Congelar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb congelar means to freeze, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Congelar means to freeze, and it is used for freezing food for the winter, freezing water in the freezer, freezing vegetables from the garden and freezing meat before a trip. It also means to freeze prices or salaries in economics, and to freeze with cold. Like every Spanish verb, congelar 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 congelo la comida para el invierno, and in the preterite you say congelé las verduras del huerto. 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: congelar
- English: to freeze
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: congelando
- Past participle: congelado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + congelado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for congelar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Congelar is fully regular: congelé, congelaba, congelaré. The noun is congelador, freezer.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for congelar. 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 | congelo |
| tú | congelas |
| él/ella/Ud. | congela |
| nosotros/as | congelamos |
| vosotros/as | congeláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | congelan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | congelé |
| tú | congelaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | congeló |
| nosotros/as | congelamos |
| vosotros/as | congelasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | congelaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | congelaba |
| tú | congelabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | congelaba |
| nosotros/as | congelábamos |
| vosotros/as | congelabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | congelaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | congelaré |
| tú | congelarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | congelará |
| nosotros/as | congelaremos |
| vosotros/as | congelaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | congelarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | congelaría |
| tú | congelarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | congelaría |
| nosotros/as | congelaríamos |
| vosotros/as | congelaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | congelarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he congelado |
| tú | has congelado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha congelado |
| nosotros/as | hemos congelado |
| vosotros/as | habéis congelado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han congelado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había congelado |
| tú | habías congelado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había congelado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos congelado |
| vosotros/as | habíais congelado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían congelado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré congelado |
| tú | habrás congelado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá congelado |
| nosotros/as | habremos congelado |
| vosotros/as | habréis congelado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán congelado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría congelado |
| tú | habrías congelado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría congelado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos congelado |
| vosotros/as | habríais congelado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían congelado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | congele |
| tú | congeles |
| él/ella/Ud. | congele |
| nosotros/as | congelemos |
| vosotros/as | congeléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | congelen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | congelara |
| tú | congelaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | congelara |
| nosotros/as | congeláramos |
| vosotros/as | congelarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | congelaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | congela |
| él/ella/Ud. | congele |
| nosotros/as | congelemos |
| vosotros/as | congelad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | congelen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | congeles |
| él/ella/Ud. | congele |
| nosotros/as | congelemos |
| vosotros/as | congeléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | congelen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | congelando | with estar for the progressive: estoy congelando |
| Past participle | congelado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he congelado |
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 congelar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Congelo la comida para el invierno. 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 congelar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, congelé el agua en el congelador. 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 congelar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, congelaba las verduras del huerto. 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 congelar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, congelaré la carne antes del viaje. 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 congelar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Congelaría la comida para el invierno 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 congelar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he congelado el agua en el congelador. 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 congelar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había congelado las verduras del huerto 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 congelar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré congelado la carne antes del viaje. 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 congelar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría congelado la comida para el invierno 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 congelar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él congele el agua en el congelador. 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 congelar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él congelara las verduras del huerto, 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 congelar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡congela la carne antes del viaje! 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 congelar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No congeles la comida para el invierno. 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 congelar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Congelo la comida para el invierno. — I freeze the food for the winter.
- Congela el agua en el congelador. — He/she freezes the water in the freezer.
- Ayer, congelé las verduras del huerto. — Yesterday, I froze the vegetables from the garden.
- Antes, nosotros congelábamos la carne antes del viaje. — Before, we used to freeze the meat before the trip.
- Mañana, tú congelarás la comida para el invierno. — Tomorrow, you will freeze the food for the winter.
- Yo congelaría el agua en el congelador si tuviera más tiempo. — I would freeze the water in the freezer if I had more time.
- Él ha congelado las verduras del huerto. — He has frozen the vegetables from the garden.
- Espero que él congele la carne antes del viaje. — I hope he freezes the meat before the trip.
- Yo ya había congelado la comida para el invierno antes de salir. — I had already frozen the food for the winter before leaving.
- Ellos congelaban el agua en el congelador cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to freeze the water in the freezer when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo congela la comida para el invierno. — Right: Yo congelo la comida para el invierno. — The person matters: congela is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is congelo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating congelar and helar as identical in every context. — Right: Congelar means to freeze, while helar means to freeze, of weather. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: congelar fits sentences such as Congelo la comida para el invierno, while helar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy congelado el agua en el congelador. — Right: Yo he congelado el agua en el congelador. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he congelado, has congelado, ha congelado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo congelé las verduras del huerto todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo congelaba las verduras del huerto todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (congelaba), not the preterite. The preterite (congelé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on congelar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la comida para el invierno. (present tense) A. congelo B. congelas C. congela D. congelamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el agua en el congelador. (preterite) A. congelé B. congelaste C. congelaron D. congeló
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ las verduras del huerto. (imperfect) A. congelabas B. congelaban C. congelábamos D. congelaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la carne antes del viaje. (future) A. congelaremos B. congelarás C. congelaré D. congelará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la comida para el invierno si pudiera. (conditional) A. congelaría B. congelarías C. congelarían D. congelo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el agua en el congelador. (present subjunctive) A. congeles B. congelemos C. congelo D. congele
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ las verduras del huerto, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. congeláramos B. congelo C. congelara D. congelaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la carne antes del viaje. (present perfect) A. han congelado B. hemos congelado C. he congelado D. has congelado
Complete the command: ¡___ la comida para el invierno! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. congela B. congele C. congelemos D. congelad
Which is the gerund of congelar, used with estar for the progressive? A. congelado B. congelo C. congelé D. congelando
Answer key
- congelo — The first-person present of congelar is congelo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- congeló — The third-person preterite of congelar is congeló, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- congelábamos — The nosotros imperfect of congelar is congelábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- congelarás — The second-person future of congelar is congelarás.
- congelaría — The first-person conditional of congelar is congelaría, the form for what would happen.
- congele — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of congelar is congele.
- congelara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of congelar is congelara.
- hemos congelado — The nosotros present perfect of congelar is hemos congelado: hemos + congelado.
- congela — The affirmative tú imperative of congelar is congela.
- congelando — The gerund of congelar is congelando: estoy congelando. The participle congelado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does congelar mean in English?
Congelar means to freeze. It is used in everyday situations such as Congelo la comida para el invierno. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is congelar regular or irregular?
Congelar 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 congelo in the present and congelé in the preterite.
What is the difference between congelar and helar?
Congelar means to freeze, while helar means to freeze, of weather. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use congelar when you mean to freeze, as in Congelo la comida para el invierno, and use helar for to freeze, of weather. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I freeze” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo congelé el agua en el congelador. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo congelaba las verduras del huerto. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he congelado el agua en el congelador.
How do I practise congelar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the congelar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Congelar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for congelar.
- Congelar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for congelar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Confirmar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with congelar.
- Conquistar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with congelar.
- Dañar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with congelar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.