Empatar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb empatar means to draw, to tie (a match), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Empatar means to draw or to tie a match, to finish a game with the same score on both sides. It is a sports verb used constantly in football and other games, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, empatar 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 empato a dos goles con el equipo rival, and in the preterite you say empaté a cero en un partido aburrido. 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: empatar
  • English: to draw, to tie (a match)
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: empatando
  • Past participle: empatado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + empatado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for empatar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Empatar is fully regular: empato, empata. Empatar a dos means the score was two-all; if your team scores more, it wins — gana.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for empatar. 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 empato
tú empatas
él/ella/Ud. empata
nosotros/as empatamos
vosotros/as empatáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. empatan

Preterite

Person Form
yo empaté
tú empataste
él/ella/Ud. empató
nosotros/as empatamos
vosotros/as empatasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. empataron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo empataba
tú empatabas
él/ella/Ud. empataba
nosotros/as empatábamos
vosotros/as empatabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. empataban

Future

Person Form
yo empataré
tú empatarás
él/ella/Ud. empatará
nosotros/as empataremos
vosotros/as empataréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. empatarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo empataría
tú empatarías
él/ella/Ud. empataría
nosotros/as empataríamos
vosotros/as empataríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. empatarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo empate
tú empates
él/ella/Ud. empate
nosotros/as empatemos
vosotros/as empatéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. empaten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo empatara
tú empataras
él/ella/Ud. empatara
nosotros/as empatáramos
vosotros/as empatarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. empataran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú empata
él/ella/Ud. empate
nosotros/as empatemos
vosotros/as empatad
ellos/ellas/Uds. empaten

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú empates
él/ella/Ud. empate
nosotros/as empatemos
vosotros/as empatéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. empaten

Gerund and past participle

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

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 empatar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Empato a dos goles con el equipo rival. 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 empatar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, empaté el partido en el último minuto. 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 empatar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, empataba a cero en un partido aburrido. 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 empatar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, empataré con el campeón en su campo. 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 empatar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Empataría a dos goles con el equipo rival 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 empatar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he empatado el partido en el último minuto. 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 empatar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había empatado a cero en un partido aburrido 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 empatar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré empatado con el campeón en su campo. 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 empatar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría empatado a dos goles con el equipo rival 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 empatar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él empate el partido en el último minuto. 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 empatar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él empatara a cero en un partido aburrido, 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 empatar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Empata con el campeón en su campo! 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 empatar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No empates a dos goles con el equipo rival. 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 empatar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Empato a dos goles con el equipo rival. — I draw two-all against the rival team.
  2. Empata el partido en el último minuto. — He/she draws the match in the last minute.
  3. Ayer, empaté a cero en un partido aburrido. — Yesterday, I drew goalless in a boring match.
  4. Antes, nosotros empatábamos con el campeón en su campo. — Before, we used to draw with the champions at their ground.
  5. Mañana, tú empatarás a dos goles con el equipo rival. — Tomorrow, you will draw two-all against the rival team.
  6. Yo empataría el partido en el último minuto si tuviera más tiempo. — I would draw the match in the last minute if I had more time.
  7. Él ha empatado a cero en un partido aburrido. — He has drawn goalless in a boring match.
  8. Espero que él empate con el campeón en su campo. — I hope he draws with the champions at their ground.
  9. Yo ya había empatado a dos goles con el equipo rival antes de salir. — I had already drawn two-all against the rival team before leaving.
  10. Ellos empataban el partido en el último minuto cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to draw the match in the last minute when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo empata a dos goles con el equipo rival. — Right: Yo empato a dos goles con el equipo rival. — The person matters: empata is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is empato. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo empato el partido en el último minuto. — Right: Ayer yo empaté el partido en el último minuto. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: empato is happening now, while empaté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating empatar and ganar as identical in every context. — Right: Empatar means to draw, to tie (a match), while ganar means to win. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: empatar fits sentences such as Empato a dos goles con el equipo rival, while ganar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy empatado el partido en el último minuto. — Right: Yo he empatado el partido en el último minuto. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he empatado, has empatado, ha empatado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo empaté a cero en un partido aburrido todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo empataba a cero en un partido aburrido todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (empataba), not the preterite. The preterite (empaté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a dos goles con el equipo rival. (present tense) A. empato B. empatas C. empata D. empatamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el partido en el último minuto. (preterite) A. empaté B. empataste C. empataron D. empató

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a cero en un partido aburrido. (imperfect) A. empatabas B. empataban C. empatábamos D. empataba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con el campeón en su campo. (future) A. empataremos B. empatarás C. empataré D. empatará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a dos goles con el equipo rival si pudiera. (conditional) A. empataría B. empatarías C. empatarían D. empato

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el partido en el último minuto. (present subjunctive) A. empates B. empatemos C. empato D. empate

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a cero en un partido aburrido, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. empatáramos B. empato C. empatara D. empataras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con el campeón en su campo. (present perfect) A. han empatado B. hemos empatado C. he empatado D. has empatado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ a dos goles con el equipo rival! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. empata B. empate C. empatemos D. empatad

  10. Which is the gerund of empatar, used with estar for the progressive? A. empatado B. empato C. empaté D. empatando

Answer key

  1. empato — The first-person present of empatar is empato. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. empató — The third-person preterite of empatar is empató, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. empatábamos — The nosotros imperfect of empatar is empatábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. empatarás — The second-person future of empatar is empatarás.
  5. empataría — The first-person conditional of empatar is empataría, the form for what would happen.
  6. empate — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of empatar is empate.
  7. empatara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of empatar is empatara.
  8. hemos empatado — The nosotros present perfect of empatar is hemos empatado: hemos + empatado.
  9. empata — The affirmative tú imperative of empatar is empata.
  10. empatando — The gerund of empatar is empatando: estoy empatando. The participle empatado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does empatar mean in English?

Empatar means to draw, to tie (a match). It is used in everyday situations such as Empato a dos goles con el equipo rival. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is empatar regular or irregular?

Empatar 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 empato in the present and empaté in the preterite.

What is the difference between empatar and ganar?

Empatar means to draw, to tie (a match), while ganar means to win. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use empatar when you mean to draw, to tie (a match), as in Empato a dos goles con el equipo rival, and use ganar for to win. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I draw” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo empaté el partido en el último minuto. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo empataba a cero en un partido aburrido. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he empatado el partido en el último minuto.

How do I practise empatar?

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

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