Dañar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb dañar means to damage, to harm, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Dañar means to damage or to harm, and it is used for damaging a car in an accident, harming a company's reputation, damaging the environment and harming health with tobacco. It is a regular -ar verb, common in insurance, news and health language. Like every Spanish verb, dañar 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 daño el coche en el accidente, and in the preterite you say dañé el medio ambiente. 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: dañar
- English: to damage, to harm
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: dañando
- Past participle: dañado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + dañado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for dañar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Dañar is a regular -ar verb: dañé, dañaba, dañaré. Remember the ñ in every form: daño, dañas, daña.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for dañar. 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 | daño |
| tú | dañas |
| él/ella/Ud. | daña |
| nosotros/as | dañamos |
| vosotros/as | dañáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dañan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dañé |
| tú | dañaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | dañó |
| nosotros/as | dañamos |
| vosotros/as | dañasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dañaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dañaba |
| tú | dañabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | dañaba |
| nosotros/as | dañábamos |
| vosotros/as | dañabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dañaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dañaré |
| tú | dañarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | dañará |
| nosotros/as | dañaremos |
| vosotros/as | dañaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dañarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dañaría |
| tú | dañarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | dañaría |
| nosotros/as | dañaríamos |
| vosotros/as | dañaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dañarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he dañado |
| tú | has dañado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha dañado |
| nosotros/as | hemos dañado |
| vosotros/as | habéis dañado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han dañado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había dañado |
| tú | habías dañado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había dañado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos dañado |
| vosotros/as | habíais dañado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían dañado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré dañado |
| tú | habrás dañado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá dañado |
| nosotros/as | habremos dañado |
| vosotros/as | habréis dañado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán dañado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría dañado |
| tú | habrías dañado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría dañado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos dañado |
| vosotros/as | habríais dañado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían dañado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dañe |
| tú | dañes |
| él/ella/Ud. | dañe |
| nosotros/as | dañemos |
| vosotros/as | dañéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dañen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dañara |
| tú | dañaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | dañara |
| nosotros/as | dañáramos |
| vosotros/as | dañarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dañaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | daña |
| él/ella/Ud. | dañe |
| nosotros/as | dañemos |
| vosotros/as | dañad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dañen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | dañes |
| él/ella/Ud. | dañe |
| nosotros/as | dañemos |
| vosotros/as | dañéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dañen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | dañando | with estar for the progressive: estoy dañando |
| Past participle | dañado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he dañado |
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 dañar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Daño el coche en el accidente. 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 dañar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, dañé la reputación de 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 dañar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, dañaba el medio ambiente. 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 dañar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, dañaré la salud con el tabaco. 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 dañar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Dañaría el coche en el accidente 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 dañar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he dañado la reputación de 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 dañar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había dañado el medio ambiente 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 dañar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré dañado la salud con el tabaco. 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 dañar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría dañado el coche en el accidente 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 dañar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él dañe la reputación de 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 dañar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él dañara el medio ambiente, 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 dañar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡daña la salud con el tabaco! 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 dañar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No dañes el coche en el accidente. 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 dañar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Daño el coche en el accidente. — I damage the car in the accident.
- Daña la reputación de la empresa. — He/she damages the company's reputation.
- Ayer, dañé el medio ambiente. — Yesterday, I damaged the environment.
- Antes, nosotros dañábamos la salud con el tabaco. — Before, we used to damage health with tobacco.
- Mañana, tú dañarás el coche en el accidente. — Tomorrow, you will damage the car in the accident.
- Yo dañaría la reputación de la empresa si tuviera más tiempo. — I would damage the company's reputation if I had more time.
- Él ha dañado el medio ambiente. — He has damaged the environment.
- Espero que él dañe la salud con el tabaco. — I hope he damages health with tobacco.
- Yo ya había dañado el coche en el accidente antes de salir. — I had already damaged the car in the accident before leaving.
- Ellos dañaban la reputación de la empresa cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to damage the company's reputation when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo daña el coche en el accidente. — Right: Yo daño el coche en el accidente. — The person matters: daña is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is daño. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating dañar and perjudicar as identical in every context. — Right: Dañar means to damage, to harm, while perjudicar means to harm or damage someone. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: dañar fits sentences such as Daño el coche en el accidente, while perjudicar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy dañado la reputación de la empresa. — Right: Yo he dañado la reputación de la empresa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he dañado, has dañado, ha dañado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo dañé el medio ambiente todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo dañaba el medio ambiente todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (dañaba), not the preterite. The preterite (dañé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on dañar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el coche en el accidente. (present tense) A. daño B. dañas C. daña D. dañamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la reputación de la empresa. (preterite) A. dañé B. dañaste C. dañaron D. dañó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el medio ambiente. (imperfect) A. dañabas B. dañaban C. dañábamos D. dañaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la salud con el tabaco. (future) A. dañaremos B. dañarás C. dañaré D. dañará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el coche en el accidente si pudiera. (conditional) A. dañaría B. dañarías C. dañarían D. daño
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la reputación de la empresa. (present subjunctive) A. dañes B. dañemos C. daño D. dañe
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el medio ambiente, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. dañáramos B. daño C. dañara D. dañaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la salud con el tabaco. (present perfect) A. han dañado B. hemos dañado C. he dañado D. has dañado
Complete the command: ¡___ el coche en el accidente! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. daña B. dañe C. dañemos D. dañad
Which is the gerund of dañar, used with estar for the progressive? A. dañado B. daño C. dañé D. dañando
Answer key
- daño — The first-person present of dañar is daño. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- dañó — The third-person preterite of dañar is dañó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- dañábamos — The nosotros imperfect of dañar is dañábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- dañarás — The second-person future of dañar is dañarás.
- dañaría — The first-person conditional of dañar is dañaría, the form for what would happen.
- dañe — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of dañar is dañe.
- dañara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of dañar is dañara.
- hemos dañado — The nosotros present perfect of dañar is hemos dañado: hemos + dañado.
- daña — The affirmative tú imperative of dañar is daña.
- dañando — The gerund of dañar is dañando: estoy dañando. The participle dañado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does dañar mean in English?
Dañar means to damage, to harm. It is used in everyday situations such as Daño el coche en el accidente. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is dañar regular or irregular?
Dañar is a fully regular -ar 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 daño in the present and dañé in the preterite.
What is the difference between dañar and perjudicar?
Dañar means to damage, to harm, while perjudicar means to harm or damage someone. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use dañar when you mean to damage, to harm, as in Daño el coche en el accidente, and use perjudicar for to harm or damage someone. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I damage” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo dañé la reputación de la empresa. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo dañaba el medio ambiente. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he dañado la reputación de la empresa.
How do I practise dañar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the dañar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Dañar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for dañar.
- Dañar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for dañar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Conquistar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with dañar.
- Congelar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with dañar.
- Confirmar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with dañar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.