Despegar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb despegar means to take off (a plane), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Despegar means to take off, for a plane leaving the ground, and also to unstick something that was stuck. The flight sense is the everyday one, and it is a spelling-change verb: g becomes gu before e. Like every Spanish verb, despegar 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 despego a las ocho de la mañana, and in the preterite you say despegué hacia Barcelona sin escalas. 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: despegar
- English: to take off (a plane)
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: despegando
- Past participle: despegado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + despegado)
- Spelling change: Spelling change: the stem gains u before e and a, so the present subjunctive is despegue and the preterite first person is despegué.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for despegar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is despegué. In the present tense it is regular: despego.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for despegar. 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 | despego |
| tú | despegas |
| él/ella/Ud. | despega |
| nosotros/as | despegamos |
| vosotros/as | despegáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despegan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | despegué |
| tú | despegaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | despegó |
| nosotros/as | despegamos |
| vosotros/as | despegasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despegaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | despegaba |
| tú | despegabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | despegaba |
| nosotros/as | despegábamos |
| vosotros/as | despegabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despegaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | despegaré |
| tú | despegarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | despegará |
| nosotros/as | despegaremos |
| vosotros/as | despegaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despegarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | despegaría |
| tú | despegarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | despegaría |
| nosotros/as | despegaríamos |
| vosotros/as | despegaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despegarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he despegado |
| tú | has despegado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha despegado |
| nosotros/as | hemos despegado |
| vosotros/as | habéis despegado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han despegado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había despegado |
| tú | habías despegado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había despegado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos despegado |
| vosotros/as | habíais despegado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían despegado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré despegado |
| tú | habrás despegado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá despegado |
| nosotros/as | habremos despegado |
| vosotros/as | habréis despegado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán despegado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría despegado |
| tú | habrías despegado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría despegado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos despegado |
| vosotros/as | habríais despegado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían despegado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | despegue |
| tú | despegues |
| él/ella/Ud. | despegue |
| nosotros/as | despeguemos |
| vosotros/as | despeguéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despeguen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | despegara |
| tú | despegaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | despegara |
| nosotros/as | despegáramos |
| vosotros/as | despegarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despegaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | despega |
| él/ella/Ud. | despegue |
| nosotros/as | despeguemos |
| vosotros/as | despegad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despeguen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | despegues |
| él/ella/Ud. | despegue |
| nosotros/as | despeguemos |
| vosotros/as | despeguéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | despeguen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | despegando | with estar for the progressive: estoy despegando |
| Past participle | despegado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he despegado |
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 despegar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Despego a las ocho de la mañana. 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. Note the spelling change: the stem gains u before e and a, so the present subjunctive is despegue and the preterite first person is despegué. For despegar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, despegué con veinte minutos de retraso. 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 despegar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, despegaba hacia Barcelona sin escalas. 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 despegar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, despegaré del suelo con el avión lleno. 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 despegar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Despegaría a las ocho de la mañana 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 despegar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he despegado con veinte minutos de retraso. 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 despegar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había despegado hacia Barcelona sin escalas 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 despegar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré despegado del suelo con el avión lleno. 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 despegar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría despegado a las ocho de la mañana 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. Note the spelling change: the stem gains u before e and a, so the present subjunctive is despegue and the preterite first person is despegué. For despegar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él despegue con veinte minutos de retraso. 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 despegar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él despegara hacia Barcelona sin escalas, 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. Note the spelling change: the stem gains u before e and a, so the present subjunctive is despegue and the preterite first person is despegué. For despegar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Despega del suelo con el avión lleno! 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. Note the spelling change: the stem gains u before e and a, so the present subjunctive is despegue and the preterite first person is despegué. For despegar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No despegues a las ocho de la mañana. 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 despegar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Despego a las ocho de la mañana. — I take off at eight in the morning.
- Despega con veinte minutos de retraso. — He/she takes off twenty minutes late.
- Ayer, despegué hacia Barcelona sin escalas. — Yesterday, I took off to Barcelona non-stop.
- Antes, nosotros despegábamos del suelo con el avión lleno. — Before, we used to take off from the ground with the plane full.
