Emitir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb emitir means to emit, to broadcast, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Emitir means to emit or to broadcast, and it is used for radio and television programmes, sounds, light and opinions: emitir un programa, emitir un sonido. It is a regular -ir verb, common in media and science. Like every Spanish verb, emitir 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 emito un programa de radio, and in the preterite you say emití una opinión en la reunión. 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: emitir
- English: to emit, to broadcast
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: emitiendo
- Past participle: emitido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + emitido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for emitir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Emitir is regular: emití, emitía, emitiré.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for emitir. 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 | emito |
| tú | emites |
| él/ella/Ud. | emite |
| nosotros/as | emitimos |
| vosotros/as | emitís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emiten |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | emití |
| tú | emitiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | emitió |
| nosotros/as | emitimos |
| vosotros/as | emitisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emitieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | emitía |
| tú | emitías |
| él/ella/Ud. | emitía |
| nosotros/as | emitíamos |
| vosotros/as | emitíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emitían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | emitiré |
| tú | emitirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | emitirá |
| nosotros/as | emitiremos |
| vosotros/as | emitiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emitirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | emitiría |
| tú | emitirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | emitiría |
| nosotros/as | emitiríamos |
| vosotros/as | emitiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emitirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he emitido |
| tú | has emitido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha emitido |
| nosotros/as | hemos emitido |
| vosotros/as | habéis emitido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han emitido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había emitido |
| tú | habías emitido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había emitido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos emitido |
| vosotros/as | habíais emitido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían emitido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré emitido |
| tú | habrás emitido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá emitido |
| nosotros/as | habremos emitido |
| vosotros/as | habréis emitido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán emitido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría emitido |
| tú | habrías emitido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría emitido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos emitido |
| vosotros/as | habríais emitido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían emitido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | emita |
| tú | emitas |
| él/ella/Ud. | emita |
| nosotros/as | emitamos |
| vosotros/as | emitáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emitan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | emitiera |
| tú | emitieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | emitiera |
| nosotros/as | emitiéramos |
| vosotros/as | emitierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emitieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | emite |
| él/ella/Ud. | emita |
| nosotros/as | emitamos |
| vosotros/as | emitid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emitan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | emitas |
| él/ella/Ud. | emita |
| nosotros/as | emitamos |
| vosotros/as | emitáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emitan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | emitiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy emitiendo |
| Past participle | emitido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he emitido |
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 emitir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Emito un programa de radio. 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 emitir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, emití un sonido extraño. 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 emitir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, emitía una opinión en la reunión. 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 emitir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, emitiré luz en la oscuridad. 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 emitir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Emitiría un programa de radio 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 emitir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he emitido un sonido extraño. 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 emitir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había emitido una opinión en la reunión 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 emitir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré emitido luz en la oscuridad. 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 emitir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría emitido un programa de radio 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 emitir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él emita un sonido extraño. 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 emitir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él emitiera una opinión en la reunión, 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 emitir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Emite luz en la oscuridad! 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 emitir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No emitas un programa de radio. 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 emitir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Emito un programa de radio. — I emit a radio programme.
- Emite un sonido extraño. — He/she emits a strange sound.
- Ayer, emití una opinión en la reunión. — Yesterday, I emitted an opinion in the meeting.
- Antes, nosotros emitíamos luz en la oscuridad. — Before, we used to emit light in the dark.
- Mañana, tú emitirás un programa de radio. — Tomorrow, you will emit a radio programme.
- Yo emitiría un sonido extraño si tuviera más tiempo. — I would emit a strange sound if I had more time.
- Él ha emitido una opinión en la reunión. — He has emitted an opinion in the meeting.
- Espero que él emita luz en la oscuridad. — I hope he emits light in the dark.
- Yo ya había emitido un programa de radio antes de salir. — I had already emitted a radio programme before leaving.
- Ellos emitían un sonido extraño cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to emit a strange sound when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo emite un programa de radio. — Right: Yo emito un programa de radio. — The person matters: emite is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is emito. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo emito un sonido extraño. — Right: Ayer yo emití un sonido extraño. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: emito is happening now, while emití is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating emitir and transmitir as identical in every context. — Right: Emitir means to emit, to broadcast, while transmitir means to transmit. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: emitir fits sentences such as Emito un programa de radio, while transmitir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy emitido un sonido extraño. — Right: Yo he emitido un sonido extraño. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he emitido, has emitido, ha emitido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo emití una opinión en la reunión todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo emitía una opinión en la reunión todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (emitía), not the preterite. The preterite (emití) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on emitir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un programa de radio. (present tense) A. emito B. emites C. emite D. emitimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ un sonido extraño. (preterite) A. emití B. emitiste C. emitimos D. emitió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ una opinión en la reunión. (imperfect) A. emitías B. emito C. emitíamos D. emitía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ luz en la oscuridad. (future) A. emitiremos B. emitirás C. emitiré D. emitirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un programa de radio si pudiera. (conditional) A. emitiría B. emitirías C. emitiríamos D. emito
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un sonido extraño. (present subjunctive) A. emitas B. emitamos C. emito D. emita
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una opinión en la reunión, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. emitiéramos B. emito C. emitiera D. emitieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ luz en la oscuridad. (present perfect) A. ha emitido B. hemos emitido C. he emitido D. has emitido
Complete the command: ¡___ un programa de radio! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. emite B. emita C. emitamos D. emitid
Which is the gerund of emitir, used with estar for the progressive? A. emitido B. emito C. emití D. emitiendo
Answer key
- emito — The yo present tense of emitir is emito.
- emitió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of emitir is emitió.
- emitíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of emitir is emitíamos.
- emitirás — The tú future of emitir is emitirás.
- emitiría — The yo conditional of emitir is emitiría.
- emita — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of emitir is emita.
- emitiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of emitir is emitiera.
- hemos emitido — The nosotros/as present perfect of emitir is hemos emitido.
- emite — The affirmative tú imperative of emitir is emite.
- emitiendo — The gerund of emitir is emitiendo: estoy emitiendo. The participle emitido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does emitir mean in English?
Emitir means to emit, to broadcast. It is used in everyday situations such as Emito un programa de radio. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is emitir regular or irregular?
Emitir is a fully regular -ir 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 emito in the present and emití in the preterite.
What is the difference between emitir and transmitir?
Emitir means to emit, to broadcast, while transmitir means to transmit. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use emitir when you mean to emit, to broadcast, as in Emito un programa de radio, and use transmitir for to transmit. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I emit” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo emití un sonido extraño. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo emitía una opinión en la reunión. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he emitido un sonido extraño.
How do I practise emitir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the emitir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Emitir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for emitir.
- Emitir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for emitir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Dividir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with emitir.
- Expandir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with emitir.
- Distribuir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with emitir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.