Engordar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb engordar means to gain weight, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Engordar means to gain weight, and it is used for people, animals and even things that grow fatter, such as a pig before slaughter or a bank account in a joking sense. In everyday speech it is almost always about body weight, and it is usually softened with un poco or unos kilos. Like every Spanish verb, engordar 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 engordo con la comida de las fiestas, and in the preterite you say engordé en invierno sin hacer ejercicio. 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: engordar
- English: to gain weight
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: engordando
- Past participle: engordado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + engordado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for engordar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Engordar takes no reflexive pronoun in standard Spanish: él engorda, not él se engorda.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for engordar. 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 | engordo |
| tú | engordas |
| él/ella/Ud. | engorda |
| nosotros/as | engordamos |
| vosotros/as | engordáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engordan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | engordé |
| tú | engordaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | engordó |
| nosotros/as | engordamos |
| vosotros/as | engordasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engordaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | engordaba |
| tú | engordabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | engordaba |
| nosotros/as | engordábamos |
| vosotros/as | engordabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engordaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | engordaré |
| tú | engordarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | engordará |
| nosotros/as | engordaremos |
| vosotros/as | engordaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engordarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | engordaría |
| tú | engordarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | engordaría |
| nosotros/as | engordaríamos |
| vosotros/as | engordaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engordarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he engordado |
| tú | has engordado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha engordado |
| nosotros/as | hemos engordado |
| vosotros/as | habéis engordado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han engordado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había engordado |
| tú | habías engordado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había engordado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos engordado |
| vosotros/as | habíais engordado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían engordado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré engordado |
| tú | habrás engordado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá engordado |
| nosotros/as | habremos engordado |
| vosotros/as | habréis engordado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán engordado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría engordado |
| tú | habrías engordado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría engordado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos engordado |
| vosotros/as | habríais engordado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían engordado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | engorde |
| tú | engordes |
| él/ella/Ud. | engorde |
| nosotros/as | engordemos |
| vosotros/as | engordéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engorden |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | engordara |
| tú | engordaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | engordara |
| nosotros/as | engordáramos |
| vosotros/as | engordarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engordaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | engorda |
| él/ella/Ud. | engorde |
| nosotros/as | engordemos |
| vosotros/as | engordad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engorden |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | engordes |
| él/ella/Ud. | engorde |
| nosotros/as | engordemos |
| vosotros/as | engordéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engorden |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | engordando | with estar for the progressive: estoy engordando |
| Past participle | engordado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he engordado |
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 engordar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Engordo con la comida de las fiestas. 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 engordar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, engordé cinco kilos este año. 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 engordar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, engordaba en invierno sin hacer ejercicio. 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 engordar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, engordaré por comer tanto pan. 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 engordar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Engordaría con la comida de las fiestas 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 engordar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he engordado cinco kilos este año. 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 engordar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había engordado en invierno sin hacer ejercicio 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 engordar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré engordado por comer tanto pan. 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 engordar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría engordado con la comida de las fiestas 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 engordar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él engorde cinco kilos este año. 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 engordar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él engordara en invierno sin hacer ejercicio, 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 engordar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Engorda por comer tanto pan! 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 engordar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No engordes con la comida de las fiestas. 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 engordar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Engordo con la comida de las fiestas. — I gain weight on the festive food.
- Engorda cinco kilos este año. — He/she gains weight five kilos this year.
- Ayer, engordé en invierno sin hacer ejercicio. — Yesterday, I gained weight in winter without exercising.
- Antes, nosotros engordábamos por comer tanto pan. — Before, we used to gain weight from eating so much bread.
- Mañana, tú engordarás con la comida de las fiestas. — Tomorrow, you will gain weight on the festive food.
- Yo engordaría cinco kilos este año si tuviera más tiempo. — I would gain weight five kilos this year if I had more time.
- Él ha engordado en invierno sin hacer ejercicio. — He has gained weight in winter without exercising.
- Espero que él engorde por comer tanto pan. — I hope he gains weight from eating so much bread.
- Yo ya había engordado con la comida de las fiestas antes de salir. — I had already gained weight on the festive food before leaving.
- Ellos engordaban cinco kilos este año cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to gain weight five kilos this year when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo engorda con la comida de las fiestas. — Right: Yo engordo con la comida de las fiestas. — The person matters: engorda is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is engordo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo engordo cinco kilos este año. — Right: Ayer yo engordé cinco kilos este año. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: engordo is happening now, while engordé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating engordar and adelgazar as identical in every context. — Right: Engordar means to gain weight, while adelgazar means to lose weight, its opposite. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: engordar fits sentences such as Engordo con la comida de las fiestas, while adelgazar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy engordado cinco kilos este año. — Right: Yo he engordado cinco kilos este año. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he engordado, has engordado, ha engordado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo engordé en invierno sin hacer ejercicio todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo engordaba en invierno sin hacer ejercicio todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (engordaba), not the preterite. The preterite (engordé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on engordar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con la comida de las fiestas. (present tense) A. engordo B. engordas C. engorda D. engordamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ cinco kilos este año. (preterite) A. engordé B. engordaste C. engordaron D. engordó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en invierno sin hacer ejercicio. (imperfect) A. engordabas B. engordaban C. engordábamos D. engordaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ por comer tanto pan. (future) A. engordaremos B. engordarás C. engordaré D. engordará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con la comida de las fiestas si pudiera. (conditional) A. engordaría B. engordarías C. engordarían D. engordo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ cinco kilos este año. (present subjunctive) A. engordes B. engordemos C. engordo D. engorde
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en invierno sin hacer ejercicio, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. engordáramos B. engordo C. engordara D. engordaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ por comer tanto pan. (present perfect) A. han engordado B. hemos engordado C. he engordado D. has engordado
Complete the command: ¡___ con la comida de las fiestas! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. engorda B. engorde C. engordemos D. engordad
Which is the gerund of engordar, used with estar for the progressive? A. engordado B. engordo C. engordé D. engordando
Answer key
- engordo — The first-person present of engordar is engordo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- engordó — The third-person preterite of engordar is engordó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- engordábamos — The nosotros imperfect of engordar is engordábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- engordarás — The second-person future of engordar is engordarás.
- engordaría — The first-person conditional of engordar is engordaría, the form for what would happen.
- engorde — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of engordar is engorde.
- engordara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of engordar is engordara.
- hemos engordado — The nosotros present perfect of engordar is hemos engordado: hemos + engordado.
- engorda — The affirmative tú imperative of engordar is engorda.
- engordando — The gerund of engordar is engordando: estoy engordando. The participle engordado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does engordar mean in English?
Engordar means to gain weight. It is used in everyday situations such as Engordo con la comida de las fiestas. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is engordar regular or irregular?
Engordar 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 engordo in the present and engordé in the preterite.
What is the difference between engordar and adelgazar?
Engordar means to gain weight, while adelgazar means to lose weight, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use engordar when you mean to gain weight, as in Engordo con la comida de las fiestas, and use adelgazar for to lose weight, its opposite. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I gain weight” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo engordé cinco kilos este año. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo engordaba en invierno sin hacer ejercicio. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he engordado cinco kilos este año.
How do I practise engordar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the engordar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Engordar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for engordar.
- Engordar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for engordar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Adelgazar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with engordar.
- Respirar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with engordar.
- Desayunar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with engordar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.