Disminuir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb disminuir means to decrease, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Disminuir means to decrease or to reduce, and it is used for prices, speed, noise and numbers: disminuir el precio, disminuir la velocidad. It is a -uir verb: yo disminuyo, él disminuye, with y before the vowel endings. Like every Spanish verb, disminuir 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 disminuyo el precio de la casa, and in the preterite you say disminuí el ruido por la noche. 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: disminuir
- English: to decrease
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: disminuyendo
- Past participle: disminuido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + disminuido)
- Pattern to learn: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is disminuyo and disminuye, and the gerund is disminuyendo.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for disminuir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Disminuir is a -uir verb: yo disminuyo, él disminuye, with y before the vowel endings.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for disminuir. 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 | disminuyo |
| tú | disminuyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | disminuye |
| nosotros/as | disminuimos |
| vosotros/as | disminuís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | disminuyen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | disminuí |
| tú | disminuiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | disminuyó |
| nosotros/as | disminuimos |
| vosotros/as | disminuisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | disminuyeron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | disminuía |
| tú | disminuías |
| él/ella/Ud. | disminuía |
| nosotros/as | disminuíamos |
| vosotros/as | disminuíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | disminuían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | disminuiré |
| tú | disminuirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | disminuirá |
| nosotros/as | disminuiremos |
| vosotros/as | disminuiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | disminuirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | disminuiría |
| tú | disminuirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | disminuiría |
| nosotros/as | disminuiríamos |
| vosotros/as | disminuiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | disminuirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he disminuido |
| tú | has disminuido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha disminuido |
| nosotros/as | hemos disminuido |
| vosotros/as | habéis disminuido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han disminuido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había disminuido |
| tú | habías disminuido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había disminuido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos disminuido |
| vosotros/as | habíais disminuido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían disminuido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré disminuido |
| tú | habrás disminuido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá disminuido |
| nosotros/as | habremos disminuido |
| vosotros/as | habréis disminuido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán disminuido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría disminuido |
| tú | habrías disminuido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría disminuido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos disminuido |
| vosotros/as | habríais disminuido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían disminuido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | disminuya |
| tú | disminuyas |
| él/ella/Ud. | disminuya |
| nosotros/as | disminuyamos |
| vosotros/as | disminuyáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | disminuyan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | disminuyera |
| tú | disminuyeras |
| él/ella/Ud. | disminuyera |
| nosotros/as | disminuyéramos |
| vosotros/as | disminuyerais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | disminuyeran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | disminuye |
| él/ella/Ud. | disminuya |
| nosotros/as | disminuyamos |
| vosotros/as | disminuid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | disminuyan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | disminuyas |
| él/ella/Ud. | disminuya |
| nosotros/as | disminuyamos |
| vosotros/as | disminuyáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | disminuyan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | disminuyendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy disminuyendo |
| Past participle | disminuido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he disminuido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the pattern here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is disminuyo and disminuye, and the gerund is disminuyendo. For disminuir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Disminuyo el precio de la casa. 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 here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is disminuyo and disminuye, and the gerund is disminuyendo. For disminuir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, disminuí la velocidad en la curva. 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 disminuir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, disminuía el ruido por la noche. 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 disminuir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, disminuiré los gastos del mes. 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 disminuir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Disminuiría el precio de la casa 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 disminuir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he disminuido la velocidad en la curva. 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 disminuir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había disminuido el ruido por la noche 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 disminuir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré disminuido los gastos del mes. 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 disminuir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría disminuido el precio de la casa 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 here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is disminuyo and disminuye, and the gerund is disminuyendo. For disminuir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él disminuya la velocidad en la curva. 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 disminuir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él disminuyera el ruido por la noche, 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 here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is disminuyo and disminuye, and the gerund is disminuyendo. For disminuir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Disminuye los gastos del mes! 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 here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is disminuyo and disminuye, and the gerund is disminuyendo. For disminuir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No disminuyas el precio de la casa. 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 disminuir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Disminuyo el precio de la casa. — I decrease the price of the house.
- Disminuye la velocidad en la curva. — He/she decreases speed on the bend.
- Ayer, disminuí el ruido por la noche. — Yesterday, I decreased noise at night.
