Corregir Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb corregir means to correct, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Corregir means to correct: corregir los exámenes, corregir los errores. It is also used for straightening posture: corregir su postura. The stem changes e to i, and a j appears in the first person: corrijo. Like every Spanish verb, corregir 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 Yo corrijo los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I correct his pupils' exams". 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.

The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: corrijo, corriges, corrige and corrigen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: corregimos, corregís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: corrigió, corrigieron, and the gerund is corrigiendo.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: corregir
  • English: to correct
  • Verb type: stem-changing -ir verb (e → i)
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: corrigiendo
  • Past participle: corregido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + corregido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for corregir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for corregir. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | corrijo | | tú | corriges | | él/ella/Ud. | corrige | | nosotros/as | corregimos | | vosotros/as | corregís | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | corrigen |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | corregí | | tú | corregiste | | él/ella/Ud. | corrigió | | nosotros/as | corregimos | | vosotros/as | corregisteis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | corrigieron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | corregía | | tú | corregías | | él/ella/Ud. | corregía | | nosotros/as | corregíamos | | vosotros/as | corregíais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | corregían |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | corregiré | | tú | corregirás | | él/ella/Ud. | corregirá | | nosotros/as | corregiremos | | vosotros/as | corregiréis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | corregirán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | corregiría | | tú | corregirías | | él/ella/Ud. | corregiría | | nosotros/as | corregiríamos | | vosotros/as | corregiríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | corregirían |

Present perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | he corregido | | tú | has corregido | | él/ella/Ud. | ha corregido | | nosotros/as | hemos corregido | | vosotros/as | habéis corregido | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | han corregido |

Pluperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | había corregido | | tú | habías corregido | | él/ella/Ud. | había corregido | | nosotros/as | habíamos corregido | | vosotros/as | habíais corregido | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían corregido |

Future perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | habré corregido | | tú | habrás corregido | | él/ella/Ud. | habrá corregido | | nosotros/as | habremos corregido | | vosotros/as | habréis corregido | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán corregido |

Conditional perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | habría corregido | | tú | habrías corregido | | él/ella/Ud. | habría corregido | | nosotros/as | habríamos corregido | | vosotros/as | habríais corregido | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían corregido |

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | corrija | | tú | corrijas | | él/ella/Ud. | corrija | | nosotros/as | corrijamos | | vosotros/as | corrigáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | corrijan |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | corrigiera | | tú | corrigieras | | él/ella/Ud. | corrigiera | | nosotros/as | corrigiéramos | | vosotros/as | corrigierais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | corrigieran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | corrige | | él/ella/Ud. | corrija | | nosotros/as | corrijamos | | vosotros/as | corregid | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | corrijan |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | corrijas | | él/ella/Ud. | corrija | | nosotros/as | corrijamos | | vosotros/as | corrigáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | corrijan |

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund corrigiendo with estar for the progressive: está corrigiendo
Past participle corregido with haber for the perfect tenses: he corregido

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: corrijo, corriges, corrige and corrigen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: corregimos, corregís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: corrigió, corrigieron, and the gerund is corrigiendo. For corregir, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo corrijo los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I correct his pupils' exams".

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. In this tense the stem changes in the third person: corrigió, corrigieron. The gerund changes too: corrigiendo. For corregir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo corregí los errores del texto — "Yesterday, I corrected the mistakes in the text".

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 corregir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo corregía la pronunciación de su hijo — "As a child, I used to correct his son's pronunciation".

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 corregir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo corregiré una falta en el informe — "Tomorrow, I will correct an error in the report".

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 corregir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo corregiría los exámenes de sus alumnos si pudiera — "I would correct his pupils' exams if I could".

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 corregir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he corregido los errores del texto — "Today, I have corrected the mistakes in the text".

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 corregir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había corregido la pronunciación de su hijo antes de salir — "I already had corrected his son's pronunciation before leaving".

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 corregir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré corregido una falta en el informe — "By tomorrow, I will have corrected an error in the report".

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 corregir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría corregido los exámenes de sus alumnos con más tiempo — "I would have corrected his pupils' exams with more time".

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: corrijo, corriges, corrige and corrigen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: corregimos, corregís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: corrigió, corrigieron, and the gerund is corrigiendo. For corregir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él corrija los errores del texto — "I hope he corrects the mistakes in the text".

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past. The -ra forms are shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is irregular — see the table above. For corregir, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo corrigiera la pronunciación de su hijo, todo cambiaría — "If I corrected his son's pronunciation, everything would change".

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: corrijo, corriges, corrige and corrigen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: corregimos, corregís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: corrigió, corrigieron, and the gerund is corrigiendo. For corregir, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Corrige una falta en el informe. — "Correct an error in the report.".

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: corrijo, corriges, corrige and corrigen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: corregimos, corregís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: corrigió, corrigieron, and the gerund is corrigiendo. For corregir, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No corrijas los exámenes de sus alumnos. — "Do not correct his pupils' exams.".

