Derivar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb derivar means to derive, to drift, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Derivar means to derive or to drift, for a word coming from another word, a river changing course, or a conversation drifting to another topic. It is a fully regular verb used in language, geography and discussion. Like every Spanish verb, derivar 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 derivo del latín como muchas palabras, and in the preterite you say derivé en una discusión sin fin. 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: derivar
  • English: to derive, to drift
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: derivando
  • Past participle: derivado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + derivado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for derivar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Derivar is fully regular: derivo, deriva. It takes de for the origin: derivar del latín, derivar de una idea.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for derivar. 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 derivo
tú derivas
él/ella/Ud. deriva
nosotros/as derivamos
vosotros/as deriváis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derivan

Preterite

Person Form
yo derivé
tú derivaste
él/ella/Ud. derivó
nosotros/as derivamos
vosotros/as derivasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derivaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo derivaba
tú derivabas
él/ella/Ud. derivaba
nosotros/as derivábamos
vosotros/as derivabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. derivaban

Future

Person Form
yo derivaré
tú derivarás
él/ella/Ud. derivará
nosotros/as derivaremos
vosotros/as derivaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derivarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo derivaría
tú derivarías
él/ella/Ud. derivaría
nosotros/as derivaríamos
vosotros/as derivaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. derivarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo derive
tú derives
él/ella/Ud. derive
nosotros/as derivemos
vosotros/as derivéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. deriven

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo derivara
tú derivaras
él/ella/Ud. derivara
nosotros/as deriváramos
vosotros/as derivarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. derivaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú deriva
él/ella/Ud. derive
nosotros/as derivemos
vosotros/as derivad
ellos/ellas/Uds. deriven

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú derives
él/ella/Ud. derive
nosotros/as derivemos
vosotros/as derivéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. deriven

Gerund and past participle

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

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 derivar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Derivo del latín como muchas palabras. 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 derivar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, derivé hacia el norte por el viento. 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 derivar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, derivaba en una discusión sin fin. 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 derivar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, derivaré de una idea antigua. 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 derivar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Derivaría del latín como muchas palabras 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 derivar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he derivado hacia el norte por el viento. 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 derivar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había derivado en una discusión sin fin 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 derivar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré derivado de una idea antigua. 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 derivar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría derivado del latín como muchas palabras 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 derivar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él derive hacia el norte por el viento. 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 derivar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él derivara en una discusión sin fin, 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 derivar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Deriva de una idea antigua! 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 derivar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No derives del latín como muchas palabras. 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 derivar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Derivo del latín como muchas palabras. — I derive from Latin, like many words.
  2. Deriva hacia el norte por el viento. — He/she derives northwards because of the wind.
  3. Ayer, derivé en una discusión sin fin. — Yesterday, I derived into an endless discussion.
  4. Antes, nosotros derivábamos de una idea antigua. — Before, we used to derive from an old idea.
  5. Mañana, tú derivarás del latín como muchas palabras. — Tomorrow, you will derive from Latin, like many words.
  6. Yo derivaría hacia el norte por el viento si tuviera más tiempo. — I would derive northwards because of the wind if I had more time.
  7. Él ha derivado en una discusión sin fin. — He has derived into an endless discussion.
  8. Espero que él derive de una idea antigua. — I hope he derives from an old idea.
  9. Yo ya había derivado del latín como muchas palabras antes de salir. — I had already derived from Latin, like many words before leaving.
  10. Ellos derivaban hacia el norte por el viento cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to derive northwards because of the wind when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo deriva del latín como muchas palabras. — Right: Yo derivo del latín como muchas palabras. — The person matters: deriva is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is derivo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo derivo hacia el norte por el viento. — Right: Ayer yo derivé hacia el norte por el viento. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: derivo is happening now, while derivé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating derivar and proceder as identical in every context. — Right: Derivar means to derive, to drift, while proceder means to come from. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: derivar fits sentences such as Derivo del latín como muchas palabras, while proceder belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy derivado hacia el norte por el viento. — Right: Yo he derivado hacia el norte por el viento. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he derivado, has derivado, ha derivado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo derivé en una discusión sin fin todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo derivaba en una discusión sin fin todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (derivaba), not the preterite. The preterite (derivé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ del latín como muchas palabras. (present tense) A. derivo B. derivas C. deriva D. derivamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ hacia el norte por el viento. (preterite) A. derivé B. derivaste C. derivaron D. derivó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en una discusión sin fin. (imperfect) A. derivabas B. derivaban C. derivábamos D. derivaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de una idea antigua. (future) A. derivaremos B. derivarás C. derivaré D. derivará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ del latín como muchas palabras si pudiera. (conditional) A. derivaría B. derivarías C. derivarían D. derivo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ hacia el norte por el viento. (present subjunctive) A. derives B. derivemos C. derivo D. derive

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en una discusión sin fin, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. deriváramos B. derivo C. derivara D. derivaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de una idea antigua. (present perfect) A. han derivado B. hemos derivado C. he derivado D. has derivado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ del latín como muchas palabras! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. deriva B. derive C. derivemos D. derivad

  10. Which is the gerund of derivar, used with estar for the progressive? A. derivado B. derivo C. derivé D. derivando

Answer key

  1. derivo — The first-person present of derivar is derivo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. derivó — The third-person preterite of derivar is derivó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. derivábamos — The nosotros imperfect of derivar is derivábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. derivarás — The second-person future of derivar is derivarás.
  5. derivaría — The first-person conditional of derivar is derivaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. derive — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of derivar is derive.
  7. derivara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of derivar is derivara.
  8. hemos derivado — The nosotros present perfect of derivar is hemos derivado: hemos + derivado.
  9. deriva — The affirmative tú imperative of derivar is deriva.
  10. derivando — The gerund of derivar is derivando: estoy derivando. The participle derivado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does derivar mean in English?

Derivar means to derive, to drift. It is used in everyday situations such as Derivo del latín como muchas palabras. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is derivar regular or irregular?

Derivar 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 derivo in the present and derivé in the preterite.

What is the difference between derivar and proceder?

Derivar means to derive, to drift, while proceder means to come from. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use derivar when you mean to derive, to drift, as in Derivo del latín como muchas palabras, and use proceder for to come from. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I derive” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo derivé hacia el norte por el viento. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo derivaba en una discusión sin fin. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he derivado hacia el norte por el viento.

How do I practise derivar?

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

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