- Antes, nosotros disminuíamos los gastos del mes. — Before, we used to decrease the month's expenses.
- Mañana, tú disminuirás el precio de la casa. — Tomorrow, you will decrease the price of the house.
- Yo disminuiría la velocidad en la curva si tuviera más tiempo. — I would decrease speed on the bend if I had more time.
- Él ha disminuido el ruido por la noche. — He has decreased noise at night.
- Espero que él disminuya los gastos del mes. — I hope he decreases the month's expenses.
- Yo ya había disminuido el precio de la casa antes de salir. — I had already decreased the price of the house before leaving.
- Ellos disminuían la velocidad en la curva cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to decrease speed on the bend when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo disminuye el precio de la casa. — Right: Yo disminuyo el precio de la casa. — The person matters: disminuye is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is disminuyo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo disminuo la velocidad en la curva. — Right: Yo disminuyo la velocidad en la curva. — Disminuir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is disminuyo and disminuye, and the gerund is disminuyendo. The form disminuyo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
- Wrong: Treating disminuir and reducir as identical in every context. — Right: Disminuir means to decrease, while reducir means to reduce. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: disminuir fits sentences such as Disminuyo el precio de la casa, while reducir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy disminuido la velocidad en la curva. — Right: Yo he disminuido la velocidad en la curva. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he disminuido, has disminuido, ha disminuido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo disminuí el ruido por la noche todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo disminuía el ruido por la noche todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (disminuía), not the preterite. The preterite (disminuí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on disminuir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el precio de la casa. (present tense) A. disminuyo B. disminuyes C. disminuye D. disminuimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la velocidad en la curva. (preterite) A. disminuí B. disminuiste C. disminuimos D. disminuyó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el ruido por la noche. (imperfect) A. disminuías B. disminuyo C. disminuíamos D. disminuía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ los gastos del mes. (future) A. disminuiremos B. disminuirás C. disminuiré D. disminuirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el precio de la casa si pudiera. (conditional) A. disminuiría B. disminuirías C. disminuiríamos D. disminuyo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la velocidad en la curva. (present subjunctive) A. disminuyas B. disminuyamos C. disminuyo D. disminuya
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el ruido por la noche, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. disminuyéramos B. disminuyo C. disminuyera D. disminuyeras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ los gastos del mes. (present perfect) A. ha disminuido B. hemos disminuido C. he disminuido D. has disminuido
Complete the command: ¡___ el precio de la casa! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. disminuye B. disminuya C. disminuyamos D. disminuid
Which is the gerund of disminuir, used with estar for the progressive? A. disminuido B. disminuyo C. disminuí D. disminuyendo
Answer key
- disminuyo — The yo present tense of disminuir is disminuyo.
- disminuyó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of disminuir is disminuyó.
- disminuíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of disminuir is disminuíamos.
- disminuirás — The tú future of disminuir is disminuirás.
- disminuiría — The yo conditional of disminuir is disminuiría.
- disminuya — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of disminuir is disminuya.
- disminuyera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of disminuir is disminuyera.
- hemos disminuido — The nosotros/as present perfect of disminuir is hemos disminuido.
- disminuye — The affirmative tú imperative of disminuir is disminuye.
- disminuyendo — The gerund of disminuir is disminuyendo: estoy disminuyendo. The participle disminuido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does disminuir mean in English?
Disminuir means to decrease. It is used in everyday situations such as Disminuyo el precio de la casa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is disminuir regular or irregular?
Disminuir is a spelling-change verb: it is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is disminuyo and disminuye, and the gerund is disminuyendo. The endings are regular, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page, including disminuyo in the present and disminuí in the preterite.
What is the difference between disminuir and reducir?
Disminuir means to decrease, while reducir means to reduce. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use disminuir when you mean to decrease, as in Disminuyo el precio de la casa, and use reducir for to reduce. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I decrease” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo disminuí la velocidad en la curva. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo disminuía el ruido por la noche. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he disminuido la velocidad en la curva.
How do I practise disminuir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the disminuir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Disminuir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for disminuir.
- Disminuir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for disminuir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Dirigir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with disminuir.
- Distinguir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with disminuir.
- Difundir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with disminuir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.