Declarar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb declarar means to declare, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Declarar means to declare, and it covers declaring your income to the tax office, declaring love, declaring yourself innocent and declaring an emergency. It is a fully regular verb used in formal, legal and personal contexts alike. Like every Spanish verb, declarar 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 declaro sus ingresos a Hacienda, and in the preterite you say declaré su inocencia ante el juez. 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: declarar
  • English: to declare
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: declarando
  • Past participle: declarado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + declarado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for declarar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Declarar is fully regular: declaro, declara. Declarar often means an official statement, while anunciar is simply making news public.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for declarar. 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 declaro
tú declaras
él/ella/Ud. declara
nosotros/as declaramos
vosotros/as declaráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. declaran

Preterite

Person Form
yo declaré
tú declaraste
él/ella/Ud. declaró
nosotros/as declaramos
vosotros/as declarasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. declararon

Imperfect

Person Form
yo declaraba
tú declarabas
él/ella/Ud. declaraba
nosotros/as declarábamos
vosotros/as declarabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. declaraban

Future

Person Form
yo declararé
tú declararás
él/ella/Ud. declarará
nosotros/as declararemos
vosotros/as declararéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. declararán

Conditional

Person Form
yo declararía
tú declararías
él/ella/Ud. declararía
nosotros/as declararíamos
vosotros/as declararíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. declararían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo declare
tú declares
él/ella/Ud. declare
nosotros/as declaremos
vosotros/as declaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. declaren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo declarara
tú declararas
él/ella/Ud. declarara
nosotros/as declaráramos
vosotros/as declararais
ellos/ellas/Uds. declararan

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú declara
él/ella/Ud. declare
nosotros/as declaremos
vosotros/as declarad
ellos/ellas/Uds. declaren

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú declares
él/ella/Ud. declare
nosotros/as declaremos
vosotros/as declaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. declaren

Gerund and past participle

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

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 declarar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Declaro sus ingresos a Hacienda. 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 declarar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, declaré su amor en público. 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 declarar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, declaraba su inocencia ante el juez. 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 declarar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, declararé el estado de emergencia. 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 declarar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Declararía sus ingresos a Hacienda 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 declarar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he declarado su amor en público. 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 declarar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había declarado su inocencia ante el juez 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 declarar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré declarado el estado de emergencia. 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 declarar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría declarado sus ingresos a Hacienda 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 declarar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él declare su amor en público. 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 declarar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él declarara su inocencia ante el juez, 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 declarar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Declara el estado de emergencia! 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 declarar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No declares sus ingresos a Hacienda. 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 declarar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Declaro sus ingresos a Hacienda. — I declare my income to the tax office.
  2. Declara su amor en público. — He/she declares my love in public.
  3. Ayer, declaré su inocencia ante el juez. — Yesterday, I declared my innocence before the judge.
  4. Antes, nosotros declarábamos el estado de emergencia. — Before, we used to declare a state of emergency.
  5. Mañana, tú declararás sus ingresos a Hacienda. — Tomorrow, you will declare my income to the tax office.
  6. Yo declararía su amor en público si tuviera más tiempo. — I would declare my love in public if I had more time.
  7. Él ha declarado su inocencia ante el juez. — He has declared my innocence before the judge.
  8. Espero que él declare el estado de emergencia. — I hope he declares a state of emergency.
  9. Yo ya había declarado sus ingresos a Hacienda antes de salir. — I had already declared my income to the tax office before leaving.
  10. Ellos declaraban su amor en público cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to declare my love in public when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo declara sus ingresos a Hacienda. — Right: Yo declaro sus ingresos a Hacienda. — The person matters: declara is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is declaro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo declaro su amor en público. — Right: Ayer yo declaré su amor en público. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: declaro is happening now, while declaré is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating declarar and anunciar as identical in every context. — Right: Declarar means to declare, while anunciar means to announce. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: declarar fits sentences such as Declaro sus ingresos a Hacienda, while anunciar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy declarado su amor en público. — Right: Yo he declarado su amor en público. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he declarado, has declarado, ha declarado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo declaré su inocencia ante el juez todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo declaraba su inocencia ante el juez todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (declaraba), not the preterite. The preterite (declaré) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ sus ingresos a Hacienda. (present tense) A. declaro B. declaras C. declara D. declaramos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ su amor en público. (preterite) A. declaré B. declaraste C. declararon D. declaró

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ su inocencia ante el juez. (imperfect) A. declarabas B. declaraban C. declarábamos D. declaraba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el estado de emergencia. (future) A. declararemos B. declararás C. declararé D. declarará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ sus ingresos a Hacienda si pudiera. (conditional) A. declararía B. declararías C. declararían D. declaro

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ su amor en público. (present subjunctive) A. declares B. declaremos C. declaro D. declare

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ su inocencia ante el juez, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. declaráramos B. declaro C. declarara D. declararas

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el estado de emergencia. (present perfect) A. han declarado B. hemos declarado C. he declarado D. has declarado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ sus ingresos a Hacienda! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. declara B. declare C. declaremos D. declarad

  10. Which is the gerund of declarar, used with estar for the progressive? A. declarado B. declaro C. declaré D. declarando

Answer key

  1. declaro — The first-person present of declarar is declaro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. declaró — The third-person preterite of declarar is declaró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. declarábamos — The nosotros imperfect of declarar is declarábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. declararás — The second-person future of declarar is declararás.
  5. declararía — The first-person conditional of declarar is declararía, the form for what would happen.
  6. declare — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of declarar is declare.
  7. declarara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of declarar is declarara.
  8. hemos declarado — The nosotros present perfect of declarar is hemos declarado: hemos + declarado.
  9. declara — The affirmative tú imperative of declarar is declara.
  10. declarando — The gerund of declarar is declarando: estoy declarando. The participle declarado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does declarar mean in English?

Declarar means to declare. It is used in everyday situations such as Declaro sus ingresos a Hacienda. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is declarar regular or irregular?

Declarar 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 declaro in the present and declaré in the preterite.

What is the difference between declarar and anunciar?

Declarar means to declare, while anunciar means to announce. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use declarar when you mean to declare, as in Declaro sus ingresos a Hacienda, and use anunciar for to announce. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I declare” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo declaré su amor en público. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo declaraba su inocencia ante el juez. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he declarado su amor en público.

How do I practise declarar?

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

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