Escanear Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb escanear means to scan, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Escanear means to scan, and it covers scanning documents into a computer, scanning a QR code with a phone and scanning a ticket at the entrance. It is a modern, fully regular verb borrowed from English, and it appears in offices, airports and everyday phone use. Like every Spanish verb, escanear 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 escaneo el documento para enviarlo por correo, and in the preterite you say escaneé las fotos antiguas de la familia. 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: escanear
- English: to scan
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: escaneando
- Past participle: escaneado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + escaneado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for escanear, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Escanear is fully regular: escaneo, escanea. Remember it means to scan, not to print — the printed copy comes after the scan.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for escanear. 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 | escaneo |
| tú | escaneas |
| él/ella/Ud. | escanea |
| nosotros/as | escaneamos |
| vosotros/as | escaneáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | escanean |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | escaneé |
| tú | escaneaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | escaneó |
| nosotros/as | escaneamos |
| vosotros/as | escaneasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | escanearon |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | escaneaba |
| tú | escaneabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | escaneaba |
| nosotros/as | escaneábamos |
| vosotros/as | escaneabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | escaneaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | escanearé |
| tú | escanearás |
| él/ella/Ud. | escaneará |
| nosotros/as | escanearemos |
| vosotros/as | escanearéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | escanearán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | escanearía |
| tú | escanearías |
| él/ella/Ud. | escanearía |
| nosotros/as | escanearíamos |
| vosotros/as | escanearíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | escanearían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he escaneado |
| tú | has escaneado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha escaneado |
| nosotros/as | hemos escaneado |
| vosotros/as | habéis escaneado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han escaneado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había escaneado |
| tú | habías escaneado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había escaneado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos escaneado |
| vosotros/as | habíais escaneado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían escaneado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré escaneado |
| tú | habrás escaneado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá escaneado |
| nosotros/as | habremos escaneado |
| vosotros/as | habréis escaneado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán escaneado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría escaneado |
| tú | habrías escaneado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría escaneado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos escaneado |
| vosotros/as | habríais escaneado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían escaneado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | escanee |
| tú | escanees |
| él/ella/Ud. | escanee |
| nosotros/as | escaneemos |
| vosotros/as | escaneéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | escaneen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | escaneara |
| tú | escanearas |
| él/ella/Ud. | escaneara |
| nosotros/as | escaneáramos |
| vosotros/as | escanearais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | escanearan |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | escanea |
| él/ella/Ud. | escanee |
| nosotros/as | escaneemos |
| vosotros/as | escanead |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | escaneen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | escanees |
| él/ella/Ud. | escanee |
| nosotros/as | escaneemos |
| vosotros/as | escaneéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | escaneen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | escaneando | with estar for the progressive: estoy escaneando |
| Past participle | escaneado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he escaneado |
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 escanear, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Escaneo el documento para enviarlo por correo. 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 escanear, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, escaneé el código QR con el móvil. 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 escanear, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, escaneaba las fotos antiguas de la familia. 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 escanear, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, escanearé el billete en la entrada del cine. 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 escanear, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Escanearía el documento para enviarlo por correo 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 escanear, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he escaneado el código QR con el móvil. 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 escanear, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había escaneado las fotos antiguas de la familia 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 escanear, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré escaneado el billete en la entrada del cine. 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 escanear, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría escaneado el documento para enviarlo por correo 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 escanear, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él escanee el código QR con el móvil. 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 escanear, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él escaneara las fotos antiguas de la familia, 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 escanear, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Escanea el billete en la entrada del cine! 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 escanear, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No escanees el documento para enviarlo por correo. 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 escanear, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Escaneo el documento para enviarlo por correo. — I scan the document to send it by email.
- Escanea el código QR con el móvil. — He/she scans the QR code with my phone.
- Ayer, escaneé las fotos antiguas de la familia. — Yesterday, I scanned the family's old photos.
- Antes, nosotros escaneábamos el billete en la entrada del cine. — Before, we used to scan the ticket at the cinema entrance.
