Derramar Conjugation in Spanish

Learning to conjugate derramar — «to spill» — opens up a whole set of sentences you will use every day. It is a regular -ar verb verb, and this page covers it completely: thirteen tenses, the gerund derramando and the past participle derramado, example sentences in every tense, the common mistakes and a quiz with an answer key. A good first sentence to learn is «Yo derramo todos los días» — I spill every day. Once you can say that, the rest of the table falls into place person by person.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: derramar
  • English: to spill
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: derramando
  • Past participle: derramado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + derramado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for derramar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for derramar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Gerund: derramando · Past participle: derramado

Present Indicative

Person Form
yo derramo
tú derramas
él/ella/Ud. derrama
nosotros/as derramamos
vosotros/as derramáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derraman

The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For derramar, the yo form is derramo, as in the examples below. Use the present for routines («todos los días») and for general truths, and remember that Spanish often uses the present where English would use a progressive or a near future.

Preterite

Person Form
yo derramé
tú derramaste
él/ella/Ud. derramó
nosotros/as derramamos
vosotros/as derramasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derramaron

The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. «Ayer yo derramé» is the classic use. Do not confuse it with the imperfect: the preterite moves the story forward, one finished event at a time.

Imperfect

Person Form
yo derramaba
tú derramabas
él/ella/Ud. derramaba
nosotros/as derramábamos
vosotros/as derramabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. derramaban

The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. «De pequeño, yo derramaba» shows the habitual use. It sets the scene while the preterite reports what happened inside it.

Future

Person Form
yo derramaré
tú derramarás
él/ella/Ud. derramará
nosotros/as derramaremos
vosotros/as derramaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derramarán

The future tense states what will happen. For derramar the future is built on the infinitive: «Mañana yo derramaré». It is also used for predictions and promises, and in spoken Spanish it often alternates with ir a + infinitive.

Conditional

Person Form
yo derramaría
tú derramarías
él/ella/Ud. derramaría
nosotros/as derramaríamos
vosotros/as derramaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. derramarían

The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo derramaría» is the typical pattern. It shares its stem with the future and changes only the endings.

Present Perfect

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

The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. It is haber in the present plus the past participle: «Hoy yo he derramado». In Spain it is used for anything that happened today; in Latin America the preterite is often preferred.

Pluperfect

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

The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event: «Cuando llegué, ya había derramado». It is haber in the imperfect plus the past participle, and it is the tense for explaining what had already happened when something else took place.

Future Perfect

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

The future perfect looks back from a future point: by then, something will already have happened. «Para mañana, yo habré derramado» is the pattern — haber in the future plus the past participle. It is less common in speech but regular in formal writing.

Conditional Perfect

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

The conditional perfect expresses what would have happened: «Yo habría derramado si hubiera podido». It is haber in the conditional plus the past participle, and it is the tense for regrets and missed chances.

Present Subjunctive

Person Form
yo derrame
tú derrames
él/ella/Ud. derrame
nosotros/as derramemos
vosotros/as derraméis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derramen

The present subjunctive appears after wishes, doubts, emotions and impersonal expressions: «Espero que él derrame». The trigger is in the main clause; the subjunctive is the mood of uncertainty, desire and influence. Learn the yo form first — most of the table follows from it.

Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra forms)

Person Form
yo derramara
tú derramaras
él/ella/Ud. derramara
nosotros/as derramáramos
vosotros/as derramarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. derramaran

The imperfect subjunctive is the past partner of the present subjunctive, used after past-tense triggers and in si-clauses: «Si él derramara, todo sería distinto». The table above shows the -ra forms, the ones you will hear most often. There is also a less common -se set built on the same stem.

Imperative — Affirmative

Person Form
tú derrama
él/ella/Ud. derrame
nosotros/as derramemos
vosotros/as derramad
ellos/ellas/Uds. derramen

There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.

The affirmative imperative gives direct commands and instructions: «¡derrama!». There is no yo form — you cannot command yourself. The tú form is the one you will use with friends and family, and the usted form with people you address formally.

Imperative — Negative

Person Form
tú derrames
él/ella/Ud. derrame
nosotros/as derramemos
vosotros/as derraméis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derramen

There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.

The negative imperative tells someone not to do something: «¡No derrames!». Unlike the affirmative imperative, the negative forms come from the present subjunctive, which is why they look different. Never use the affirmative form after no.

