Dibujar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb dibujar means to draw, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Dibujar means to draw, and it is used for sketching with a pencil, drawing plans and drawing pictures with children. It is fully regular, and it pairs with objects such as un retrato, una casa or un mapa, and with instruments such as a lápiz or con colores. Like every Spanish verb, dibujar 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 dibujo un retrato a lápiz, and in the preterite you say dibujé casas y árboles para los niños. 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: dibujar
- English: to draw
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: dibujando
- Past participle: dibujado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + dibujado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for dibujar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Dibujar is fully regular: dibujé, dibujaba, dibujaré. The only point to watch is the accent on dibujé.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for dibujar. 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 | dibujo |
| tú | dibujas |
| él/ella/Ud. | dibuja |
| nosotros/as | dibujamos |
| vosotros/as | dibujáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dibujan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dibujé |
| tú | dibujaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | dibujó |
| nosotros/as | dibujamos |
| vosotros/as | dibujasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dibujaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dibujaba |
| tú | dibujabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | dibujaba |
| nosotros/as | dibujábamos |
| vosotros/as | dibujabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dibujaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dibujaré |
| tú | dibujarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | dibujará |
| nosotros/as | dibujaremos |
| vosotros/as | dibujaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dibujarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dibujaría |
| tú | dibujarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | dibujaría |
| nosotros/as | dibujaríamos |
| vosotros/as | dibujaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dibujarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he dibujado |
| tú | has dibujado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha dibujado |
| nosotros/as | hemos dibujado |
| vosotros/as | habéis dibujado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han dibujado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había dibujado |
| tú | habías dibujado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había dibujado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos dibujado |
| vosotros/as | habíais dibujado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían dibujado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré dibujado |
| tú | habrás dibujado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá dibujado |
| nosotros/as | habremos dibujado |
| vosotros/as | habréis dibujado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán dibujado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría dibujado |
| tú | habrías dibujado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría dibujado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos dibujado |
| vosotros/as | habríais dibujado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían dibujado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dibuje |
| tú | dibujes |
| él/ella/Ud. | dibuje |
| nosotros/as | dibujemos |
| vosotros/as | dibujéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dibujen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dibujara |
| tú | dibujaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | dibujara |
| nosotros/as | dibujáramos |
| vosotros/as | dibujarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dibujaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | dibuja |
| él/ella/Ud. | dibuje |
| nosotros/as | dibujemos |
| vosotros/as | dibujad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dibujen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | dibujes |
| él/ella/Ud. | dibuje |
| nosotros/as | dibujemos |
| vosotros/as | dibujéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dibujen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | dibujando | with estar for the progressive: estoy dibujando |
| Past participle | dibujado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he dibujado |
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 dibujar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Dibujo un retrato a lápiz. 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 dibujar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, dibujé en el cuaderno de clase. 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 dibujar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, dibujaba casas y árboles para los niños. 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 dibujar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, dibujaré con colores en el taller. 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 dibujar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Dibujaría un retrato a lápiz 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 dibujar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he dibujado en el cuaderno de clase. 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 dibujar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había dibujado casas y árboles para los niños 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 dibujar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré dibujado con colores en el taller. 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 dibujar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría dibujado un retrato a lápiz 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 dibujar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él dibuje en el cuaderno de clase. 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 dibujar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él dibujara casas y árboles para los niños, 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 dibujar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Dibuja con colores en el taller! 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 dibujar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No dibujes un retrato a lápiz. 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 dibujar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Dibujo un retrato a lápiz. — I draw a portrait in pencil.
- Dibuja en el cuaderno de clase. — He/she draws in the class notebook.
- Ayer, dibujé casas y árboles para los niños. — Yesterday, I drew houses and trees for the children.
- Antes, nosotros dibujábamos con colores en el taller. — Before, we used to draw with colours in the workshop.
- Mañana, tú dibujarás un retrato a lápiz. — Tomorrow, you will draw a portrait in pencil.
