Distraer Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb distraer means to distract, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Distraer means to distract, and it is used for distracting someone from work, distracting a child with a game and getting distracted by noise. It follows the pattern of traer, with the present distraigo, the preterite distraje, the gerund distrayendo and the participle distraído. Like every Spanish verb, distraer 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 distraigo a los niños con un juego, and in the preterite you say distraje la atención 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: distraer
  • English: to distract
  • Verb type: irregular verb
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: distrayendo
  • Past participle: distraído
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + distraído)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for distraer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Distraer follows traer: the present is distraigo, the preterite is distraje, and the participle is distraído.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for distraer. 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 distraigo
tú distraes
él/ella/Ud. distrae
nosotros/as distraemos
vosotros/as distraéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. distraen

Preterite

Person Form
yo distraje
tú distrajiste
él/ella/Ud. distrajo
nosotros/as distrajimos
vosotros/as distrajisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. distrajeron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo distraía
tú distraías
él/ella/Ud. distraía
nosotros/as distraíamos
vosotros/as distraíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. distraían

Future

Person Form
yo distraeré
tú distraerás
él/ella/Ud. distraerá
nosotros/as distraeremos
vosotros/as distraeréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. distraerán

Conditional

Person Form
yo distraería
tú distraerías
él/ella/Ud. distraería
nosotros/as distraeríamos
vosotros/as distraeríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. distraerían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo distraiga
tú distraigas
él/ella/Ud. distraiga
nosotros/as distraigamos
vosotros/as distraigáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. distraigan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo distrajera
tú distrajeras
él/ella/Ud. distrajera
nosotros/as distrajéramos
vosotros/as distrajerais
ellos/ellas/Uds. distrajeran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú distrae
él/ella/Ud. distraiga
nosotros/as distraigamos
vosotros/as distraed
ellos/ellas/Uds. distraigan

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú distraigas
él/ella/Ud. distraiga
nosotros/as distraigamos
vosotros/as distraigáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. distraigan

Gerund and past participle

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

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of traer, with a -g- in the present (as in atraigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in atraje), the gerund in -yendo (as in atrayendo), and the participle in -ído (as in atraído). Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For distraer, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Distraigo a los niños con un juego. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of traer, with a -g- in the present (as in atraigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in atraje), the gerund in -yendo (as in atrayendo), and the participle in -ído (as in atraído). Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For distraer, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, distraje a su amigo del trabajo. 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 distraer, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, distraía la atención 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 distraer, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, distraeré a los alumnos en clase. 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 distraer, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Distraería a los niños con un juego 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. This tense is irregular for this verb only because the past participle is distraído, not the regular form — the auxiliary haber is completely regular. For distraer, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he distraído a su amigo del trabajo. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb only because the past participle is distraído, not the regular form — the auxiliary haber is completely regular. For distraer, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había distraído la atención 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. This tense is irregular for this verb only because the past participle is distraído, not the regular form — the auxiliary haber is completely regular. For distraer, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré distraído a los alumnos en clase. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb only because the past participle is distraído, not the regular form — the auxiliary haber is completely regular. For distraer, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría distraído a los niños con un juego 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of traer, with a -g- in the present (as in atraigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in atraje), the gerund in -yendo (as in atrayendo), and the participle in -ído (as in atraído). Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For distraer, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él distraiga a su amigo del trabajo. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of traer, with a -g- in the present (as in atraigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in atraje), the gerund in -yendo (as in atrayendo), and the participle in -ído (as in atraído). Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For distraer, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él distrajera la atención 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of traer, with a -g- in the present (as in atraigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in atraje), the gerund in -yendo (as in atrayendo), and the participle in -ído (as in atraído). Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For distraer, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Distrae a los alumnos en clase! 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of traer, with a -g- in the present (as in atraigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in atraje), the gerund in -yendo (as in atrayendo), and the participle in -ído (as in atraído). Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For distraer, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No distraigas a los niños con un juego. 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 distraer, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Distraigo a los niños con un juego. — I distract the children with a game.
  2. Distrae a su amigo del trabajo. — He/she distracts his friend from work.
  3. Ayer, distraje la atención con el ruido. — Yesterday, I distracted attention with the noise.
  4. Antes, nosotros distraíamos a los alumnos en clase. — Before, we used to distract the pupils in class.
  5. Mañana, tú distraerás a los niños con un juego. — Tomorrow, you will distract the children with a game.
  6. Yo distraería a su amigo del trabajo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would distract his friend from work if I had more time.
  7. Él ha distraído la atención con el ruido. — He has distracted attention with the noise.
  8. Espero que él distraiga a los alumnos en clase. — I hope he distracts the pupils in class.
  9. Yo ya había distraído a los niños con un juego antes de salir. — I had already distracted the children with a game before leaving.
  10. Ellos distraían a su amigo del trabajo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to distract his friend from work when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo distrae a los niños con un juego. — Right: Yo distraigo a los niños con un juego. — The person matters: distrae is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is distraigo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo distraí a su amigo del trabajo. — Right: Ayer yo distraje a su amigo del trabajo. — Distraer has an irregular preterite: the correct first-person form is distraje, not the regular distraí. Learn the preterite forms in the table as a set.
  3. Wrong: Treating distraer and concentrarse as identical in every context. — Right: Distraer means to distract, while concentrarse means to concentrate. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: distraer fits sentences such as Distraigo a los niños con un juego, while concentrarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy distraído a su amigo del trabajo. — Right: Yo he distraído a su amigo del trabajo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he distraído, has distraído, ha distraído. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo distraje la atención con el ruido todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo distraía la atención con el ruido todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (distraía), not the preterite. The preterite (distraje) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los niños con un juego. (present tense) A. distraigo B. distraes C. distrae D. distraemos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a su amigo del trabajo. (preterite) A. distraje B. distrajiste C. distrajeron D. distrajo

