Coser Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb coser means to sew, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Coser means to sew, and it covers sewing a button back on, sewing a dress, mending a tear and sewing by hand or by machine. It is a regular -er verb, and it is not to be confused with cocer, to cook or boil, which is spelled with a c. Like every Spanish verb, coser 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 coso un botón de la camisa, and in the preterite you say cosí a mano en el taller. 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: coser
  • English: to sew
  • Verb type: regular -er verb
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: cosiendo
  • Past participle: cosido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cosido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for coser, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Coser is spelled with an s and means to sew; cocer, with a c, means to cook or boil. Do not mix them up.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for coser. 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 coso
tú coses
él/ella/Ud. cose
nosotros/as cosemos
vosotros/as coséis
ellos/ellas/Uds. cosen

Preterite

Person Form
yo cosí
tú cosiste
él/ella/Ud. cosió
nosotros/as cosimos
vosotros/as cosisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. cosieron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo cosía
tú cosías
él/ella/Ud. cosía
nosotros/as cosíamos
vosotros/as cosíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. cosían

Future

Person Form
yo coseré
tú coserás
él/ella/Ud. coserá
nosotros/as coseremos
vosotros/as coseréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. coserán

Conditional

Person Form
yo cosería
tú coserías
él/ella/Ud. cosería
nosotros/as coseríamos
vosotros/as coseríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. coserían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo cosa
tú cosas
él/ella/Ud. cosa
nosotros/as cosamos
vosotros/as cosáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. cosan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo cosiera
tú cosieras
él/ella/Ud. cosiera
nosotros/as cosiéramos
vosotros/as cosierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. cosieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú cose
él/ella/Ud. cosa
nosotros/as cosamos
vosotros/as cosed
ellos/ellas/Uds. cosan

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú cosas
él/ella/Ud. cosa
nosotros/as cosamos
vosotros/as cosáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. cosan

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund cosiendo with estar for the progressive: estoy cosiendo
Past participle cosido with haber for the perfect tenses: he cosido

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 coser, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Coso un botón de la camisa. 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 coser, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, cosí un vestido para la boda. 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 coser, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, cosía a mano en el taller. 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 coser, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, coseré la ropa rota de los niños. 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 coser, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Cosería un botón de la camisa 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 coser, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he cosido un vestido para la boda. 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 coser, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había cosido a mano en el taller 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 coser, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré cosido la ropa rota de los niños. 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 coser, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría cosido un botón de la camisa 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 coser, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él cosa un vestido para la boda. 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 coser, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él cosiera a mano en el taller, 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 coser, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Cose la ropa rota de los niños! 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 coser, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No cosas un botón de la camisa. 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 coser, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Coso un botón de la camisa. — I sew a button on the shirt.
  2. Cose un vestido para la boda. — He/she sews a dress for the wedding.
  3. Ayer, cosí a mano en el taller. — Yesterday, I sewed by hand in the workshop.
  4. Antes, nosotros cosíamos la ropa rota de los niños. — Before, we used to sew the children's torn clothes.
  5. Mañana, tú coserás un botón de la camisa. — Tomorrow, you will sew a button on the shirt.
  6. Yo cosería un vestido para la boda si tuviera más tiempo. — I would sew a dress for the wedding if I had more time.
  7. Él ha cosido a mano en el taller. — He has sewn by hand in the workshop.
  8. Espero que él cosa la ropa rota de los niños. — I hope he sews the children's torn clothes.
  9. Yo ya había cosido un botón de la camisa antes de salir. — I had already sewn a button on the shirt before leaving.
  10. Ellos cosían un vestido para la boda cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to sew a dress for the wedding when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo cose un botón de la camisa. — Right: Yo coso un botón de la camisa. — The person matters: cose is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is coso. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Vosotros coseis un vestido para la boda. — Right: Vosotros coséis un vestido para la boda. — The vosotros present form carries a written accent: coséis, not coseis. The accent marks the stressed vowel.
  3. Wrong: Treating coser and tejer as identical in every context. — Right: Coser means to sew, while tejer means to knit, the other craft verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: coser fits sentences such as Coso un botón de la camisa, while tejer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy cosido un vestido para la boda. — Right: Yo he cosido un vestido para la boda. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cosido, has cosido, ha cosido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo cosí a mano en el taller todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cosía a mano en el taller todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cosía), not the preterite. The preterite (cosí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un botón de la camisa. (present tense) A. coso B. coses C. cose D. cosemos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ un vestido para la boda. (preterite) A. cosí B. cosiste C. cosieron D. cosió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a mano en el taller. (imperfect) A. cosías B. cosían C. cosíamos D. cosía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la ropa rota de los niños. (future) A. coseremos B. coserás C. coseré D. coserá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un botón de la camisa si pudiera. (conditional) A. cosería B. coserías C. coserían D. coso

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un vestido para la boda. (present subjunctive) A. cosas B. cosamos C. coso D. cosa

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a mano en el taller, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. cosiéramos B. coso C. cosiera D. cosieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la ropa rota de los niños. (present perfect) A. han cosido B. hemos cosido C. he cosido D. has cosido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ un botón de la camisa! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. cose B. cosa C. cosamos D. cosed

  10. Which is the gerund of coser, used with estar for the progressive? A. cosido B. coso C. cosí D. cosiendo

Answer key

  1. coso — The first-person present of coser is coso. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. cosió — The third-person preterite of coser is cosió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. cosíamos — The nosotros imperfect of coser is cosíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. coserás — The second-person future of coser is coserás.
  5. cosería — The first-person conditional of coser is cosería, the form for what would happen.
  6. cosa — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of coser is cosa.
  7. cosiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of coser is cosiera.
  8. hemos cosido — The nosotros present perfect of coser is hemos cosido: hemos + cosido.
  9. cose — The affirmative tú imperative of coser is cose.
  10. cosiendo — The gerund of coser is cosiendo: estoy cosiendo. The participle cosido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does coser mean in English?

Coser means to sew. It is used in everyday situations such as Coso un botón de la camisa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is coser regular or irregular?

Coser is a fully regular -er 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 coso in the present and cosí in the preterite.

What is the difference between coser and tejer?

Coser means to sew, while tejer means to knit, the other craft verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use coser when you mean to sew, as in Coso un botón de la camisa, and use tejer for to knit, the other craft verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I sew” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo cosí un vestido para la boda. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo cosía a mano en el taller. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he cosido un vestido para la boda.

How do I practise coser?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the coser examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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