Example sentences

  1. Yo derramo todos los días. — I spill every day.
  2. Ayer yo derramé por la tarde. — Yesterday I spilled in the afternoon.
  3. Antes, yo derramaba todos los días. — In the past, I used to spill every day.
  4. Mañana yo derramaré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will spill without fail.
  5. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo derramaría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would spill right now.
  6. Hoy yo he derramado dos veces. — Today I have spilled twice.
  7. Espero que tú derrames pronto. — I hope You spill soon.
  8. Si yo derramara, todo sería distinto. — If I spilled, everything would be different.
  9. Ahora mismo yo estoy derramando. — Right now I am spilling.
  10. ¡derrama, por favor! — Spill, please!

Common mistakes

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo derramaba.

Right: Ayer yo derramé.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, derramé. The imperfect derramaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú derramas.

Right: Espero que tú derrames.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: derrames, not the indicative derramas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No derrama.

Right: No derrames.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no derrames. The affirmative derrama can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo derramar todos los días.

Right: Yo derramo todos los días.

The infinitive derramar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo derramo.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He derramando.

Right: He derramado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he derramado. The gerund derramando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy derramando»), never with haber.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of derramar in the present indicative?

- (a) derramamos
- (b) derramo
- (c) derrama
- (d) derramas

2. What is the tú form of derramar in the preterite?

- (a) derramé
- (b) derramamos
- (c) derramaste
- (d) derramó

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of derramar in the imperfect?

- (a) derramaba
- (b) derramabas
- (c) derramaba
- (d) derramábamos

4. What is the nosotros/as form of derramar in the future?

- (a) derramaré
- (b) derramaremos
- (c) derramará
- (d) derramarás

5. What is the vosotros/as form of derramar in the conditional?

- (a) derramaría
- (b) derramarías
- (c) derramaríais
- (d) derramaría

6. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of derramar in the present perfect?

- (a) he derramado
- (b) ha derramado
- (c) han derramado
- (d) has derramado

7. What is the yo form of derramar in the present subjunctive?

- (a) derrames
- (b) derramemos
- (c) derrame
- (d) derrame

8. What is the tú form of derramar in the imperfect subjunctive (-ra forms)?

- (a) derramara
- (b) derramaras
- (c) derramáramos
- (d) derramara

9. What is the gerund of derramar?

- (a) derramo
- (b) derramado
- (c) derramar
- (d) derramando

10. What is the past participle of derramar?

- (a) derramado
- (b) derramar
- (c) derramando
- (d) derramé

Answer key

1. (b) — In the present indicative, the yo form of derramar is derramo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (c) — In the preterite, the tú form of derramar is derramaste. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of derramar is derramaba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the future, the nosotros/as form of derramar is derramaremos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (c) — In the conditional, the vosotros/as form of derramar is derramaríais. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — In the present perfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of derramar is han derramado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (c) — In the present subjunctive, the yo form of derramar is derrame. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 8. (b) — In the imperfect subjunctive (-ra forms), the tú form of derramar is derramaras. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 9. (d) — The gerund of derramar is derramando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy derramando». 10. (a) — The past participle of derramar is derramado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he derramado».

Frequently asked questions

Is derramar regular or irregular?

Yes — derramar is a regular -ar verb. Learn the endings once and they work in every tense, with the stem derram unchanged throughout.

What are the gerund and past participle of derramar?

The gerund is derramando and the past participle is derramado. Use the gerund with estar for actions in progress («Estoy derramando») and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses («he derramado»).

How do I say «I spill» in Spanish?

Say «Yo derramo todos los días». That is the yo form of the present tense, the form you need for talking about yourself right now.

What is the difference between the preterite and the imperfect of derramar?

Use the preterite (derramé) for a single finished event and the imperfect (derramaba) for habits and background. «Ayer yo derramé» reports something that happened and ended; «Antes, yo derramaba» describes what used to happen.

When do I use the subjunctive with derramar?

Use the subjunctive after wishes, doubts, emotions and impersonal expressions — for example «Espero que tú derrames». The trigger sits in the main clause; once it is there, the subjunctive form is required, not a stylistic choice.

How do I use derramar in the present perfect?

Put haber in the present before the past participle: «Hoy yo he derramado». The participle derramado never changes for person — only haber changes — so once you know the participle, the whole perfect tense follows.

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