Chillar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb chillar means to shriek, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Chillar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of chillar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo chillo de alegría — "I shriek with joy" — and in the preterite you say Yo chillé en el patio — "I shrieked in the yard". 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: chillar
- English: to shriek
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: chillando
- Past participle: chillado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + chillado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for chillar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for chillar. 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.
Gerund: chillando · Past participle: chillado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | chillo |
| tú | chillas |
| él/ella/Ud. | chilla |
| nosotros/as | chillamos |
| vosotros/as | chilláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | chillan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | chillé |
| tú | chillaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | chilló |
| nosotros/as | chillamos |
| vosotros/as | chillasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | chillaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | chillaba |
| tú | chillabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | chillaba |
| nosotros/as | chillábamos |
| vosotros/as | chillabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | chillaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | chillaré |
| tú | chillarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | chillará |
| nosotros/as | chillaremos |
| vosotros/as | chillaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | chillarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | chillaría |
| tú | chillarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | chillaría |
| nosotros/as | chillaríamos |
| vosotros/as | chillaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | chillarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he chillado |
| tú | has chillado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha chillado |
| nosotros/as | hemos chillado |
| vosotros/as | habéis chillado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han chillado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había chillado |
| tú | habías chillado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había chillado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos chillado |
| vosotros/as | habíais chillado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían chillado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré chillado |
| tú | habrás chillado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá chillado |
| nosotros/as | habremos chillado |
| vosotros/as | habréis chillado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán chillado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría chillado |
| tú | habrías chillado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría chillado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos chillado |
| vosotros/as | habríais chillado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían chillado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | chille |
| tú | chilles |
| él/ella/Ud. | chille |
| nosotros/as | chillemos |
| vosotros/as | chilléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | chillen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | chillara |
| tú | chillaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | chillara |
| nosotros/as | chilláramos |
| vosotros/as | chillarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | chillaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | chilla |
| él/ella/Ud. | chille |
| nosotros/as | chillemos |
| vosotros/as | chillad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | chillen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | chilles |
| él/ella/Ud. | chille |
| nosotros/as | chillemos |
| vosotros/as | chilléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | chillen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | chillando | with estar for the progressive: estoy chillando |
| Past participle | chillado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he chillado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For chillar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo chillo en el patio — "I shriek in the yard". Learn the present indicative 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 in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For chillar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo chillé muy fuerte — "I shrieked very loudly". 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 words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For chillar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo chillaba de alegría — "I used to shriek with joy". 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. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For chillar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo chillaré en el patio — "I will shriek in the yard". 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 in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For chillar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo chillaría muy fuerte — "I would shriek very loudly". 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. It connects the past with the present moment. For chillar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he chillado de alegría — "I have shrieked with joy". 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. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For chillar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había chillado en el patio — "I had shrieked in the yard". 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, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For chillar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré chillado muy fuerte — "I will have shrieked very loudly". 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. It looks back at a past that never happened. For chillar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría chillado de alegría — "I would have shrieked with joy". 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. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For chillar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él chille en el patio — "I hope he shrieks in the yard". 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 chillar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo chillara muy fuerte, todo cambiaría — "If I shrieked very loudly, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) 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. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For chillar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Chille de alegría — "Let him shriek with joy". Learn the imperative (affirmative) 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. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For chillar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No chilles en el patio — "Don't shriek in the yard". Learn the imperative (negative) 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 chillar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo chillo muy fuerte — "I shriek very loudly"
- Él chilla de alegría — "He shrieks with joy"
- Yo chillé en el patio — "I shrieked in the yard"
- Yo chillaba muy fuerte — "I used to shriek very loudly"
- Tú chillarás de alegría — "You will shriek with joy"
- Yo chillaría en el patio — "I would shriek in the yard"
- Él ha chillado muy fuerte — "He has shrieked very loudly"
- Espero que él chille de alegría — "I hope he shrieks with joy"
- Yo había chillado en el patio — "I had shrieked in the yard"
- Ellos chillaban muy fuerte — "They used to shriek very loudly"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos chilla de alegría — Right: Ellos chillan de alegría — Ellos needs the ellos form chillan. The singular chilla belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo chillo — Right: Ayer, yo chillé — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to chillé.
- Wrong: De niño, yo chillé todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo chillaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (chillaba), not the preterite. The preterite (chillé) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy chillado en el patio. — Right: Yo he chillado en el patio. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he chillado, has chillado, ha chillado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él chilla de alegría. — Right: Espero que él chille de alegría. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: chille. The indicative chilla is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on chillar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de alegría. (present tense) A. chillarás B. habremos chillado C. habéis chillado D. chillo
Complete the sentence: Él ___ de alegría. (preterite) A. han chillado B. chillé C. chillarías D. chilló
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de alegría. (imperfect) A. habré chillado B. chillábamos C. chillaba D. habrá chillado
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ de alegría. (future) A. chillaron B. chillarás C. chilla D. chillarán
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de alegría. (conditional) A. chillen B. han chillado C. había chillado D. chillaría
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de alegría. (present subjunctive) A. chillaremos B. chillaron C. ha chillado D. chille
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de alegría, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. ha chillado B. chilláramos C. chillara D. chillábamos
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de alegría. (present perfect) A. chillasteis B. chillaron C. había chillado D. hemos chillado
Complete the command: No ___ de alegría. (negative imperative, tú) A. chille B. chillemos C. chilles D. chillen
Which is the gerund of chillar, used with estar for the progressive? A. chillaré B. chillando C. chillé D. chillado
Answer key
- chillo — The yo present tense of chillar is chillo.
- chilló — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of chillar is chilló.
- chillábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of chillar is chillábamos.
- chillarás — The tú future of chillar is chillarás.
- chillaría — The yo conditional of chillar is chillaría.
- chille — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of chillar is chille.
- chillara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of chillar is chillara.
- hemos chillado — The nosotros/as present perfect of chillar is hemos chillado.
- chilles — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: chilles.
- chillando — The gerund of chillar is chillando: estoy chillando. The participle chillado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does chillar mean in English?
Chillar means to shriek. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo chillo de alegría. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is chillar regular?
Yes. Chillar is a regular -ar verb: chillo, chillas, chilla. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the gerund and the past participle of chillar?
The gerund is chillando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy chillando. The past participle is chillado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he chillado.
How do I say “I shriek” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo chillé en el patio. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo chillaba muy fuerte. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he chillado de alegría.
How do I practise chillar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the chillar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Chillar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for chillar.
- Chillar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for chillar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Murmurar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with chillar.
- Balbucear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with chillar.
- Tartamudear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with chillar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.