Introduction

Learning to conjugate descontar — “to discount” — opens up a whole set of sentences you will use in real Spanish. Whether you are talking about what you do every day, what happened yesterday, or what you plan to do tomorrow, descontar is one of the verbs that carries those sentences, especially when the topic is ten euros from the price. On this page you will find the full conjugation of descontar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. descontar is a stem-changing -ar verb (o → ue); the gerund is descontando and the past participle is descontado, and both appear in the tables and examples below. For example: “Yo descuento diez euros del precio todos los días.” — “I discount ten euros from the price.” Read the tables first, then the notes, and finish with the quiz to check what you have learned.

Quick facts
Infinitive descontar
English to discount
Verb type Stem-changing -ar verb (o → ue)
Gerund descontando
Past participle descontado
Auxiliary verb haber

Full conjugation tables

Gerund: descontando · Past participle: descontado

Present Indicative

Person Form
yo descuento
tú descuentas
él/ella/Ud. descuenta
nosotros/as descontamos
vosotros/as descontáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuentan

The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For descontar, the yo form is descuento, as in “Yo descuento diez euros del precio.” — “I discount ten euros from the price.” This is one of the tenses where descontar does not follow the regular -ar pattern, so learn the forms in the table above rather than guessing them from the infinitive.

Preterite

Person Form
yo desconté
tú descontaste
él/ella/Ud. descontó
nosotros/as descontamos
vosotros/as descontasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. descontaron

The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. For descontar, the yo form is desconté, as in “Yo desconté diez euros del precio.” — “I discounted ten euros from the price.” The stem change o → ue affects this tense, so the stem looks different from the infinitive in several persons.

Imperfect

Person Form
yo descontaba
tú descontabas
él/ella/Ud. descontaba
nosotros/as descontábamos
vosotros/as descontabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. descontaban

The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. For descontar, the yo form is descontaba, as in “Yo descontaba diez euros del precio.” — “I used to discount ten euros from the price.”

Future

Person Form
yo descontaré
tú descontarás
él/ella/Ud. descontará
nosotros/as descontaremos
vosotros/as descontaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. descontarán

The future tense states what will happen. It is also used for predictions and promises. For descontar, the yo form is descontaré, as in “Yo descontaré diez euros del precio.” — “I will discount ten euros from the price.”

Conditional

Person Form
yo descontaría
tú descontarías
él/ella/Ud. descontaría
nosotros/as descontaríamos
vosotros/as descontaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. descontarían

The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. For descontar, the yo form is descontaría, as in “Yo descontaría diez euros del precio.” — “I would discount ten euros from the price.”

Present Perfect

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

The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. For descontar, the yo form is he descontado, as in “Yo he descontado diez euros del precio.” — “I have discounted ten euros from the price.”

Pluperfect

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

The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event. For descontar, the yo form is había descontado, as in “Yo había descontado diez euros del precio.” — “I had discounted ten euros from the price.”

Future Perfect

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

The future perfect describes something that will already be finished by a future moment. For descontar, the yo form is habré descontado, as in “Yo habré descontado diez euros del precio.” — “I will have discounted ten euros from the price.”

Conditional Perfect

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

The conditional perfect describes what would have happened under different conditions. For descontar, the yo form is habría descontado, as in “Yo habría descontado diez euros del precio.” — “I would have discounted ten euros from the price.”

Present Subjunctive

Person Form
yo descuente
tú descuentes
él/ella/Ud. descuente
nosotros/as descontemos
vosotros/as descontéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuenten

The present subjunctive is used after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and influence. For descontar, the yo form is descuente, as in “Espero que yo descuente diez euros del precio.” — “I hope that I discount ten euros from the price.” This is one of the tenses where descontar does not follow the regular -ar pattern, so learn the forms in the table above rather than guessing them from the infinitive.

Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo descontara
tú descontaras
él/ella/Ud. descontara
nosotros/as descontáramos
vosotros/as descontarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. descontaran

The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past versions of subjunctive clauses, and after "si" in hypothetical sentences. For descontar, the yo form is descontara, as in “Si yo descontara diez euros del precio, ...” — “If I discounted ten euros from the price, ...” The stem change o → ue affects this tense, so the stem looks different from the infinitive in several persons.

The -se variant of this tense follows the same pattern with -se instead of -ra: descontara becomes descontase, and the same change applies to every person. Both variants mean the same thing; -ra is more common in everyday speech.

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú descuenta
Ud. descuente
nosotros/as descontemos
vosotros/as descontad
Uds. descuenten

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú descuentes
Ud. descuente
nosotros/as descontemos
vosotros/as descontéis
Uds. descuenten

The imperative is for orders, requests and advice. The affirmative tú form is descuenta, as in “¡Descuenta diez euros del precio” — “Discount ten euros from the price” For the negative imperative, Spanish uses the subjunctive forms: no descuentes. Note that the affirmative and negative forms differ, so check the table above before you give an order with descontar. This is one of the tenses where descontar does not follow the regular -ar pattern, so learn the forms in the table above rather than guessing them from the infinitive.

