) A. causes B. causemos C. causo D. cause
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ problemas en la oficina, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. causáramos B. causo C. causara D. causaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una gran alegría. (present perfect) A. han causado B. hemos causado C. he causado D. has causado
Complete the command: ¡___ retrasos en el tráfico! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. causa B. cause C. causemos D. causad
Which is the gerund of causar, used with estar for the progressive? A. causado B. causo C. causé D. causando
Answer key
- causo — The first-person present of causar is causo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- causó — The third-person preterite of causar is causó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- causábamos — The nosotros imperfect of causar is causábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- causarás — The second-person future of causar is causarás.
- causaría — The first-person conditional of causar is causaría, the form for what would happen.
- cause — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of causar is cause.
- causara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of causar is causara.
- hemos causado — The nosotros present perfect of causar is hemos causado: hemos + causado.
- causa — The affirmative tú imperative of causar is causa.
- causando — The gerund of causar is causando: estoy causando. The participle causado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does causar mean in English?
Causar means to cause. It is used in everyday situations such as Causo retrasos en el tráfico. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is causar regular or irregular?
Causar 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 causo in the present and causé in the preterite.
What is the difference between causar and provocar?
Causar means to cause, while provocar means to cause or provoke something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use causar when you mean to cause, as in Causo retrasos en el tráfico, and use provocar for to cause or provoke something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I cause” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo causé daños en la casa. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo causaba problemas en la oficina. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he causado daños en la casa.
How do I practise causar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the causar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Causar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for causar.
- Causar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for causar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Castigar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with causar.
- Celebrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with causar.
- Casar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with causar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.