Constituir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb constituir means to constitute, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Constituir means to constitute or to make up, and it is used for what forms a group, a majority or a problem: constituir la mayoría, constituir un problema. It is a -uir verb: yo constituyo, él constituye, with y before the vowel endings. Like every Spanish verb, constituir 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 constituyo la mayoría del grupo, and in the preterite you say constituí el equipo de trabajo. 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: constituir
- English: to constitute
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: constituyendo
- Past participle: constituido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + constituido)
- Pattern to learn: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for constituir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Constituir is a -uir verb: yo constituyo, él constituye, with y before the vowel endings.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for constituir. 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 | constituyo |
| tú | constituyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituye |
| nosotros/as | constituimos |
| vosotros/as | constituís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituyen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | constituí |
| tú | constituiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituyó |
| nosotros/as | constituimos |
| vosotros/as | constituisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituyeron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | constituía |
| tú | constituías |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituía |
| nosotros/as | constituíamos |
| vosotros/as | constituíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | constituiré |
| tú | constituirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituirá |
| nosotros/as | constituiremos |
| vosotros/as | constituiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | constituiría |
| tú | constituirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituiría |
| nosotros/as | constituiríamos |
| vosotros/as | constituiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he constituido |
| tú | has constituido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha constituido |
| nosotros/as | hemos constituido |
| vosotros/as | habéis constituido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han constituido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había constituido |
| tú | habías constituido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había constituido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos constituido |
| vosotros/as | habíais constituido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían constituido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré constituido |
| tú | habrás constituido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá constituido |
| nosotros/as | habremos constituido |
| vosotros/as | habréis constituido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán constituido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría constituido |
| tú | habrías constituido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría constituido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos constituido |
| vosotros/as | habríais constituido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían constituido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | constituya |
| tú | constituyas |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituya |
| nosotros/as | constituyamos |
| vosotros/as | constituyáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituyan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | constituyera |
| tú | constituyeras |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituyera |
| nosotros/as | constituyéramos |
| vosotros/as | constituyerais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituyeran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | constituye |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituya |
| nosotros/as | constituyamos |
| vosotros/as | constituid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituyan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | constituyas |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituya |
| nosotros/as | constituyamos |
| vosotros/as | constituyáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituyan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | constituyendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy constituyendo |
| Past participle | constituido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he constituido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the pattern here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo. For constituir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Constituyo la mayoría del grupo. 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 here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo. For constituir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, constituí un problema para la empresa. 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 constituir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, constituía el equipo de trabajo. 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 constituir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, constituiré una amenaza para la salud. 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 constituir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Constituiría la mayoría del grupo 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 constituir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he constituido un problema para la empresa. 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 constituir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había constituido el equipo de trabajo 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 constituir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré constituido una amenaza para la salud. 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 constituir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría constituido la mayoría del grupo 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: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo. For constituir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él constituya un problema para la empresa. 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 constituir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él constituyera el equipo de trabajo, 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: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo. For constituir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Constituye una amenaza para la salud! 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: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo. For constituir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No constituyas la mayoría del grupo. 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 constituir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Constituyo la mayoría del grupo. — I constitute the majority of the group.
- Constituye un problema para la empresa. — He/she constitutes a problem for the company.
- Ayer, constituí el equipo de trabajo. — Yesterday, I constituted the work team.
- Antes, nosotros constituíamos una amenaza para la salud. — Before, we used to constitute a threat to health.
- Mañana, tú constituirás la mayoría del grupo. — Tomorrow, you will constitute the majority of the group.
- Yo constituiría un problema para la empresa si tuviera más tiempo. — I would constitute a problem for the company if I had more time.
- Él ha constituido el equipo de trabajo. — He has constituted the work team.
- Espero que él constituya una amenaza para la salud. — I hope he constitutes a threat to health.
- Yo ya había constituido la mayoría del grupo antes de salir. — I had already constituted the majority of the group before leaving.
- Ellos constituían un problema para la empresa cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to constitute a problem for the company when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo constituye la mayoría del grupo. — Right: Yo constituyo la mayoría del grupo. — The person matters: constituye is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is constituyo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo constituo un problema para la empresa. — Right: Yo constituyo un problema para la empresa. — Constituir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo. The form constituyo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
- Wrong: Treating constituir and formar as identical in every context. — Right: Constituir means to constitute, while formar means to form. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: constituir fits sentences such as Constituyo la mayoría del grupo, while formar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy constituido un problema para la empresa. — Right: Yo he constituido un problema para la empresa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he constituido, has constituido, ha constituido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo constituí el equipo de trabajo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo constituía el equipo de trabajo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (constituía), not the preterite. The preterite (constituí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on constituir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la mayoría del grupo. (present tense) A. constituyo B. constituyes C. constituye D. constituimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ un problema para la empresa. (preterite) A. constituí B. constituiste C. constituimos D. constituyó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el equipo de trabajo. (imperfect) A. constituías B. constituyo C. constituíamos D. constituía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ una amenaza para la salud. (future) A. constituiremos B. constituirás C. constituiré D. constituirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la mayoría del grupo si pudiera. (conditional) A. constituiría B. constituirías C. constituiríamos D. constituyo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un problema para la empresa. (present subjunctive) A. constituyas B. constituyamos C. constituyo D. constituya
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el equipo de trabajo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. constituyéramos B. constituyo C. constituyera D. constituyeras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una amenaza para la salud. (present perfect) A. ha constituido B. hemos constituido C. he constituido D. has constituido
Complete the command: ¡___ la mayoría del grupo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. constituye B. constituya C. constituyamos D. constituid
Which is the gerund of constituir, used with estar for the progressive? A. constituido B. constituyo C. constituí D. constituyendo
Answer key
- constituyo — The yo present tense of constituir is constituyo.
- constituyó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of constituir is constituyó.
- constituíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of constituir is constituíamos.
- constituirás — The tú future of constituir is constituirás.
- constituiría — The yo conditional of constituir is constituiría.
- constituya — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of constituir is constituya.
- constituyera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of constituir is constituyera.
- hemos constituido — The nosotros/as present perfect of constituir is hemos constituido.
- constituye — The affirmative tú imperative of constituir is constituye.
- constituyendo — The gerund of constituir is constituyendo: estoy constituyendo. The participle constituido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does constituir mean in English?
Constituir means to constitute. It is used in everyday situations such as Constituyo la mayoría del grupo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is constituir regular or irregular?
Constituir is a spelling-change verb: it is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo. The endings are regular, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page, including constituyo in the present and constituí in the preterite.
What is the difference between constituir and formar?
Constituir means to constitute, while formar means to form. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use constituir when you mean to constitute, as in Constituyo la mayoría del grupo, and use formar for to form. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I constitute” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo constituí un problema para la empresa. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo constituía el equipo de trabajo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he constituido un problema para la empresa.
How do I practise constituir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the constituir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Constituir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for constituir.
- Constituir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for constituir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Consentir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with constituir.
- Definir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with constituir.
- Confundir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with constituir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.