- Yo dibujaría en el cuaderno de clase si tuviera más tiempo. — I would draw in the class notebook if I had more time.
- Él ha dibujado casas y árboles para los niños. — He has drawn houses and trees for the children.
- Espero que él dibuje con colores en el taller. — I hope he draws with colours in the workshop.
- Yo ya había dibujado un retrato a lápiz antes de salir. — I had already drawn a portrait in pencil before leaving.
- Ellos dibujaban en el cuaderno de clase cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to draw in the class notebook when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo dibuja un retrato a lápiz. — Right: Yo dibujo un retrato a lápiz. — The person matters: dibuja is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is dibujo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo dibujo en el cuaderno de clase. — Right: Ayer yo dibujé en el cuaderno de clase. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: dibujo is happening now, while dibujé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating dibujar and pintar as identical in every context. — Right: Dibujar means to draw, while pintar means to paint, with paint rather than a pencil. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: dibujar fits sentences such as Dibujo un retrato a lápiz, while pintar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy dibujado en el cuaderno de clase. — Right: Yo he dibujado en el cuaderno de clase. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he dibujado, has dibujado, ha dibujado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo dibujé casas y árboles para los niños todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo dibujaba casas y árboles para los niños todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (dibujaba), not the preterite. The preterite (dibujé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on dibujar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un retrato a lápiz. (present tense) A. dibujo B. dibujas C. dibuja D. dibujamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en el cuaderno de clase. (preterite) A. dibujé B. dibujaste C. dibujaron D. dibujó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ casas y árboles para los niños. (imperfect) A. dibujabas B. dibujaban C. dibujábamos D. dibujaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con colores en el taller. (future) A. dibujaremos B. dibujarás C. dibujaré D. dibujará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un retrato a lápiz si pudiera. (conditional) A. dibujaría B. dibujarías C. dibujarían D. dibujo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en el cuaderno de clase. (present subjunctive) A. dibujes B. dibujemos C. dibujo D. dibuje
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ casas y árboles para los niños, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. dibujáramos B. dibujo C. dibujara D. dibujaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con colores en el taller. (present perfect) A. han dibujado B. hemos dibujado C. he dibujado D. has dibujado
Complete the command: ¡___ un retrato a lápiz! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. dibuja B. dibuje C. dibujemos D. dibujad
Which is the gerund of dibujar, used with estar for the progressive? A. dibujado B. dibujo C. dibujé D. dibujando
Answer key
- dibujo — The first-person present of dibujar is dibujo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- dibujó — The third-person preterite of dibujar is dibujó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- dibujábamos — The nosotros imperfect of dibujar is dibujábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- dibujarás — The second-person future of dibujar is dibujarás.
- dibujaría — The first-person conditional of dibujar is dibujaría, the form for what would happen.
- dibuje — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of dibujar is dibuje.
- dibujara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of dibujar is dibujara.
- hemos dibujado — The nosotros present perfect of dibujar is hemos dibujado: hemos + dibujado.
- dibuja — The affirmative tú imperative of dibujar is dibuja.
- dibujando — The gerund of dibujar is dibujando: estoy dibujando. The participle dibujado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does dibujar mean in English?
Dibujar means to draw. It is used in everyday situations such as Dibujo un retrato a lápiz. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is dibujar regular or irregular?
Dibujar is a fully regular -ar 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 dibujo in the present and dibujé in the preterite.
What is the difference between dibujar and pintar?
Dibujar means to draw, while pintar means to paint, with paint rather than a pencil. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use dibujar when you mean to draw, as in Dibujo un retrato a lápiz, and use pintar for to paint, with paint rather than a pencil. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I draw” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo dibujé en el cuaderno de clase. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo dibujaba casas y árboles para los niños. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he dibujado en el cuaderno de clase.
How do I practise dibujar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the dibujar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Dibujar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for dibujar.
- Dibujar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for dibujar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Pintar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with dibujar.
- Volar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with dibujar.
- Lavar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with dibujar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.