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with corregir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo corrijo los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I correct his pupils' exams"
  2. Mi amigo corrige los errores del texto — "My friend corrects the mistakes in the text"
  3. Ayer, yo corregí la pronunciación de su hijo — "Yesterday, I corrected his son's pronunciation"
  4. Antes, nosotros corregíamos una falta en el informe — "Before, we used to correct an error in the report"
  5. Mañana, tú corregirás su postura en el espejo — "Tomorrow, you will correct his posture in the mirror"
  6. Yo corregiría los exámenes de sus alumnos si tuviera más tiempo — "I would correct his pupils' exams if I had more time"
  7. Él ha corregido los errores del texto — "He has corrected the mistakes in the text"
  8. Espero que él corrija la pronunciación de su hijo — "I hope he corrects his son's pronunciation"
  9. Yo ya había corregido una falta en el informe antes de salir — "I already had corrected an error in the report before leaving"
  10. Ellos corregían su postura en el espejo cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to correct his posture in the mirror when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo corrego los errores del texto. — Right: Yo corrijo los errores del texto. — corregir is a stem-changing verb (e → i): the stem vowel changes in the stressed present forms, so the yo form is corrijo, not corrego.
  2. Wrong: Espero que él corrige los errores del texto — Right: Espero que él corrija los errores del texto — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él corrija los errores del texto — not the indicative Espero que él corrige los errores del texto.
  3. Wrong: Ayer, yo corrijo la pronunciación de su hijo — Right: Ayer, yo corregí la pronunciación de su hijo — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo corregí la pronunciación de su hijo.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo corregí una falta en el informe todos los días — Right: De niño, yo corregía una falta en el informe todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo corregía una falta en el informe todos los días.
  5. Wrong: Yo corrijo en los exámenes de sus alumnos. — Right: Yo corrijo los exámenes de sus alumnos. — corregir takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo corrijo los exámenes de sus alumnos.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on corregir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I correct his pupils' exams" (present) A. corriges B. corrige C. corregimos D. corrijo

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ los errores del texto — "He corrected the mistakes in the text" (preterite) A. corregí B. corregiste C. corregimos D. corrigió

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ la pronunciación de su hijo — "We used to correct his son's pronunciation" (imperfect) A. corregíais B. corregíamos C. corregía D. corregías

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ una falta en el informe — "You will correct an error in the report" (future) A. corregiré B. corregirá C. corregiremos D. corregirás

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ su postura en el espejo — "I would correct his posture in the mirror" (conditional) A. corregiríais B. corregiría C. corregirías D. corregiríamos

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I hope he corrects his pupils' exams" (present subjunctive) A. corrijas B. corrijamos C. corrigáis D. corrija

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ los errores del texto, todo cambiaría — "If I corrected the mistakes in the text, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. corrigieras B. corrigiéramos C. corrigierais D. corrigiera

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ la pronunciación de su hijo — "We have corrected his son's pronunciation" (present perfect) A. ha corregido B. hemos corregido C. he corregido D. has corregido

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ una falta en el informe. — "Do not correct an error in the report." (negative imperative) A. corrija B. corrijamos C. corrigáis D. corrijas

  10. Which is the gerund of corregir, used with estar for the progressive? A. corregí B. corrigiendo C. corregido D. corrijo

Answer key

  1. corrijo — The present form for yo is corrijo.
  2. corrigió — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is corrigió.
  3. corregíamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is corregíamos.
  4. corregirás — The future form for tú is corregirás.
  5. corregiría — The conditional form for yo is corregiría.
  6. corrija — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is corrija.
  7. corrigiera — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is corrigiera.
  8. hemos corregido — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos corregido.
  9. corrijas — The negative imperative form is corrijas.
  10. corrigiendo — The gerund of corregir is corrigiendo: estoy corrigiendo. The participle corregido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does corregir mean in English?

corregir means to correct. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo corrijo los exámenes de sus alumnos — "I correct his pupils' exams". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is corregir regular?

No. corregir is a stem-changing -ir verb (e → i). The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: corrijo, corriges, corrige and corrigen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: corregimos, corregís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: corrigió, corrigieron, and the gerund is corrigiendo. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the plain stem, which is the part learners most often get right by accident.

What is the gerund and the past participle of corregir?

The gerund is corrigiendo and the past participle is corregido. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do I say "I correct" in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo corregí los errores del texto — "Yesterday, I corrected the mistakes in the text". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo corregía la pronunciación de su hijo — "As a child, I used to correct his son's pronunciation". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he corregido los errores del texto — "Today, I have corrected the mistakes in the text".

What is the difference between corregir and rectificar?

Rectificar is to rectify or put right a mistake, often formally. Corregir is the everyday verb for correcting exams, texts and pronunciation. Corregir means to correct: corregir los exámenes, corregir los errores. It is also used for straightening posture: corregir su postura. The stem changes e to i, and a j appears in the first person: corrijo.

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