Doblar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb doblar means to turn, to fold, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Doblar means to turn or to fold, and it covers turning a corner in the street, folding a letter or a shirt, and doubling an amount. It is fully regular, and the context tells you which meaning is meant. Like every Spanish verb, doblar 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 doblo a la derecha en la esquina, and in the preterite you say doblé la ropa después de planchar. 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: doblar
  • English: to turn, to fold
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: doblando
  • Past participle: doblado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + doblado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for doblar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Doblar a la derecha is to turn right; doblar la ropa is to fold the clothes. The object tells you the meaning.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for doblar. 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 doblo
tú doblas
él/ella/Ud. dobla
nosotros/as doblamos
vosotros/as dobláis
ellos/ellas/Uds. doblan

Preterite

Person Form
yo doblé
tú doblaste
él/ella/Ud. dobló
nosotros/as doblamos
vosotros/as doblasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. doblaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo doblaba
tú doblabas
él/ella/Ud. doblaba
nosotros/as doblábamos
vosotros/as doblabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. doblaban

Future

Person Form
yo doblaré
tú doblarás
él/ella/Ud. doblará
nosotros/as doblaremos
vosotros/as doblaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. doblarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo doblaría
tú doblarías
él/ella/Ud. doblaría
nosotros/as doblaríamos
vosotros/as doblaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. doblarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo doble
tú dobles
él/ella/Ud. doble
nosotros/as doblemos
vosotros/as dobléis
ellos/ellas/Uds. doblen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo doblara
tú doblaras
él/ella/Ud. doblara
nosotros/as dobláramos
vosotros/as doblarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. doblaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú dobla
él/ella/Ud. doble
nosotros/as doblemos
vosotros/as doblad
ellos/ellas/Uds. doblen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú dobles
él/ella/Ud. doble
nosotros/as doblemos
vosotros/as dobléis
ellos/ellas/Uds. doblen

Gerund and past participle

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

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 doblar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Doblo a la derecha en la esquina. 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 doblar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, doblé la carta antes de meterla. 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 doblar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, doblaba la ropa después de planchar. 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 doblar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, doblaré a la izquierda en el cruce. 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 doblar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Doblaría a la derecha en la esquina 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 doblar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he doblado la carta antes de meterla. 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 doblar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había doblado la ropa después de planchar 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 doblar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré doblado a la izquierda en el cruce. 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 doblar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría doblado a la derecha en la esquina 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 doblar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él doble la carta antes de meterla. 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 doblar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él doblara la ropa después de planchar, 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 doblar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Dobla a la izquierda en el cruce! 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 doblar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No dobles a la derecha en la esquina. 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 doblar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Doblo a la derecha en la esquina. — I turn to the right at the corner.
  2. Dobla la carta antes de meterla. — He/she turns the letter before putting it in.
  3. Ayer, doblé la ropa después de planchar. — Yesterday, I turned the clothes after ironing.
  4. Antes, nosotros doblábamos a la izquierda en el cruce. — Before, we used to turn to the left at the crossroads.
  5. Mañana, tú doblarás a la derecha en la esquina. — Tomorrow, you will turn to the right at the corner.
  6. Yo doblaría la carta antes de meterla si tuviera más tiempo. — I would turn the letter before putting it in if I had more time.
  7. Él ha doblado la ropa después de planchar. — He has turned the clothes after ironing.
  8. Espero que él doble a la izquierda en el cruce. — I hope he turns to the left at the crossroads.
  9. Yo ya había doblado a la derecha en la esquina antes de salir. — I had already turned to the right at the corner before leaving.
  10. Ellos doblaban la carta antes de meterla cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to turn the letter before putting it in when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo dobla a la derecha en la esquina. — Right: Yo doblo a la derecha en la esquina. — The person matters: dobla is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is doblo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo doblo la carta antes de meterla. — Right: Ayer yo doblé la carta antes de meterla. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: doblo is happening now, while doblé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating doblar and girar as identical in every context. — Right: Doblar means to turn, to fold, while girar means to turn. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: doblar fits sentences such as Doblo a la derecha en la esquina, while girar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy doblado la carta antes de meterla. — Right: Yo he doblado la carta antes de meterla. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he doblado, has doblado, ha doblado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo doblé la ropa después de planchar todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo doblaba la ropa después de planchar todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (doblaba), not the preterite. The preterite (doblé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a la derecha en la esquina. (present tense) A. doblo B. doblas C. dobla D. doblamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la carta antes de meterla. (preterite) A. doblé B. doblaste C. doblaron D. dobló

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la ropa después de planchar. (imperfect) A. doblabas B. doblaban C. doblábamos D. doblaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a la izquierda en el cruce. (future) A. doblaremos B. doblarás C. doblaré D. doblará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a la derecha en la esquina si pudiera. (conditional) A. doblaría B. doblarías C. doblarían D. doblo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la carta antes de meterla. (present subjunctive) A. dobles B. doblemos C. doblo D. doble

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la ropa después de planchar, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. dobláramos B. doblo C. doblara D. doblaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a la izquierda en el cruce. (present perfect) A. han doblado B. hemos doblado C. he doblado D. has doblado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ a la derecha en la esquina! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. dobla B. doble C. doblemos D. doblad

  10. Which is the gerund of doblar, used with estar for the progressive? A. doblado B. doblo C. doblé D. doblando

Answer key

  1. doblo — The first-person present of doblar is doblo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. dobló — The third-person preterite of doblar is dobló, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. doblábamos — The nosotros imperfect of doblar is doblábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. doblarás — The second-person future of doblar is doblarás.
  5. doblaría — The first-person conditional of doblar is doblaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. doble — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of doblar is doble.
  7. doblara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of doblar is doblara.
  8. hemos doblado — The nosotros present perfect of doblar is hemos doblado: hemos + doblado.
  9. dobla — The affirmative tú imperative of doblar is dobla.
  10. doblando — The gerund of doblar is doblando: estoy doblando. The participle doblado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does doblar mean in English?

Doblar means to turn, to fold. It is used in everyday situations such as Doblo a la derecha en la esquina. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is doblar regular or irregular?

Doblar 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 doblo in the present and doblé in the preterite.

What is the difference between doblar and girar?

Doblar means to turn, to fold, while girar means to turn. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use doblar when you mean to turn, to fold, as in Doblo a la derecha en la esquina, and use girar for to turn. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I turn” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo doblé la carta antes de meterla. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo doblaba la ropa después de planchar. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he doblado la carta antes de meterla.

How do I practise doblar?

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

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