Dificultar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb dificultar means to make difficult, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Dificultar means to make difficult, and it is used for new rules making a task harder, roadworks making access difficult and noise making communication difficult. It is the opposite of facilitar, and it is a fully regular -ar verb. Like every Spanish verb, dificultar 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 dificulto la tarea con reglas nuevas, and in the preterite you say dificulté la comunicación con el ruido. 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: dificultar
- English: to make difficult
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: dificultando
- Past participle: dificultado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + dificultado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for dificultar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Dificultar is fully regular: dificulté, dificultaba, dificultaré. It is the opposite of facilitar in every sense.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for dificultar. 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 | dificulto |
| tú | dificultas |
| él/ella/Ud. | dificulta |
| nosotros/as | dificultamos |
| vosotros/as | dificultáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dificultan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dificulté |
| tú | dificultaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | dificultó |
| nosotros/as | dificultamos |
| vosotros/as | dificultasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dificultaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dificultaba |
| tú | dificultabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | dificultaba |
| nosotros/as | dificultábamos |
| vosotros/as | dificultabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dificultaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dificultaré |
| tú | dificultarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | dificultará |
| nosotros/as | dificultaremos |
| vosotros/as | dificultaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dificultarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dificultaría |
| tú | dificultarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | dificultaría |
| nosotros/as | dificultaríamos |
| vosotros/as | dificultaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dificultarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he dificultado |
| tú | has dificultado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha dificultado |
| nosotros/as | hemos dificultado |
| vosotros/as | habéis dificultado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han dificultado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había dificultado |
| tú | habías dificultado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había dificultado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos dificultado |
| vosotros/as | habíais dificultado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían dificultado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré dificultado |
| tú | habrás dificultado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá dificultado |
| nosotros/as | habremos dificultado |
| vosotros/as | habréis dificultado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán dificultado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría dificultado |
| tú | habrías dificultado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría dificultado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos dificultado |
| vosotros/as | habríais dificultado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían dificultado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dificulte |
| tú | dificultes |
| él/ella/Ud. | dificulte |
| nosotros/as | dificultemos |
| vosotros/as | dificultéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dificulten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | dificultara |
| tú | dificultaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | dificultara |
| nosotros/as | dificultáramos |
| vosotros/as | dificultarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dificultaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | dificulta |
| él/ella/Ud. | dificulte |
| nosotros/as | dificultemos |
| vosotros/as | dificultad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dificulten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | dificultes |
| él/ella/Ud. | dificulte |
| nosotros/as | dificultemos |
| vosotros/as | dificultéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | dificulten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | dificultando | with estar for the progressive: estoy dificultando |
| Past participle | dificultado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he dificultado |
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 dificultar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Dificulto la tarea con reglas nuevas. 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 dificultar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, dificulté el acceso por las obras. 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 dificultar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, dificultaba la comunicación con el ruido. 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 dificultar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, dificultaré el viaje con el mal tiempo. 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 dificultar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Dificultaría la tarea con reglas nuevas 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 dificultar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he dificultado el acceso por las obras. 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 dificultar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había dificultado la comunicación con el ruido 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 dificultar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré dificultado el viaje con el mal tiempo. 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 dificultar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría dificultado la tarea con reglas nuevas 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 dificultar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él dificulte el acceso por las obras. 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 dificultar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él dificultara la comunicación con el ruido, 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 dificultar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Dificulta el viaje con el mal tiempo! 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 dificultar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No dificultes la tarea con reglas nuevas. 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 dificultar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Dificulto la tarea con reglas nuevas. — I make difficult the task with new rules.
- Dificulta el acceso por las obras. — He/she makes difficult access because of the roadworks.
- Ayer, dificulté la comunicación con el ruido. — Yesterday, I made difficult communication with the noise.
- Antes, nosotros dificultábamos el viaje con el mal tiempo. — Before, we used to make difficult the journey with the bad weather.
- Mañana, tú dificultarás la tarea con reglas nuevas. — Tomorrow, you will make difficult the task with new rules.
