Cumplir Conjugation in Spanish
cumplir means "to fulfil, to turn (an age)" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for talking about keeping promises, fulfilling duties — and about turning a certain age on birthdays, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of cumplir in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. Cumplir is a regular -ir verb verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: Yo cumplo mi promesa siempre. — "I keep my promise always.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: cumplir
- English: to fulfil, to turn (an age)
- Verb type: Regular -ir verb
- Gerund: cumpliendo
- Past participle: cumplido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + cumplido)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of cumplir with all six persons. The gerund is cumpliendo and the past participle is cumplido.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cumplo |
| tú | cumples |
| él/ella/Ud. | cumple |
| nosotros/as | cumplimos |
| vosotros/as | cumplís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cumplen |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cumplí |
| tú | cumpliste |
| él/ella/Ud. | cumplió |
| nosotros/as | cumplimos |
| vosotros/as | cumplisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cumplieron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cumplía |
| tú | cumplías |
| él/ella/Ud. | cumplía |
| nosotros/as | cumplíamos |
| vosotros/as | cumplíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cumplían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cumpliré |
| tú | cumplirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | cumplirá |
| nosotros/as | cumpliremos |
| vosotros/as | cumpliréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cumplirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cumpliría |
| tú | cumplirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | cumpliría |
| nosotros/as | cumpliríamos |
| vosotros/as | cumpliríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cumplirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he cumplido |
| tú | has cumplido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha cumplido |
| nosotros/as | hemos cumplido |
| vosotros/as | habéis cumplido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han cumplido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había cumplido |
| tú | habías cumplido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había cumplido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos cumplido |
| vosotros/as | habíais cumplido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían cumplido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré cumplido |
| tú | habrás cumplido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá cumplido |
| nosotros/as | habremos cumplido |
| vosotros/as | habréis cumplido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán cumplido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría cumplido |
| tú | habrías cumplido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría cumplido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos cumplido |
| vosotros/as | habríais cumplido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían cumplido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cumpla |
| tú | cumplas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cumpla |
| nosotros/as | cumplamos |
| vosotros/as | cumpláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cumplan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cumpliera |
| tú | cumplieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | cumpliera |
| nosotros/as | cumpliéramos |
| vosotros/as | cumplierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cumplieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cumple |
| él/ella/Ud. | cumpla |
| nosotros/as | cumplamos |
| vosotros/as | cumplid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cumplan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cumplas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cumpla |
| nosotros/as | cumplamos |
| vosotros/as | cumpláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cumplan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | cumpliendo |
| Past participle | cumplido |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with cumplir, with one example sentence. The example forms are taken from the tables above.
Present indicative
The present tense talks about what happens now, habits, routines and general truths. It is the first tense every learner needs, because it covers daily life: what you do, what you like, where you live. For most verbs the present is also the base for the present subjunctive, so learning it well pays off twice.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo cumplo mi promesa.
Preterite (past)
The preterite talks about finished actions in the past — things that started and ended at a specific moment. Use it for events, for what happened yesterday, last year, or at a particular time. It answers the question "what happened?" and it is the tense of stories told as a sequence of events.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Ayer yo cumplí mi promesa.
Imperfect (past)
The imperfect talks about the past as background: habits, repeated actions, descriptions, and things that were in progress when something else happened. Use it for "used to", for setting a scene, and for age, time and weather in the past. It answers "what was going on?" rather than "what happened?".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: En aquella época, yo cumplía mi promesa.
Future
The future tense talks about what will happen: plans, predictions and promises. In everyday speech Spanish speakers often use "ir a + infinitive" instead, but the future tense is essential for formal writing, for promises, and for guessing about the present ("¿Dónde estará?").
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Mañana yo cumpliré mi promesa.
Conditional
The conditional talks about what would happen: hypothetical situations, polite requests, and advice. It pairs with the imperfect subjunctive in "if" sentences ("Si pudiera, lo haría"). It is also the polite way to ask for things and to soften opinions.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo cumpliría mi promesa si pudiera.
Present perfect
The present perfect (haber + past participle) talks about the recent past and about experience: what you have done, what has just happened, what you have never tried. It connects the past to the present moment, so it often appears with "hoy", "esta semana", "ya" and "todavía no".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya he cumplido mi promesa.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect (había + past participle) talks about the past before the past: what had already happened when something else happened. Use it to order two past events — the pluperfect one comes first in time. It appears constantly in stories and explanations.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya había cumplido mi promesa antes.
Future perfect
The future perfect (habré + past participle) talks about something that will already be finished by a future moment: "Para mañana ya habré terminado". It is also used to guess about the past: "¿Dónde habrá ido?". It is less common in speech but regular in writing.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Para mañana yo ya habré cumplido mi promesa.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect (habría + past participle) talks about what would have happened: the past of the conditional. It appears in "if" sentences about a past that did not happen ("Si hubiera sabido, habría venido") and in polite regrets and reproaches.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo habría cumplido mi promesa si hubiera podido.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is the mood of wishes, doubts, emotions and influence: what you want, hope, doubt or demand. It appears after "quiero que", "espero que", "es posible que", "ojalá" and after verbs of emotion and doubt. It never stands alone — a trigger in the main clause calls for it.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Espero que él cumpla mi promesa.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive is the past of the subjunctive: it follows past-tense triggers ("Quería que vinieras") and it is the tense of "if" clauses about unlikely or impossible situations ("Si tuviera dinero, viajaría"). The -ra forms shown here are the standard ones; -se forms exist too but -ra is far more common in speech.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Si él cumpliera mi promesa, sería perfecto.