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la atención con el ruido. (imperfect) A. distraías B. distraían C. distraíamos D. distraía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a los alumnos en clase. (future) A. distraeremos B. distraerás C. distraeré D. distraerá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los niños con un juego si pudiera. (conditional) A. distraería B. distraerías C. distraerían D. distraigo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a su amigo del trabajo. (present subjunctive) A. distraigas B. distraigamos C. distraigo D. distraiga

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la atención con el ruido, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. distrajéramos B. distraigo C. distrajera D. distrajeras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a los alumnos en clase. (present perfect) A. han distraído B. hemos distraído C. he distraído D. has distraído

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ a los niños con un juego! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. distrae B. distraiga C. distraigamos D. distraed

  10. Which is the gerund of distraer, used with estar for the progressive? A. distraído B. distraigo C. distraje D. distrayendo

Answer key

  1. distraigo — The first-person present of distraer is distraigo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. distrajo — The third-person preterite of distraer is distrajo, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. distraíamos — The nosotros imperfect of distraer is distraíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. distraerás — The second-person future of distraer is distraerás.
  5. distraería — The first-person conditional of distraer is distraería, the form for what would happen.
  6. distraiga — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of distraer is distraiga.
  7. distrajera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of distraer is distrajera.
  8. hemos distraído — The nosotros present perfect of distraer is hemos distraído: hemos + distraído.
  9. distrae — The affirmative tú imperative of distraer is distrae.
  10. distrayendo — The gerund of distraer is distrayendo: estoy distrayendo. The participle distraído is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does distraer mean in English?

Distraer means to distract. It is used in everyday situations such as Distraigo a los niños con un juego. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is distraer regular or irregular?

Distraer is irregular in present, preterite, present-subjunctive, imperfect-subjunctive, gerund, past-participle, present-perfect, pluperfect, future-perfect, conditional-perfect, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative. The other tenses follow the regular pattern. Learn the irregular forms from the tables above rather than guessing them from the infinitive.

What is the difference between distraer and concentrarse?

Distraer means to distract, while concentrarse means to concentrate. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use distraer when you mean to distract, as in Distraigo a los niños con un juego, and use concentrarse for to concentrate. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I distract” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo distraje a su amigo del trabajo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo distraía la atención con el ruido. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he distraído a su amigo del trabajo.

How do I practise distraer?

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

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