- Mañana, tú escanearás el documento para enviarlo por correo. — Tomorrow, you will scan the document to send it by email.
- Yo escanearía el código QR con el móvil si tuviera más tiempo. — I would scan the QR code with my phone if I had more time.
- Él ha escaneado las fotos antiguas de la familia. — He has scanned the family's old photos.
- Espero que él escanee el billete en la entrada del cine. — I hope he scans the ticket at the cinema entrance.
- Yo ya había escaneado el documento para enviarlo por correo antes de salir. — I had already scanned the document to send it by email before leaving.
- Ellos escaneaban el código QR con el móvil cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to scan the QR code with my phone when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo escanea el documento para enviarlo por correo. — Right: Yo escaneo el documento para enviarlo por correo. — The person matters: escanea is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is escaneo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo escaneo el código QR con el móvil. — Right: Ayer yo escaneé el código QR con el móvil. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: escaneo is happening now, while escaneé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating escanear and imprimir as identical in every context. — Right: Escanear means to scan, while imprimir means to print. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: escanear fits sentences such as Escaneo el documento para enviarlo por correo, while imprimir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy escaneado el código QR con el móvil. — Right: Yo he escaneado el código QR con el móvil. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he escaneado, has escaneado, ha escaneado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo escaneé las fotos antiguas de la familia todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo escaneaba las fotos antiguas de la familia todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (escaneaba), not the preterite. The preterite (escaneé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on escanear. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el documento para enviarlo por correo. (present tense) A. escaneo B. escaneas C. escanea D. escaneamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el código QR con el móvil. (preterite) A. escaneé B. escaneaste C. escanearon D. escaneó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ las fotos antiguas de la familia. (imperfect) A. escaneabas B. escaneaban C. escaneábamos D. escaneaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el billete en la entrada del cine. (future) A. escanearemos B. escanearás C. escanearé D. escaneará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el documento para enviarlo por correo si pudiera. (conditional) A. escanearía B. escanearías C. escanearían D. escaneo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el código QR con el móvil. (present subjunctive) A. escanees B. escaneemos C. escaneo D. escanee
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ las fotos antiguas de la familia, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. escaneáramos B. escaneo C. escaneara D. escanearas
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el billete en la entrada del cine. (present perfect) A. han escaneado B. hemos escaneado C. he escaneado D. has escaneado
Complete the command: ¡___ el documento para enviarlo por correo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. escanea B. escanee C. escaneemos D. escanead
Which is the gerund of escanear, used with estar for the progressive? A. escaneado B. escaneo C. escaneé D. escaneando
Answer key
- escaneo — The first-person present of escanear is escaneo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- escaneó — The third-person preterite of escanear is escaneó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- escaneábamos — The nosotros imperfect of escanear is escaneábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- escanearás — The second-person future of escanear is escanearás.
- escanearía — The first-person conditional of escanear is escanearía, the form for what would happen.
- escanee — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of escanear is escanee.
- escaneara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of escanear is escaneara.
- hemos escaneado — The nosotros present perfect of escanear is hemos escaneado: hemos + escaneado.
- escanea — The affirmative tú imperative of escanear is escanea.
- escaneando — The gerund of escanear is escaneando: estoy escaneando. The participle escaneado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does escanear mean in English?
Escanear means to scan. It is used in everyday situations such as Escaneo el documento para enviarlo por correo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is escanear regular or irregular?
Escanear 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 escaneo in the present and escaneé in the preterite.
What is the difference between escanear and imprimir?
Escanear means to scan, while imprimir means to print. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use escanear when you mean to scan, as in Escaneo el documento para enviarlo por correo, and use imprimir for to print. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I scan” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo escaneé el código QR con el móvil. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo escaneaba las fotos antiguas de la familia. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he escaneado el código QR con el móvil.
How do I practise escanear?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the escanear examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Escanear in the present tense — the full present-tense table for escanear.
- Escanear examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for escanear.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Pausar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with escanear.
- Reiniciar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with escanear.
- Legislar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with escanear.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.