- Mañana, tú despegarás a las ocho de la mañana. — Tomorrow, you will take off at eight in the morning.
- Yo despegaría con veinte minutos de retraso si tuviera más tiempo. — I would take off twenty minutes late if I had more time.
- Él ha despegado hacia Barcelona sin escalas. — He has taken off to Barcelona non-stop.
- Espero que él despegue del suelo con el avión lleno. — I hope he takes off from the ground with the plane full.
- Yo ya había despegado a las ocho de la mañana antes de salir. — I had already taken off at eight in the morning before leaving.
- Ellos despegaban con veinte minutos de retraso cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to take off twenty minutes late when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo despega a las ocho de la mañana. — Right: Yo despego a las ocho de la mañana. — The person matters: despega is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is despego. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Espero que yo despege con veinte minutos de retraso. — Right: Espero que yo despegue con veinte minutos de retraso. — Spelling change: becomes u before e, so the present subjunctive is despegue, never despege.
- Wrong: Treating despegar and aterrizar as identical in every context. — Right: Despegar means to take off (a plane), while aterrizar means to land. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: despegar fits sentences such as Despego a las ocho de la mañana, while aterrizar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy despegado con veinte minutos de retraso. — Right: Yo he despegado con veinte minutos de retraso. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he despegado, has despegado, ha despegado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo despegué hacia Barcelona sin escalas todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo despegaba hacia Barcelona sin escalas todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (despegaba), not the preterite. The preterite (despegué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on despegar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las ocho de la mañana. (present tense) A. despego B. despegas C. despega D. despegamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ con veinte minutos de retraso. (preterite) A. despegué B. despegaste C. despegaron D. despegó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ hacia Barcelona sin escalas. (imperfect) A. despegabas B. despegaban C. despegábamos D. despegaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ del suelo con el avión lleno. (future) A. despegaremos B. despegarás C. despegaré D. despegará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las ocho de la mañana si pudiera. (conditional) A. despegaría B. despegarías C. despegarían D. despego
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con veinte minutos de retraso. (present subjunctive) A. despegues B. despeguemos C. despego D. despegue
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ hacia Barcelona sin escalas, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. despegáramos B. despego C. despegara D. despegaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ del suelo con el avión lleno. (present perfect) A. han despegado B. hemos despegado C. he despegado D. has despegado
Complete the command: ¡___ a las ocho de la mañana! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. despega B. despegue C. despeguemos D. despegad
Which is the gerund of despegar, used with estar for the progressive? A. despegado B. despego C. despegué D. despegando
Answer key
- despego — The first-person present of despegar is despego. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- despegó — The third-person preterite of despegar is despegó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- despegábamos — The nosotros imperfect of despegar is despegábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- despegarás — The second-person future of despegar is despegarás.
- despegaría — The first-person conditional of despegar is despegaría, the form for what would happen.
- despegue — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of despegar is despegue.
- despegara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of despegar is despegara.
- hemos despegado — The nosotros present perfect of despegar is hemos despegado: hemos + despegado.
- despega — The affirmative tú imperative of despegar is despega.
- despegando — The gerund of despegar is despegando: estoy despegando. The participle despegado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does despegar mean in English?
Despegar means to take off (a plane). It is used in everyday situations such as Despego a las ocho de la mañana. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is despegar regular or irregular?
Despegar is a spelling-change verb, so it is not fully regular. Spelling change: the stem gains u before e and a, so the present subjunctive is despegue and the preterite first person is despegué. The other tenses follow the regular -ar endings. Learn the changed forms from the tables above rather than applying the regular spelling.
What is the difference between despegar and aterrizar?
Despegar means to take off (a plane), while aterrizar means to land. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use despegar when you mean to take off (a plane), as in Despego a las ocho de la mañana, and use aterrizar for to land. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I take off (a plane)” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo despegué con veinte minutos de retraso. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo despegaba hacia Barcelona sin escalas. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he despegado con veinte minutos de retraso.
How do I practise despegar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the despegar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Despegar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for despegar.
- Despegar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for despegar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Aterrizar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with despegar.
- Zarpar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with despegar.
- Atracar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with despegar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.