Colocar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb colocar means to place, to put, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Colocar means to place or to put, and it is used for placing books on a shelf, a table by a window, chairs in a living room and a picture on a wall. It is a more precise synonym of poner, and it is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e. Like every Spanish verb, colocar 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 coloco los libros en la estantería, and in the preterite you say coloqué las sillas en el salón. 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: colocar
  • English: to place, to put
  • Verb type: irregular verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: colocando
  • Past participle: colocado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + colocado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for colocar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is coloqué and the subjunctive is coloque.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for colocar. 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 coloco
tú colocas
él/ella/Ud. coloca
nosotros/as colocamos
vosotros/as colocáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. colocan

Preterite

Person Form
yo coloqué
tú colocaste
él/ella/Ud. colocó
nosotros/as colocamos
vosotros/as colocasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. colocaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo colocaba
tú colocabas
él/ella/Ud. colocaba
nosotros/as colocábamos
vosotros/as colocabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. colocaban

Future

Person Form
yo colocaré
tú colocarás
él/ella/Ud. colocará
nosotros/as colocaremos
vosotros/as colocaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. colocarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo colocaría
tú colocarías
él/ella/Ud. colocaría
nosotros/as colocaríamos
vosotros/as colocaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. colocarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he colocado
tú has colocado
él/ella/Ud. ha colocado
nosotros/as hemos colocado
vosotros/as habéis colocado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han colocado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había colocado
tú habías colocado
él/ella/Ud. había colocado
nosotros/as habíamos colocado
vosotros/as habíais colocado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían colocado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré colocado
tú habrás colocado
él/ella/Ud. habrá colocado
nosotros/as habremos colocado
vosotros/as habréis colocado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán colocado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría colocado
tú habrías colocado
él/ella/Ud. habría colocado
nosotros/as habríamos colocado
vosotros/as habríais colocado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían colocado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo coloque
tú coloques
él/ella/Ud. coloque
nosotros/as coloquemos
vosotros/as coloquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. coloquen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo colocara
tú colocaras
él/ella/Ud. colocara
nosotros/as colocáramos
vosotros/as colocarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. colocaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú coloca
él/ella/Ud. coloque
nosotros/as coloquemos
vosotros/as colocad
ellos/ellas/Uds. coloquen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú coloques
él/ella/Ud. coloque
nosotros/as coloquemos
vosotros/as coloquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. coloquen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund colocando with estar for the progressive: estoy colocando
Past participle colocado with haber for the perfect tenses: he colocado

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 colocar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Coloco los libros en la estantería. 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 coloqué. For colocar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, coloqué la mesa junto a la ventana. 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 colocar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, colocaba las sillas en el salón. 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 colocar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, colocaré el cuadro en la pared. 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 colocar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Colocaría los libros en la estantería 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 colocar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he colocado la mesa junto a la ventana. 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 colocar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había colocado las sillas en el salón 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 colocar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré colocado el cuadro en la pared. 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 colocar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría colocado los libros en la estantería 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 colocar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él coloque la mesa junto a la ventana. 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 colocar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él colocara las sillas en el salón, 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 colocar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Coloca el cuadro en la pared! 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 colocar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No coloques los libros en la estantería. 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 colocar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Coloco los libros en la estantería. — I place the books on the shelf.
  2. Coloca la mesa junto a la ventana. — He/she places the table by the window.
  3. Ayer, coloqué las sillas en el salón. — Yesterday, I placed the chairs in the living room.
  4. Antes, nosotros colocábamos el cuadro en la pared. — Before, we used to place the picture on the wall.
  5. Mañana, tú colocarás los libros en la estantería. — Tomorrow, you will place the books on the shelf.
  6. Yo colocaría la mesa junto a la ventana si tuviera más tiempo. — I would place the table by the window if I had more time.
  7. Él ha colocado las sillas en el salón. — He has placed the chairs in the living room.
  8. Espero que él coloque el cuadro en la pared. — I hope he places the picture on the wall.
  9. Yo ya había colocado los libros en la estantería antes de salir. — I had already placed the books on the shelf before leaving.
  10. Ellos colocaban la mesa junto a la ventana cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to place the table by the window when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo coloca los libros en la estantería. — Right: Yo coloco los libros en la estantería. — The person matters: coloca is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is coloco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Yo colocé la mesa junto a la ventana. — Right: Yo coloqué la mesa junto a la ventana. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is coloqué, not colocé. colocar 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.
  3. Wrong: Treating colocar and poner as identical in every context. — Right: Colocar means to place, to put, while poner means to put, the general verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: colocar fits sentences such as Coloco los libros en la estantería, while poner belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy colocado la mesa junto a la ventana. — Right: Yo he colocado la mesa junto a la ventana. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he colocado, has colocado, ha colocado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo coloqué las sillas en el salón todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo colocaba las sillas en el salón todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (colocaba), not the preterite. The preterite (coloqué) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on colocar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ los libros en la estantería. (present tense) A. coloco B. colocas C. coloca D. colocamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la mesa junto a la ventana. (preterite) A. coloqué B. colocaste C. colocaron D. colocó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ las sillas en el salón. (imperfect) A. colocabas B. colocaban C. colocábamos D. colocaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el cuadro en la pared. (future) A. colocaremos B. colocarás C. colocaré D. colocará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ los libros en la estantería si pudiera. (conditional) A. colocaría B. colocarías C. colocarían D. coloco

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la mesa junto a la ventana. (present subjunctive) A. coloques B. coloquemos C. coloco D. coloque

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ las sillas en el salón, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. colocáramos B. coloco C. colocara D. colocaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el cuadro en la pared. (present perfect) A. han colocado B. hemos colocado C. he colocado D. has colocado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ los libros en la estantería! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. coloca B. coloque C. coloquemos D. colocad

  10. Which is the gerund of colocar, used with estar for the progressive? A. colocado B. coloco C. coloqué D. colocando

Answer key

  1. coloco — The first-person present of colocar is coloco. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. colocó — The third-person preterite of colocar is colocó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. colocábamos — The nosotros imperfect of colocar is colocábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. colocarás — The second-person future of colocar is colocarás.
  5. colocaría — The first-person conditional of colocar is colocaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. coloque — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of colocar is coloque.
  7. colocara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of colocar is colocara.
  8. hemos colocado — The nosotros present perfect of colocar is hemos colocado: hemos + colocado.
  9. coloca — The affirmative tú imperative of colocar is coloca.
  10. colocando — The gerund of colocar is colocando: estoy colocando. The participle colocado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does colocar mean in English?

Colocar means to place, to put. It is used in everyday situations such as Coloco los libros en la estantería. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is colocar regular or irregular?

Colocar 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 coloco in the present and coloqué in the preterite.

What is the difference between colocar and poner?

Colocar means to place, to put, while poner means to put, the general verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use colocar when you mean to place, to put, as in Coloco los libros en la estantería, and use poner for to put, the general verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I place” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo coloqué la mesa junto a la ventana. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo colocaba las sillas en el salón. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he colocado la mesa junto a la ventana.

How do I practise colocar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the colocar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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