Introduction

descuidar means “to neglect”. It belongs to the group of Spanish verbs that express “to neglect”, and once you can conjugate it you can say a surprising amount with a single verb. This page is the complete reference for descuidar: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, with notes on usage, real example sentences, common mistakes, a quiz and frequently asked questions. descuidar is a regular -ar verb. If it is irregular in a tense, the note under that table says so plainly, and the forms in the table are the correct ones — copy them, do not guess them from the infinitive. A first example to fix the verb in your mind: “Yo descuido el jardín todos los días.” — “I neglect the garden.”

Quick facts
Infinitive descuidar
English to neglect
Verb type Regular -ar verb
Gerund descuidando
Past participle descuidado
Auxiliary verb haber

Full conjugation tables

Gerund: descuidando · Past participle: descuidado

Present Indicative

Person Form
yo descuido
tú descuidas
él/ella/Ud. descuida
nosotros/as descuidamos
vosotros/as descuidáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuidan

The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For descuidar, the yo form is descuido, as in “Yo descuido el jardín.” — “I neglect the garden.”

Preterite

Person Form
yo descuidé
tú descuidaste
él/ella/Ud. descuidó
nosotros/as descuidamos
vosotros/as descuidasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuidaron

The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. For descuidar, the yo form is descuidé, as in “Yo descuidé el jardín.” — “I neglected the garden.”

Imperfect

Person Form
yo descuidaba
tú descuidabas
él/ella/Ud. descuidaba
nosotros/as descuidábamos
vosotros/as descuidabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuidaban

The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. For descuidar, the yo form is descuidaba, as in “Yo descuidaba el jardín.” — “I used to neglect the garden.”

Future

Person Form
yo descuidaré
tú descuidarás
él/ella/Ud. descuidará
nosotros/as descuidaremos
vosotros/as descuidaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuidarán

The future tense states what will happen. It is also used for predictions and promises. For descuidar, the yo form is descuidaré, as in “Yo descuidaré el jardín.” — “I will neglect the garden.”

Conditional

Person Form
yo descuidaría
tú descuidarías
él/ella/Ud. descuidaría
nosotros/as descuidaríamos
vosotros/as descuidaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuidarían

The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. For descuidar, the yo form is descuidaría, as in “Yo descuidaría el jardín.” — “I would neglect the garden.”

Present Perfect

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

The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. For descuidar, the yo form is he descuidado, as in “Yo he descuidado el jardín.” — “I have neglected the garden.”

Pluperfect

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

The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event. For descuidar, the yo form is había descuidado, as in “Yo había descuidado el jardín.” — “I had neglected the garden.”

Future Perfect

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

The future perfect describes something that will already be finished by a future moment. For descuidar, the yo form is habré descuidado, as in “Yo habré descuidado el jardín.” — “I will have neglected the garden.”

Conditional Perfect

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

The conditional perfect describes what would have happened under different conditions. For descuidar, the yo form is habría descuidado, as in “Yo habría descuidado el jardín.” — “I would have neglected the garden.”

Present Subjunctive

Person Form
yo descuide
tú descuides
él/ella/Ud. descuide
nosotros/as descuidemos
vosotros/as descuidéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuiden

The present subjunctive is used after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and influence. For descuidar, the yo form is descuide, as in “Espero que yo descuide el jardín.” — “I hope that I neglect the garden.”

Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo descuidara
tú descuidaras
él/ella/Ud. descuidara
nosotros/as descuidáramos
vosotros/as descuidarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuidaran

The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past versions of subjunctive clauses, and after "si" in hypothetical sentences. For descuidar, the yo form is descuidara, as in “Si yo descuidara el jardín, ...” — “If I neglected the garden, ...”