Example sentences

Here are ten sentences with descontar, covering different tenses and persons. Read each one out loud, then read the translation, and notice how the verb form changes while the meaning stays the same.

  1. “Yo descuento diez euros del precio cada día.” — “I discount ten euros from the price.”
  2. “Él descuenta diez euros del precio todos los días.” — “He discounts ten euros from the price.”
  3. “Yo desconté diez euros del precio ayer.” — “I discounted ten euros from the price.”
  4. “Él descontó diez euros del precio ayer.” — “He discounted ten euros from the price.”
  5. “Yo descontaba diez euros del precio cuando era joven.” — “I used to discount ten euros from the price.”
  6. “Nosotros descontaremos diez euros del precio mañana.” — “We will discount ten euros from the price.”
  7. “Si pudiera, yo descontaría diez euros del precio.” — “If I could, i would discount ten euros from the price.”
  8. “Yo he descontado diez euros del precio hoy.” — “I have discounted ten euros from the price.”
  9. “Espero que yo descuente diez euros del precio.” — “I hope that I discount ten euros from the price.”
  10. “estoy descontando diez euros del precio ahora mismo.” — “I am discounting ten euros from the price.”

Common mistakes

Using the unchanged stem

Learners often write desconto for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is descuento. Because descontar changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo descuento diez euros del precio — until the changed stem feels natural.

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is desconté, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — desconte — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of descontar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For descontar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: descontamos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he descontado diez euros del precio. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy descontado is not the present perfect of descontar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing descontar with descubrir

descontar and descubrir look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of descontar — discount — the sentence needs descontar; if it needs the meaning of descubrir, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo descuente diez euros del precio. Using the indicative — Espero que yo descuento — is one of the most frequent learner errors with descontar. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

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

1. What is the yo form of descontar in the present?

  • A. descuentas
  • B. descuenta
  • C. descontamos
  • D. descuento

2. What is the tu form of descontar in the preterite?

  • A. descontamos
  • B. descontaste
  • C. desconté
  • D. descontó

3. What is the el form of descontar in the imperfect?

  • A. descontabas
  • B. descontábamos
  • C. descontabais
  • D. descontaba

4. What is the nosotros form of descontar in the future?

  • A. descontará
  • B. descontaremos
  • C. descontaré
  • D. descontarás

5. What is the vosotros form of descontar in the present perfect?

  • A. he descontado
  • B. has descontado
  • C. ha descontado
  • D. habéis descontado

6. What is the ellos form of descontar in the present subjunctive?

  • A. descuente
  • B. descuenten
  • C. descuente
  • D. descuentes

7. What is the yo form of descontar in the preterite?

  • A. descontaste
  • B. descontó
  • C. descontamos
  • D. desconté

8. What is the tu form of descontar in the imperfect?

  • A. descontábamos
  • B. descontabas
  • C. descontaba
  • D. descontaba

9. What is the el form of descontar in the future?

  • A. descontaré
  • B. descontarás
  • C. descontaremos
  • D. descontará

10. What is the nosotros form of descontar in the conditional?

  • A. descontaría
  • B. descontaríamos
  • C. descontaría
  • D. descontarías

Answer key

  1. descuento — The present table gives yo = descuento.
  2. descontaste — The preterite table gives tu = descontaste.
  3. descontaba — The imperfect table gives el = descontaba.
  4. descontaremos — The future table gives nosotros = descontaremos.
  5. habéis descontado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis descontado.
  6. descuenten — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = descuenten.
  7. desconté — The preterite table gives yo = desconté.
  8. descontabas — The imperfect table gives tu = descontabas.
  9. descontará — The future table gives el = descontará.
  10. descontaríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = descontaríamos.

Frequently asked questions

Is descontar regular or irregular?

descontar is a stem-changing -ar verb (o → ue). It changes its stem (o → ue) in several tenses, so the stem in the table is not always the infinitive stem. It is irregular in these tenses: present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. The tables on this page show the correct form for every person, so use them rather than guessing.

What is the past participle of descontar?

The past participle of descontar is descontado. You use it with haber in the perfect tenses — he descontado, había descontado, habré descontado — and after estar in passive-style descriptions. It is the regular participle for its verb class. Learn it together with the gerund descontando and you have the two non-finite forms covered.

What is the gerund of descontar?

The gerund of descontar is descontando. You use it with estar to describe an action in progress, as in estoy descontando, and after verbs such as seguir and ir. Keep it distinct from the past participle descontado, which belongs with haber, not with estar.

What is the yo form of descontar in the present?

The yo form is descuento — “Yo descuento diez euros del precio.” means “I discount ten euros from the price.” That is the form you will use most often when you talk about yourself. For other persons, use the present table above: tú descuentas, él descuenta, nosotros descontamos, ellos descuentan.

What is the difference between descontar and descubrir?

descontar means “to discount”, while descubrir means “to discover”. They share letters and sometimes a root, but they are different verbs. If your sentence means “to discount”, use descontar; if it is about the meaning of descubrir, use descubrir instead. Checking the English meaning first prevents most mix-ups.

Related links