Desprender Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb desprender means to detach, to give off, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Desprender means to detach or to give off, for something coming loose, and also for a smell or heat coming from something. It is a fully regular -er verb with two everyday uses. Like every Spanish verb, desprender 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 desprendo un olor fuerte en la cocina, and in the preterite you say desprendí calor en la chimenea. 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: desprender
  • English: to detach, to give off
  • Verb type: regular -er verb
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: desprendiendo
  • Past participle: desprendido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + desprendido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for desprender, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Desprender is fully regular: desprendo, desprende. It is coming loose or giving off a smell or heat; soltar is letting go of something held.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for desprender. 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 desprendo
tú desprendes
él/ella/Ud. desprende
nosotros/as desprendemos
vosotros/as desprendéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desprenden

Preterite

Person Form
yo desprendí
tú desprendiste
él/ella/Ud. desprendió
nosotros/as desprendimos
vosotros/as desprendisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desprendieron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo desprendía
tú desprendías
él/ella/Ud. desprendía
nosotros/as desprendíamos
vosotros/as desprendíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. desprendían

Future

Person Form
yo desprenderé
tú desprenderás
él/ella/Ud. desprenderá
nosotros/as desprenderemos
vosotros/as desprenderéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desprenderán

Conditional

Person Form
yo desprendería
tú desprenderías
él/ella/Ud. desprendería
nosotros/as desprenderíamos
vosotros/as desprenderíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. desprenderían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo desprenda
tú desprendas
él/ella/Ud. desprenda
nosotros/as desprendamos
vosotros/as desprendáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desprendan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo desprendiera
tú desprendieras
él/ella/Ud. desprendiera
nosotros/as desprendiéramos
vosotros/as desprendierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. desprendieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú desprende
él/ella/Ud. desprenda
nosotros/as desprendamos
vosotros/as desprended
ellos/ellas/Uds. desprendan

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú desprendas
él/ella/Ud. desprenda
nosotros/as desprendamos
vosotros/as desprendáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desprendan

Gerund and past participle

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

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 desprender, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Desprendo un olor fuerte en la cocina. 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 desprender, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, desprendí la etiqueta del frasco. 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 desprender, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, desprendía calor en la chimenea. 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 desprender, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, desprenderé la hoja del árbol en otoño. 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 desprender, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Desprendería un olor fuerte en la cocina 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 desprender, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he desprendido la etiqueta del frasco. 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 desprender, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había desprendido calor en la chimenea 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 desprender, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré desprendido la hoja del árbol en otoño. 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 desprender, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría desprendido un olor fuerte en la cocina 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 desprender, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él desprenda la etiqueta del frasco. 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 desprender, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él desprendiera calor en la chimenea, 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 desprender, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Desprende la hoja del árbol en otoño! 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 desprender, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No desprendas un olor fuerte en la cocina. 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 desprender, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Desprendo un olor fuerte en la cocina. — I detach a strong smell in the kitchen.
  2. Desprende la etiqueta del frasco. — He/she detaches the label from the jar.
  3. Ayer, desprendí calor en la chimenea. — Yesterday, I detached heat in the fireplace.
  4. Antes, nosotros desprendíamos la hoja del árbol en otoño. — Before, we used to detach the leaf from the tree in autumn.
  5. Mañana, tú desprenderás un olor fuerte en la cocina. — Tomorrow, you will detach a strong smell in the kitchen.
  6. Yo desprendería la etiqueta del frasco si tuviera más tiempo. — I would detach the label from the jar if I had more time.
  7. Él ha desprendido calor en la chimenea. — He has detached heat in the fireplace.
  8. Espero que él desprenda la hoja del árbol en otoño. — I hope he detaches the leaf from the tree in autumn.
  9. Yo ya había desprendido un olor fuerte en la cocina antes de salir. — I had already detached a strong smell in the kitchen before leaving.
  10. Ellos desprendían la etiqueta del frasco cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to detach the label from the jar when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo desprende un olor fuerte en la cocina. — Right: Yo desprendo un olor fuerte en la cocina. — The person matters: desprende is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is desprendo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo desprendo la etiqueta del frasco. — Right: Ayer yo desprendí la etiqueta del frasco. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: desprendo is happening now, while desprendí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating desprender and soltar as identical in every context. — Right: Desprender means to detach, to give off, while soltar means to let go. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: desprender fits sentences such as Desprendo un olor fuerte en la cocina, while soltar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy desprendido la etiqueta del frasco. — Right: Yo he desprendido la etiqueta del frasco. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he desprendido, has desprendido, ha desprendido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo desprendí calor en la chimenea todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo desprendía calor en la chimenea todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (desprendía), not the preterite. The preterite (desprendí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un olor fuerte en la cocina. (present tense) A. desprendo B. desprendes C. desprende D. desprendemos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la etiqueta del frasco. (preterite) A. desprendí B. desprendiste C. desprendieron D. desprendió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ calor en la chimenea. (imperfect) A. desprendías B. desprendían C. desprendíamos D. desprendía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la hoja del árbol en otoño. (future) A. desprenderemos B. desprenderás C. desprenderé D. desprenderá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un olor fuerte en la cocina si pudiera. (conditional) A. desprendería B. desprenderías C. desprenderían D. desprendo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la etiqueta del frasco. (present subjunctive) A. desprendas B. desprendamos C. desprendo D. desprenda

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ calor en la chimenea, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. desprendiéramos B. desprendo C. desprendiera D. desprendieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la hoja del árbol en otoño. (present perfect) A. han desprendido B. hemos desprendido C. he desprendido D. has desprendido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ un olor fuerte en la cocina! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. desprende B. desprenda C. desprendamos D. desprended

  10. Which is the gerund of desprender, used with estar for the progressive? A. desprendido B. desprendo C. desprendí D. desprendiendo

Answer key

  1. desprendo — The first-person present of desprender is desprendo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. desprendió — The third-person preterite of desprender is desprendió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. desprendíamos — The nosotros imperfect of desprender is desprendíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. desprenderás — The second-person future of desprender is desprenderás.
  5. desprendería — The first-person conditional of desprender is desprendería, the form for what would happen.
  6. desprenda — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of desprender is desprenda.
  7. desprendiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of desprender is desprendiera.
  8. hemos desprendido — The nosotros present perfect of desprender is hemos desprendido: hemos + desprendido.
  9. desprende — The affirmative tú imperative of desprender is desprende.
  10. desprendiendo — The gerund of desprender is desprendiendo: estoy desprendiendo. The participle desprendido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does desprender mean in English?

Desprender means to detach, to give off. It is used in everyday situations such as Desprendo un olor fuerte en la cocina. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is desprender regular or irregular?

Desprender is a fully regular -er 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 desprendo in the present and desprendí in the preterite.

What is the difference between desprender and soltar?

Desprender means to detach, to give off, while soltar means to let go. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use desprender when you mean to detach, to give off, as in Desprendo un olor fuerte en la cocina, and use soltar for to let go. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I detach” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo desprendí la etiqueta del frasco. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo desprendía calor en la chimenea. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he desprendido la etiqueta del frasco.

How do I practise desprender?

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

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