The -se variant of this tense follows the same pattern with -se instead of -ra: descuidara becomes descuidase, 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 descuida
Ud. descuide
nosotros/as descuidemos
vosotros/as descuidad
Uds. descuiden

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú descuides
Ud. descuide
nosotros/as descuidemos
vosotros/as descuidéis
Uds. descuiden

The imperative is for orders, requests and advice. The affirmative tú form is descuida, as in “¡Descuida el jardín” — “Neglect the garden” For the negative imperative, Spanish uses the subjunctive forms: no descuides. Note that the affirmative and negative forms differ, so check the table above before you give an order with descuidar.

Example sentences

Here are ten sentences with descuidar, 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 descuido el jardín cada día.” — “I neglect the garden.”
  2. “Él descuida el jardín todos los días.” — “He neglects the garden.”
  3. “Yo descuidé el jardín ayer.” — “I neglected the garden.”
  4. “Él descuidó el jardín ayer.” — “He neglected the garden.”
  5. “Yo descuidaba el jardín cuando era joven.” — “I used to neglect the garden.”
  6. “Nosotros descuidaremos el jardín mañana.” — “We will neglect the garden.”
  7. “Si pudiera, yo descuidaría el jardín.” — “If I could, i would neglect the garden.”
  8. “Yo he descuidado el jardín hoy.” — “I have neglected the garden.”
  9. “Espero que yo descuide el jardín.” — “I hope that I neglect the garden.”
  10. “estoy descuidando el jardín ahora mismo.” — “I am neglecting the garden.”

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is descuidé, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — descuide — 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 descuidar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For descuidar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: descuidamos. 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 descuidado el jardín. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy descuidado is not the present perfect of descuidar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing descuidar with descubrir

descuidar 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 descuidar — neglect — the sentence needs descuidar; 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 descuide el jardín. Using the indicative — Espero que yo descuido — is one of the most frequent learner errors with descuidar. 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 descuidar in the present?

  • A. descuidas
  • B. descuida
  • C. descuidamos
  • D. descuido

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

  • A. descuidamos
  • B. descuidaste
  • C. descuidé
  • D. descuidó

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

  • A. descuidabas
  • B. descuidábamos
  • C. descuidabais
  • D. descuidaba

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

  • A. descuidará
  • B. descuidaremos
  • C. descuidaré
  • D. descuidarás

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

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

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

  • A. descuide
  • B. descuiden
  • C. descuide
  • D. descuides

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

  • A. descuidaste
  • B. descuidó
  • C. descuidamos
  • D. descuidé

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

  • A. descuidábamos
  • B. descuidabas
  • C. descuidaba
  • D. descuidaba

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

  • A. descuidaré
  • B. descuidarás
  • C. descuidaremos
  • D. descuidará

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

  • A. descuidaría
  • B. descuidaríamos
  • C. descuidaría
  • D. descuidarías

Answer key

  1. descuido — The present table gives yo = descuido.
  2. descuidaste — The preterite table gives tu = descuidaste.
  3. descuidaba — The imperfect table gives el = descuidaba.
  4. descuidaremos — The future table gives nosotros = descuidaremos.
  5. habéis descuidado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis descuidado.
  6. descuiden — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = descuiden.
  7. descuidé — The preterite table gives yo = descuidé.
  8. descuidabas — The imperfect table gives tu = descuidabas.
  9. descuidará — The future table gives el = descuidará.
  10. descuidaríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = descuidaríamos.

Frequently asked questions

Is descuidar regular or irregular?

descuidar is a regular -ar verb. It follows the regular patterns for its ending in every tense. The tables on this page show the correct form for every person, so use them rather than guessing.

What is the past participle of descuidar?

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

What is the gerund of descuidar?

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

What is the yo form of descuidar in the present?

The yo form is descuido — “Yo descuido el jardín.” means “I neglect the garden.” That is the form you will use most often when you talk about yourself. For other persons, use the present table above: tú descuidas, él descuida, nosotros descuidamos, ellos descuidan.

What is the difference between descuidar and descubrir?

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

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