Imperative (affirmative)
Affirmative commands tell someone to do something: "¡Ven aquí!", "¡Siéntate!". The tú and vosotros forms are the ones you will use most, and they are also the ones that break the regular pattern most often — the tú affirmative command comes from the él/ella present form, not from the infinitive.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: ¡Cumple mi promesa!
Imperative (negative)
Negative commands tell someone not to do something: "¡No hables!", "¡No te vayas!". Unlike affirmative commands, negative commands always use the subjunctive forms, for every person. If you know the present subjunctive, you already know the negative imperative.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: No cumplas mi promesa.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with cumplir, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo cumplo mi promesa siempre. — "I keep my promise always."
- ¿Tú cumples mi promesa este año? — "Will you keep my promise this year?"
- Ayer cumplí mi promesa y te llamé. — "Yesterday I kept my promise and called you."
- Ella cumplía mi promesa cada vez. — "She used to keep my promise every time."
- Mañana cumpliré mi promesa sin falta. — "Tomorrow I will keep my promise without fail."
- Yo cumpliría mi promesa si pudiera. — "I would keep my promise if I could."
- Ya he cumplido mi promesa. — "I have already kept my promise."
- Hoy cumplo veinte años. — "Today I turn twenty."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with cumplir — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo cumplí mi promesa — learners often write cumpli without the accent. → Right: Yo cumplí mi promesa.. The preterite yo form is cumplí, with an accent on the final i. Cumplir is regular, so the accent is the only spelling point.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú cumples mi promesa. → Right: Espero que tú cumplas mi promesa.. After espero que, use the subjunctive cumplas, not the indicative cumples.
- Wrong: *Cumplo años — learners sometimes say tengo veinte años is the only way; both work, but cumplir años is the standard birthday phrase. → Right: Hoy cumplo veinte años.. Cumplir años means to turn an age: Hoy cumplo veinte años (Today I turn twenty). Tengo veinte años states your age; cumplo veinte años celebrates the birthday.
- Wrong: *Yo he cumplido mi promesa — learners sometimes write he cumplo instead of the participle. → Right: Yo he cumplido mi promesa.. The perfect tenses use the participle cumplido after haber: he cumplido, not he cumplo.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on cumplir. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of cumplir in the present indicative?
- a) cumples
- b) cumplimos
- c) cumple
- d) cumplo
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of cumplir in the preterite (past)?
- a) cumplió
- b) cumplí
- c) cumpliste
- d) cumplimos
What is the nosotros/as form of cumplir in the imperfect (past)?
- a) cumplías
- b) cumplía
- c) cumplía
- d) cumplíamos
What is the tú form of cumplir in the future?
- a) cumpliré
- b) cumplirá
- c) cumpliremos
- d) cumplirás
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of cumplir in the conditional?
- a) cumpliría
- b) cumplirías
- c) cumpliría
- d) cumplirían
What is the yo form of cumplir in the present subjunctive?
- a) cumpla
- b) cumplamos
- c) cumpla
- d) cumplas
What is the gerund of cumplir?
- a) cumplido
- b) cumpliendo
- c) cumplir
- d) cumple
What is the past participle of cumplir?
- a) cumplo
- b) cumplido
- c) cumpliendo
- d) he cumplido
What does cumplir mean in English?
- a) to fulfil, to turn (an age)
- b) to create
- c) to give (a gift)
- d) to relax
The form cumplí belongs to which tense?
- a) Future
- b) Preterite
- c) Imperfect
- d) Present
Answer key
- cumplo — The yo form in the present indicative is cumplo — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- cumplió — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is cumplió — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- cumplíamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is cumplíamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- cumplirás — The tú form in the future is cumplirás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- cumplirían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is cumplirían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- cumpla — The yo form in the present subjunctive is cumpla — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- cumpliendo — The gerund is cumpliendo — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy cumpliendo). The past participle is cumplido.
- cumplido — The past participle is cumplido — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he cumplido).
- to fulfil, to turn (an age) — cumplir means "to fulfil, to turn (an age)".
- Preterite — cumplí is the yo form of the preterite of cumplir — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is cumplía.
Frequently asked questions
Is cumplir regular?
Yes, cumplir is a completely regular -ir verb: cumplo, cumples, cumple, cumplimos, cumplís, cumplen. The preterite is cumplí, cumpliste, cumplió, and the participle is cumplido.
What does cumplir años mean?
To turn a certain age, to have a birthday: Hoy cumplo veinte años means "Today I turn twenty". The phrase is used on birthdays, and ¡Feliz cumpleaños! (Happy birthday!) comes from the same verb.
What is the difference between cumplir and obedecer?
Cumplir means to fulfil or carry out — a promise, a duty, a rule (cumplir una promesa, cumplir la ley). Obedecer means to obey a person or an order. You fulfil a promise; you obey your parents.
How do you say "to keep a promise" in Spanish?
Cumplir una promesa — for example: Siempre cumplo mis promesas. The opposite is romper una promesa or no cumplir: No cumplió su promesa.
Related pages
- Cumplir in the present tense — the present tense of cumplir in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Cumplir examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with cumplir and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Prometer conjugation — another verb in the same family as cumplir.
- Lograr conjugation — another verb in the same family as cumplir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise cumplir with this tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise cumplir with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.