Introduction

constar means “to consist of, to be recorded”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. It is the verb for expressing “to consist of, to be recorded” in everyday Spanish — in conversation, at work, and at home. This page shows constar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “El pago consta en el registro por la mañana.” — “The payment consists of in the register.”

constar in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how constar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.

In the present: everyday use

These sentences use {verb} in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.

  1. “El pago consta en el registro cada día.” — “The payment consists of in the register.”
  2. “El pago consta en el registro cada día.” — “The payment consists of in the register.”
  3. “El pago consta en el registro siempre.” — “The payment consists of in the register.”
  4. “El pago consta en el registro todos los días.” — “The payment consists of in the register.”

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show {verb} in the past, so you can talk about what already happened. 5. “El pago constó en el registro ayer.” — “The payment consisted of in the register.” (preterite) 6. “El pago constó en el registro ayer.” — “The payment consisted of in the register.” (preterite) 7. “El pago constaba en el registro cuando era joven.” — “The payment used to consist of in the register.” (imperfect)

Plans and things already done

These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of {verb} stays the same. 8. “El pago constará en el registro mañana.” — “The payment will consist of in the register.” (future) 9. “El pago ha constado en el registro hoy.” — “The payment has consisted of in the register.” (present-perfect) 10. “Espero que el pago conste en el registro.” — “I hope that the payment consists of in the register.” (present-subjunctive)

More everyday uses

Two more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action. 11. “El pago consta en el registro cada semana.” — “The payment consists of in the register.” 12. “Los pagos constan en el registro normalmente.” — “The payments consists of in the register.”

constar in context

Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how constar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

Dialogue on the phone

Lucía: “¿El pago consta en el registro?” — The payment consists of in the register?

Pedro: “Sí, el pago consta en el registro cada día.” — Yes, it consists of in the register every day.

Lucía: “¿Y los pagos? ¿También constan en el registro?” — And the others? They consist of in the register too?

Pedro: “Sí, todos constan en el registro. Es normal.” — Yes, they all consist of in the register. It is normal.

A short paragraph

El pago consta en el registro cada día — that one sentence already tells you a lot about how constar works in real Spanish: who does it, when, and with what. Around it you can build a whole paragraph: what happened yesterday, what is happening now, and what will happen tomorrow, all with the same verb. When you write your own paragraph, start with the present — yo consto en el registro — then add one past sentence and one future sentence, and you have practised three tenses with one verb. That is the fastest way to make constar yours: use it in a story, not only in a table.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is consté, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — conste — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of constar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For constar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: constamos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he constado en el registro. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy constado is not the present perfect of constar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing constar with conservar

constar and conservar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of constar — consist of — the sentence needs constar; if it needs the meaning of conservar, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo conste en el registro. Using the indicative — Espero que yo consto — is one of the most frequent learner errors with constar. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of constar in the present?

  • A. constas
  • B. consta
  • C. constamos
  • D. consto

2. What is the tu form of constar in the preterite?

  • A. constamos
  • B. constaste
  • C. consté
  • D. constó

3. What is the el form of constar in the imperfect?

  • A. constabas
  • B. constábamos
  • C. constabais
  • D. constaba

4. What is the nosotros form of constar in the future?

  • A. constará
  • B. constaremos
  • C. constaré
  • D. constarás

5. What is the vosotros form of constar in the present perfect?

  • A. he constado
  • B. has constado
  • C. ha constado
  • D. habéis constado

6. What is the ellos form of constar in the present subjunctive?

  • A. conste
  • B. consten
  • C. conste
  • D. constes

7. What is the yo form of constar in the preterite?

  • A. constaste
  • B. constó
  • C. constamos
  • D. consté

8. What is the tu form of constar in the imperfect?

  • A. constábamos
  • B. constabas
  • C. constaba
  • D. constaba

9. What is the el form of constar in the future?

  • A. constaré
  • B. constarás
  • C. constaremos
  • D. constará

10. What is the nosotros form of constar in the conditional?

  • A. constaría
  • B. constaríamos
  • C. constaría
  • D. constarías

Answer key

  1. consto — The present table gives yo = consto.
  2. constaste — The preterite table gives tu = constaste.
  3. constaba — The imperfect table gives el = constaba.
  4. constaremos — The future table gives nosotros = constaremos.
  5. habéis constado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis constado.
  6. consten — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = consten.
  7. consté — The preterite table gives yo = consté.
  8. constabas — The imperfect table gives tu = constabas.
  9. constará — The future table gives el = constará.
  10. constaríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = constaríamos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use constar in a sentence?

Put the subject first, then the conjugated form, then the rest: “El pago consta en el registro.” — “The payment consists of in the register.” Change the form for the person and the tense, but keep the sentence pattern the same.

What is the most useful form of constar to learn first?

Learn the present yo form consto first, then the preterite yo form consté and the participle constado. With those three you can talk about the present, the past and the perfect tenses. Add the gerund constando next, and you can describe actions in progress too.

Is constar reflexive?

No — constar is not reflexive. It takes a direct object, not a reflexive pronoun: yo consto en el registro. Do not add me or se to it unless the sentence genuinely needs a pronoun for another reason.

Where can I see the full conjugation of constar?

On the main conjugation page for constar, which has every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, plus notes, examples and a quiz. The present-tense page covers one tense in depth if that is what you need right now.

Related links