Cometer Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb cometer means to commit, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Cometer means to commit, and it is used for committing errors, crimes, offences and indiscretions: you commit a mistake in an exam, a serious crime, a spelling error, an imprudence at the wheel. It is a formal verb, and it almost always takes a negative object. Like every Spanish verb, cometer 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 cometo un error en el examen, and in the preterite you say cometí una falta de ortografía. 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: cometer
- English: to commit
- Verb type: regular -er verb
- Ending: -er
- Gerund: cometiendo
- Past participle: cometido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cometido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cometer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Cometer is a regular -er verb: cometí, cometía, cometeré. It is used with errors and crimes, not with good deeds.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for cometer. 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 | cometo |
| tú | cometes |
| él/ella/Ud. | comete |
| nosotros/as | cometemos |
| vosotros/as | cometéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cometí |
| tú | cometiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | cometió |
| nosotros/as | cometimos |
| vosotros/as | cometisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cometía |
| tú | cometías |
| él/ella/Ud. | cometía |
| nosotros/as | cometíamos |
| vosotros/as | cometíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cometeré |
| tú | cometerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | cometerá |
| nosotros/as | cometeremos |
| vosotros/as | cometeréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cometería |
| tú | cometerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | cometería |
| nosotros/as | cometeríamos |
| vosotros/as | cometeríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he cometido |
| tú | has cometido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha cometido |
| nosotros/as | hemos cometido |
| vosotros/as | habéis cometido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han cometido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había cometido |
| tú | habías cometido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había cometido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos cometido |
| vosotros/as | habíais cometido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían cometido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré cometido |
| tú | habrás cometido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá cometido |
| nosotros/as | habremos cometido |
| vosotros/as | habréis cometido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán cometido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría cometido |
| tú | habrías cometido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría cometido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos cometido |
| vosotros/as | habríais cometido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían cometido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cometa |
| tú | cometas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cometa |
| nosotros/as | cometamos |
| vosotros/as | cometáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cometiera |
| tú | cometieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | cometiera |
| nosotros/as | cometiéramos |
| vosotros/as | cometierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | comete |
| él/ella/Ud. | cometa |
| nosotros/as | cometamos |
| vosotros/as | cometed |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cometas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cometa |
| nosotros/as | cometamos |
| vosotros/as | cometáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | cometiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy cometiendo |
| Past participle | cometido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he cometido |
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 cometer, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Cometo un error en el examen. 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 cometer, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, cometí un delito grave. 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 cometer, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, cometía una falta de ortografía. 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 cometer, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, cometeré una imprudencia al volante. 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 cometer, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Cometería un error en el examen 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 cometer, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he cometido un delito grave. 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 cometer, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había cometido una falta de ortografía 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 cometer, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré cometido una imprudencia al volante. 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 cometer, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría cometido un error en el examen 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 cometer, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él cometa un delito grave. 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 cometer, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él cometiera una falta de ortografía, 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 cometer, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡comete una imprudencia al volante! 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 cometer, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No cometas un error en el examen. 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 cometer, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Cometo un error en el examen. — I commit a mistake in the exam.
- Comete un delito grave. — He/she commits a serious crime.
- Ayer, cometí una falta de ortografía. — Yesterday, I committed a spelling mistake.
- Antes, nosotros cometíamos una imprudencia al volante. — Before, we used to commit an imprudence at the wheel.
- Mañana, tú cometerás un error en el examen. — Tomorrow, you will commit a mistake in the exam.
- Yo cometería un delito grave si tuviera más tiempo. — I would commit a serious crime if I had more time.
- Él ha cometido una falta de ortografía. — He has committed a spelling mistake.
- Espero que él cometa una imprudencia al volante. — I hope he commits an imprudence at the wheel.
- Yo ya había cometido un error en el examen antes de salir. — I had already committed a mistake in the exam before leaving.
- Ellos cometían un delito grave cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to commit a serious crime when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo comete un error en el examen. — Right: Yo cometo un error en el examen. — The person matters: comete is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cometo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating cometer and realizar as identical in every context. — Right: Cometer means to commit, while realizar means to carry out something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cometer fits sentences such as Cometo un error en el examen, while realizar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy cometido un delito grave. — Right: Yo he cometido un delito grave. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cometido, has cometido, ha cometido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo cometí una falta de ortografía todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cometía una falta de ortografía todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cometía), not the preterite. The preterite (cometí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on cometer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un error en el examen. (present tense) A. cometo B. cometes C. comete D. cometemos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ un delito grave. (preterite) A. cometí B. cometiste C. cometieron D. cometió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ una falta de ortografía. (imperfect) A. cometías B. cometían C. cometíamos D. cometía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ una imprudencia al volante. (future) A. cometeremos B. cometerás C. cometeré D. cometerá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un error en el examen si pudiera. (conditional) A. cometería B. cometerías C. cometerían D. cometo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un delito grave. (present subjunctive) A. cometas B. cometamos C. cometo D. cometa
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una falta de ortografía, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. cometiéramos B. cometo C. cometiera D. cometieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una imprudencia al volante. (present perfect) A. han cometido B. hemos cometido C. he cometido D. has cometido
Complete the command: ¡___ un error en el examen! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. comete B. cometa C. cometamos D. cometed
Which is the gerund of cometer, used with estar for the progressive? A. cometido B. cometo C. cometí D. cometiendo
Answer key
- cometo — The first-person present of cometer is cometo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- cometió — The third-person preterite of cometer is cometió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- cometíamos — The nosotros imperfect of cometer is cometíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- cometerás — The second-person future of cometer is cometerás.
- cometería — The first-person conditional of cometer is cometería, the form for what would happen.
- cometa — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of cometer is cometa.
- cometiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of cometer is cometiera.
- hemos cometido — The nosotros present perfect of cometer is hemos cometido: hemos + cometido.
- comete — The affirmative tú imperative of cometer is comete.
- cometiendo — The gerund of cometer is cometiendo: estoy cometiendo. The participle cometido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does cometer mean in English?
Cometer means to commit. It is used in everyday situations such as Cometo un error en el examen. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is cometer regular or irregular?
Cometer is a fully regular -er 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 cometo in the present and cometí in the preterite.
What is the difference between cometer and realizar?
Cometer means to commit, while realizar means to carry out something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use cometer when you mean to commit, as in Cometo un error en el examen, and use realizar for to carry out something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I commit” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo cometí un delito grave. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo cometía una falta de ortografía. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he cometido un delito grave.
How do I practise cometer?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the cometer examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Cometer in the present tense — the full present-tense table for cometer.
- Cometer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for cometer.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Coger conjugation — another -er verb to compare with cometer.
- Conceder conjugation — another -er verb to compare with cometer.
- Caer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with cometer.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.