Confesar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb confesar means to confess, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Confesar means to confess, and it is used for confessing a secret to a priest, confessing to the police and confessing that you lied. It is a stem-changing verb, e to ie, and it is stronger than admitir, with a religious or legal flavour. Like every Spanish verb, confesar 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 confieso su secreto al sacerdote, and in the preterite you say confesé que había mentido. 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: confesar
- English: to confess
- Verb type: irregular verb, stem-changing (e → ie)
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: confesando
- Past participle: confesado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + confesado)
- Stem change: e → ie in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for confesar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. The stem changes e to ie: yo confieso, tú confiesas, but nosotros confesamos keeps the e.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for confesar. 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 | confieso |
| tú | confiesas |
| él/ella/Ud. | confiesa |
| nosotros/as | confesamos |
| vosotros/as | confesáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | confiesan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | confesé |
| tú | confesaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | confesó |
| nosotros/as | confesamos |
| vosotros/as | confesasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | confesaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | confesaba |
| tú | confesabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | confesaba |
| nosotros/as | confesábamos |
| vosotros/as | confesabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | confesaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | confesaré |
| tú | confesarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | confesará |
| nosotros/as | confesaremos |
| vosotros/as | confesaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | confesarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | confesaría |
| tú | confesarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | confesaría |
| nosotros/as | confesaríamos |
| vosotros/as | confesaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | confesarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he confesado |
| tú | has confesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha confesado |
| nosotros/as | hemos confesado |
| vosotros/as | habéis confesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han confesado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había confesado |
| tú | habías confesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había confesado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos confesado |
| vosotros/as | habíais confesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían confesado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré confesado |
| tú | habrás confesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá confesado |
| nosotros/as | habremos confesado |
| vosotros/as | habréis confesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán confesado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría confesado |
| tú | habrías confesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría confesado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos confesado |
| vosotros/as | habríais confesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían confesado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | confiese |
| tú | confieses |
| él/ella/Ud. | confiese |
| nosotros/as | confesemos |
| vosotros/as | confeséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | confiesen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | confesara |
| tú | confesaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | confesara |
| nosotros/as | confesáramos |
| vosotros/as | confesarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | confesaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | confiesa |
| él/ella/Ud. | confiese |
| nosotros/as | confesemos |
| vosotros/as | confesad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | confiesen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | confieses |
| él/ella/Ud. | confiese |
| nosotros/as | confesemos |
| vosotros/as | confeséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | confiesen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | confesando | with estar for the progressive: estoy confesando |
| Past participle | confesado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he confesado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For confesar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Confieso su secreto al sacerdote. 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 confesar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, confesé todo a la policía. 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 confesar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, confesaba que había mentido. 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 confesar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, confesaré sus pecados en la iglesia. 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 confesar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Confesaría su secreto al sacerdote 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 confesar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he confesado todo a la policía. 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 confesar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había confesado que había mentido 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 confesar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré confesado sus pecados en la iglesia. 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 confesar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría confesado su secreto al sacerdote 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For confesar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él confiese todo a la policía. 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 confesar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él confesara que había mentido, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For confesar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Confiesa sus pecados en la iglesia! 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For confesar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No confieses su secreto al sacerdote. 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 confesar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Confieso su secreto al sacerdote. — I confess his secret to the priest.
- Confiesa todo a la policía. — He/she confesses everything to the police.
- Ayer, confesé que había mentido. — Yesterday, I confessed that he had lied.
- Antes, nosotros confesábamos sus pecados en la iglesia. — Before, we used to confess his sins in church.
- Mañana, tú confesarás su secreto al sacerdote. — Tomorrow, you will confess his secret to the priest.
- Yo confesaría todo a la policía si tuviera más tiempo. — I would confess everything to the police if I had more time.
- Él ha confesado que había mentido. — He has confessed that he had lied.
- Espero que él confiese sus pecados en la iglesia. — I hope he confesses his sins in church.
- Yo ya había confesado su secreto al sacerdote antes de salir. — I had already confessed his secret to the priest before leaving.
- Ellos confesaban todo a la policía cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to confess everything to the police when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo confiesa su secreto al sacerdote. — Right: Yo confieso su secreto al sacerdote. — The person matters: confiesa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is confieso. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo confeso todo a la policía. — Right: Yo confieso todo a la policía. — In the present, the correct first-person form is confieso, not confeso. confesar is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.
- Wrong: Treating confesar and admitir as identical in every context. — Right: Confesar means to confess, while admitir means to admit, the lighter verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: confesar fits sentences such as Confieso su secreto al sacerdote, while admitir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy confesado todo a la policía. — Right: Yo he confesado todo a la policía. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he confesado, has confesado, ha confesado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo confesé que había mentido todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo confesaba que había mentido todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (confesaba), not the preterite. The preterite (confesé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on confesar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ su secreto al sacerdote. (present tense) A. confieso B. confiesas C. confiesa D. confesamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ todo a la policía. (preterite) A. confesé B. confesaste C. confesaron D. confesó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ que había mentido. (imperfect) A. confesabas B. confesaban C. confesábamos D. confesaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ sus pecados en la iglesia. (future) A. confesaremos B. confesarás C. confesaré D. confesará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ su secreto al sacerdote si pudiera. (conditional) A. confesaría B. confesarías C. confesarían D. confieso
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ todo a la policía. (present subjunctive) A. confieses B. confesemos C. confieso D. confiese
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ que había mentido, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. confesáramos B. confieso C. confesara D. confesaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ sus pecados en la iglesia. (present perfect) A. han confesado B. hemos confesado C. he confesado D. has confesado
Complete the command: ¡___ su secreto al sacerdote! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. confiesa B. confiese C. confesemos D. confesad
Which is the gerund of confesar, used with estar for the progressive? A. confesado B. confieso C. confesé D. confesando
Answer key
- confieso — The first-person present of confesar is confieso. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- confesó — The third-person preterite of confesar is confesó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- confesábamos — The nosotros imperfect of confesar is confesábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- confesarás — The second-person future of confesar is confesarás.
- confesaría — The first-person conditional of confesar is confesaría, the form for what would happen.
- confiese — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of confesar is confiese.
- confesara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of confesar is confesara.
- hemos confesado — The nosotros present perfect of confesar is hemos confesado: hemos + confesado.
- confiesa — The affirmative tú imperative of confesar is confiesa.
- confesando — The gerund of confesar is confesando: estoy confesando. The participle confesado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does confesar mean in English?
Confesar means to confess. It is used in everyday situations such as Confieso su secreto al sacerdote. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is confesar regular or irregular?
Confesar is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so it is not fully regular: the stem changes in the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. The preterite and the imperfect are regular. Check the tables above for the exact forms in each tense.
What is the difference between confesar and admitir?
Confesar means to confess, while admitir means to admit, the lighter verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use confesar when you mean to confess, as in Confieso su secreto al sacerdote, and use admitir for to admit, the lighter verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I confess” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo confesé todo a la policía. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo confesaba que había mentido. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he confesado todo a la policía.
How do I practise confesar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the confesar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Confesar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for confesar.
- Confesar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for confesar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Engañar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with confesar.
- Jurar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with confesar.
- Negar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with confesar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.