- Yo dificultaría el acceso por las obras si tuviera más tiempo. — I would make difficult access because of the roadworks if I had more time.
- Él ha dificultado la comunicación con el ruido. — He has made difficult communication with the noise.
- Espero que él dificulte el viaje con el mal tiempo. — I hope he makes difficult the journey with the bad weather.
- Yo ya había dificultado la tarea con reglas nuevas antes de salir. — I had already made difficult the task with new rules before leaving.
- Ellos dificultaban el acceso por las obras cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to make difficult access because of the roadworks when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo dificulta la tarea con reglas nuevas. — Right: Yo dificulto la tarea con reglas nuevas. — The person matters: dificulta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is dificulto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Vosotros dificultais el acceso por las obras. — Right: Vosotros dificultáis el acceso por las obras. — The vosotros present form carries a written accent: dificultáis, not dificultais. The accent marks the stressed vowel.
- Wrong: Treating dificultar and facilitar as identical in every context. — Right: Dificultar means to make difficult, while facilitar means to make easy, its opposite. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: dificultar fits sentences such as Dificulto la tarea con reglas nuevas, while facilitar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy dificultado el acceso por las obras. — Right: Yo he dificultado el acceso por las obras. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he dificultado, has dificultado, ha dificultado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo dificulté la comunicación con el ruido todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo dificultaba la comunicación con el ruido todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (dificultaba), not the preterite. The preterite (dificulté) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on dificultar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la tarea con reglas nuevas. (present tense) A. dificulto B. dificultas C. dificulta D. dificultamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el acceso por las obras. (preterite) A. dificulté B. dificultaste C. dificultaron D. dificultó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la comunicación con el ruido. (imperfect) A. dificultabas B. dificultaban C. dificultábamos D. dificultaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el viaje con el mal tiempo. (future) A. dificultaremos B. dificultarás C. dificultaré D. dificultará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la tarea con reglas nuevas si pudiera. (conditional) A. dificultaría B. dificultarías C. dificultarían D. dificulto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el acceso por las obras. (present subjunctive) A. dificultes B. dificultemos C. dificulto D. dificulte
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la comunicación con el ruido, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. dificultáramos B. dificulto C. dificultara D. dificultaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el viaje con el mal tiempo. (present perfect) A. han dificultado B. hemos dificultado C. he dificultado D. has dificultado
Complete the command: ¡___ la tarea con reglas nuevas! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. dificulta B. dificulte C. dificultemos D. dificultad
Which is the gerund of dificultar, used with estar for the progressive? A. dificultado B. dificulto C. dificulté D. dificultando
Answer key
- dificulto — The first-person present of dificultar is dificulto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- dificultó — The third-person preterite of dificultar is dificultó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- dificultábamos — The nosotros imperfect of dificultar is dificultábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- dificultarás — The second-person future of dificultar is dificultarás.
- dificultaría — The first-person conditional of dificultar is dificultaría, the form for what would happen.
- dificulte — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of dificultar is dificulte.
- dificultara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of dificultar is dificultara.
- hemos dificultado — The nosotros present perfect of dificultar is hemos dificultado: hemos + dificultado.
- dificulta — The affirmative tú imperative of dificultar is dificulta.
- dificultando — The gerund of dificultar is dificultando: estoy dificultando. The participle dificultado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does dificultar mean in English?
Dificultar means to make difficult. It is used in everyday situations such as Dificulto la tarea con reglas nuevas. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is dificultar regular or irregular?
Dificultar 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 dificulto in the present and dificulté in the preterite.
What is the difference between dificultar and facilitar?
Dificultar means to make difficult, while facilitar means to make easy, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use dificultar when you mean to make difficult, as in Dificulto la tarea con reglas nuevas, and use facilitar for to make easy, its opposite. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I make difficult” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo dificulté el acceso por las obras. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo dificultaba la comunicación con el ruido. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he dificultado el acceso por las obras.
How do I practise dificultar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the dificultar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Dificultar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for dificultar.
- Dificultar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for dificultar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Facilitar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with dificultar.
- Simplificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with dificultar.
- Clasificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with dificultar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.