Establecer Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb establecer means to establish, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Establecer means to establish, and it covers establishing a company, setting rules, establishing a routine and establishing contact. It is a -cer spelling-change verb, and it is more formal than poner or crear. Like every Spanish verb, establecer 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 establezco una empresa en Madrid, and in the preterite you say establecí una rutina diaria. 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: establecer
- English: to establish
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -er
- Gerund: estableciendo
- Past participle: establecido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + establecido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for establecer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes zc before o and a, so yo establezco and the subjunctive establezca.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for establecer. 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 | establezco |
| tú | estableces |
| él/ella/Ud. | establece |
| nosotros/as | establecemos |
| vosotros/as | establecéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | establecen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | establecí |
| tú | estableciste |
| él/ella/Ud. | estableció |
| nosotros/as | establecimos |
| vosotros/as | establecisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | establecieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | establecía |
| tú | establecías |
| él/ella/Ud. | establecía |
| nosotros/as | establecíamos |
| vosotros/as | establecíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | establecían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estableceré |
| tú | establecerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | establecerá |
| nosotros/as | estableceremos |
| vosotros/as | estableceréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | establecerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | establecería |
| tú | establecerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | establecería |
| nosotros/as | estableceríamos |
| vosotros/as | estableceríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | establecerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he establecido |
| tú | has establecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha establecido |
| nosotros/as | hemos establecido |
| vosotros/as | habéis establecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han establecido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había establecido |
| tú | habías establecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había establecido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos establecido |
| vosotros/as | habíais establecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían establecido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré establecido |
| tú | habrás establecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá establecido |
| nosotros/as | habremos establecido |
| vosotros/as | habréis establecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán establecido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría establecido |
| tú | habrías establecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría establecido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos establecido |
| vosotros/as | habríais establecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían establecido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | establezca |
| tú | establezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | establezca |
| nosotros/as | establezcamos |
| vosotros/as | establecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | establezcan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estableciera |
| tú | establecieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | estableciera |
| nosotros/as | estableciéramos |
| vosotros/as | establecierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | establecieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | establece |
| él/ella/Ud. | establezca |
| nosotros/as | establezcamos |
| vosotros/as | estableced |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | establezcan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | establezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | establezca |
| nosotros/as | establezcamos |
| vosotros/as | establecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | establezcan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | estableciendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy estableciendo |
| Past participle | establecido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he establecido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For establecer, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Establezco una empresa en Madrid. 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 establecer, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, establecí las reglas del juego. 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 establecer, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, establecía una rutina diaria. 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 establecer, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, estableceré contacto con el cliente. 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 establecer, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Establecería una empresa en Madrid 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 establecer, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he establecido las reglas del juego. 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 establecer, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había establecido una rutina diaria 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 establecer, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré establecido contacto con el cliente. 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 establecer, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría establecido una empresa en Madrid 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For establecer, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él establezca las reglas del juego. 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 establecer, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él estableciera una rutina diaria, 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For establecer, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Establece contacto con el cliente! 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For establecer, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No establezcas una empresa en Madrid. 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 establecer, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Establezco una empresa en Madrid. — I establish a company in Madrid.
- Establece las reglas del juego. — He/she establishes the rules of the game.
- Ayer, establecí una rutina diaria. — Yesterday, I established a daily routine.
- Antes, nosotros establecíamos contacto con el cliente. — Before, we used to establish contact with the client.
- Mañana, tú establecerás una empresa en Madrid. — Tomorrow, you will establish a company in Madrid.
- Yo establecería las reglas del juego si tuviera más tiempo. — I would establish the rules of the game if I had more time.
- Él ha establecido una rutina diaria. — He has established a daily routine.
- Espero que él establezca contacto con el cliente. — I hope he establishes contact with the client.
- Yo ya había establecido una empresa en Madrid antes de salir. — I had already established a company in Madrid before leaving.
- Ellos establecían las reglas del juego cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to establish the rules of the game when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo establece una empresa en Madrid. — Right: Yo establezco una empresa en Madrid. — The person matters: establece is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is establezco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo estableco las reglas del juego. — Right: Yo establezco las reglas del juego. — In the present, the correct first-person form is establezco, not estableco. establecer is a spelling-change verb: c becomes zc before o and a, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
- Wrong: Treating establecer and crear as identical in every context. — Right: Establecer means to establish, while crear means to create, the close verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: establecer fits sentences such as Establezco una empresa en Madrid, while crear belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy establecido las reglas del juego. — Right: Yo he establecido las reglas del juego. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he establecido, has establecido, ha establecido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo establecí una rutina diaria todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo establecía una rutina diaria todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (establecía), not the preterite. The preterite (establecí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on establecer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una empresa en Madrid. (present tense) A. establezco B. estableces C. establece D. establecemos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ las reglas del juego. (preterite) A. establecí B. estableciste C. establecieron D. estableció
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ una rutina diaria. (imperfect) A. establecías B. establecían C. establecíamos D. establecía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ contacto con el cliente. (future) A. estableceremos B. establecerás C. estableceré D. establecerá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una empresa en Madrid si pudiera. (conditional) A. establecería B. establecerías C. establecerían D. establezco
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ las reglas del juego. (present subjunctive) A. establezcas B. establezcamos C. establezco D. establezca
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una rutina diaria, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. estableciéramos B. establezco C. estableciera D. establecieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ contacto con el cliente. (present perfect) A. han establecido B. hemos establecido C. he establecido D. has establecido
Complete the command: ¡___ una empresa en Madrid! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. establece B. establezca C. establezcamos D. estableced
Which is the gerund of establecer, used with estar for the progressive? A. establecido B. establezco C. establecí D. estableciendo
Answer key
- establezco — The first-person present of establecer is establezco. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- estableció — The third-person preterite of establecer is estableció, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- establecíamos — The nosotros imperfect of establecer is establecíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- establecerás — The second-person future of establecer is establecerás.
- establecería — The first-person conditional of establecer is establecería, the form for what would happen.
- establezca — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of establecer is establezca.
- estableciera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of establecer is estableciera.
- hemos establecido — The nosotros present perfect of establecer is hemos establecido: hemos + establecido.
- establece — The affirmative tú imperative of establecer is establece.
- estableciendo — The gerund of establecer is estableciendo: estoy estableciendo. The participle establecido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does establecer mean in English?
Establecer means to establish. It is used in everyday situations such as Establezco una empresa en Madrid. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is establecer regular or irregular?
Establecer is a fully regular -er 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 establezco in the present and establecí in the preterite.
What is the difference between establecer and crear?
Establecer means to establish, while crear means to create, the close verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use establecer when you mean to establish, as in Establezco una empresa en Madrid, and use crear for to create, the close verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I establish” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo establecí las reglas del juego. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo establecía una rutina diaria. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he establecido las reglas del juego.
How do I practise establecer?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the establecer examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Establecer in the present tense — the full present-tense table for establecer.
- Establecer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for establecer.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Merecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with establecer.
- Permanecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with establecer.
- Desaparecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with establecer.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.