Echar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb echar means to throw, to put in, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Echar means to throw or to put in, and it is a wonderfully flexible verb: echar sal a la sopa, echar la basura, echar una carta al buzón, echar agua a las plantas. It is fully regular, and its many idioms — echar de menos, echar una mano — make it worth learning well. Like every Spanish verb, echar 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 echo sal a la sopa, and in the preterite you say eché una carta al buzón. 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: echar
  • English: to throw, to put in
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: echando
  • Past participle: echado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + echado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for echar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Echar is fully regular: eché, echaba, echaré. Learn its idioms one by one, starting with echar de menos.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for echar. 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 echo
tú echas
él/ella/Ud. echa
nosotros/as echamos
vosotros/as echáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. echan

Preterite

Person Form
yo eché
tú echaste
él/ella/Ud. echó
nosotros/as echamos
vosotros/as echasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. echaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo echaba
tú echabas
él/ella/Ud. echaba
nosotros/as echábamos
vosotros/as echabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. echaban

Future

Person Form
yo echaré
tú echarás
él/ella/Ud. echará
nosotros/as echaremos
vosotros/as echaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. echarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo echaría
tú echarías
él/ella/Ud. echaría
nosotros/as echaríamos
vosotros/as echaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. echarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo eche
tú eches
él/ella/Ud. eche
nosotros/as echemos
vosotros/as echéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. echen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo echara
tú echaras
él/ella/Ud. echara
nosotros/as echáramos
vosotros/as echarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. echaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú echa
él/ella/Ud. eche
nosotros/as echemos
vosotros/as echad
ellos/ellas/Uds. echen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú eches
él/ella/Ud. eche
nosotros/as echemos
vosotros/as echéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. echen

Gerund and past participle

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

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 echar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Echo sal a la sopa. 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 echar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, eché la basura en el cubo. 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 echar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, echaba una carta al buzón. 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 echar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, echaré agua a las plantas. 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 echar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Echaría sal a la sopa 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 echar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he echado la basura en el cubo. 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 echar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había echado una carta al buzón 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 echar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré echado agua a las plantas. 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 echar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría echado sal a la sopa 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 echar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él eche la basura en el cubo. 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 echar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él echara una carta al buzón, 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 echar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Echa agua a las plantas! 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 echar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No eches sal a la sopa. 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 echar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Echo sal a la sopa. — I throw salt into the soup.
  2. Echa la basura en el cubo. — He/she throws the rubbish in the bin.
  3. Ayer, eché una carta al buzón. — Yesterday, I threw a letter in the postbox.
  4. Antes, nosotros echábamos agua a las plantas. — Before, we used to throw water on the plants.
  5. Mañana, tú echarás sal a la sopa. — Tomorrow, you will throw salt into the soup.
  6. Yo echaría la basura en el cubo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would throw the rubbish in the bin if I had more time.
  7. Él ha echado una carta al buzón. — He has thrown a letter in the postbox.
  8. Espero que él eche agua a las plantas. — I hope he throws water on the plants.
  9. Yo ya había echado sal a la sopa antes de salir. — I had already thrown salt into the soup before leaving.
  10. Ellos echaban la basura en el cubo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to throw the rubbish in the bin when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo echa sal a la sopa. — Right: Yo echo sal a la sopa. — The person matters: echa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is echo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo echo la basura en el cubo. — Right: Ayer yo eché la basura en el cubo. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: echo is happening now, while eché is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating echar and echarse as identical in every context. — Right: Echar means to throw, to put in, while echarse means to lie down, the reflexive partner. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: echar fits sentences such as Echo sal a la sopa, while echarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy echado la basura en el cubo. — Right: Yo he echado la basura en el cubo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he echado, has echado, ha echado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo eché una carta al buzón todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo echaba una carta al buzón todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (echaba), not the preterite. The preterite (eché) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ sal a la sopa. (present tense) A. echo B. echas C. echa D. echamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la basura en el cubo. (preterite) A. eché B. echaste C. echaron D. echó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ una carta al buzón. (imperfect) A. echabas B. echaban C. echábamos D. echaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ agua a las plantas. (future) A. echaremos B. echarás C. echaré D. echará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ sal a la sopa si pudiera. (conditional) A. echaría B. echarías C. echarían D. echo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la basura en el cubo. (present subjunctive) A. eches B. echemos C. echo D. eche

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una carta al buzón, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. echáramos B. echo C. echara D. echaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ agua a las plantas. (present perfect) A. han echado B. hemos echado C. he echado D. has echado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ sal a la sopa! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. echa B. eche C. echemos D. echad

  10. Which is the gerund of echar, used with estar for the progressive? A. echado B. echo C. eché D. echando

Answer key

  1. echo — The first-person present of echar is echo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. echó — The third-person preterite of echar is echó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. echábamos — The nosotros imperfect of echar is echábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. echarás — The second-person future of echar is echarás.
  5. echaría — The first-person conditional of echar is echaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. eche — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of echar is eche.
  7. echara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of echar is echara.
  8. hemos echado — The nosotros present perfect of echar is hemos echado: hemos + echado.
  9. echa — The affirmative tú imperative of echar is echa.
  10. echando — The gerund of echar is echando: estoy echando. The participle echado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does echar mean in English?

Echar means to throw, to put in. It is used in everyday situations such as Echo sal a la sopa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is echar regular or irregular?

Echar 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 echo in the present and eché in the preterite.

What is the difference between echar and echarse?

Echar means to throw, to put in, while echarse means to lie down, the reflexive partner. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use echar when you mean to throw, to put in, as in Echo sal a la sopa, and use echarse for to lie down, the reflexive partner. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I throw” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo eché la basura en el cubo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo echaba una carta al buzón. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he echado la basura en el cubo.

How do I practise echar?

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

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