Estrenar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb estrenar means to premiere, to wear for the first time, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Estrenar means to premiere, to show a film or a play for the first time, and also to wear a piece of clothing for the first time. It is a fully regular verb, and the two meanings share the idea of a first time. Like every Spanish verb, estrenar 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 estreno la película en el festival de cine, and in the preterite you say estrené el vestido nuevo en la boda. 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: estrenar
- English: to premiere, to wear for the first time
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: estrenando
- Past participle: estrenado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + estrenado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for estrenar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Estrenar is fully regular: estreno, estrena. Estrenar una película is to premiere it; estrenar un vestido is to wear it for the first time.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for estrenar. 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 | estreno |
| tú | estrenas |
| él/ella/Ud. | estrena |
| nosotros/as | estrenamos |
| vosotros/as | estrenáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estrenan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estrené |
| tú | estrenaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | estrenó |
| nosotros/as | estrenamos |
| vosotros/as | estrenasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estrenaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estrenaba |
| tú | estrenabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | estrenaba |
| nosotros/as | estrenábamos |
| vosotros/as | estrenabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estrenaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estrenaré |
| tú | estrenarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | estrenará |
| nosotros/as | estrenaremos |
| vosotros/as | estrenaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estrenarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estrenaría |
| tú | estrenarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | estrenaría |
| nosotros/as | estrenaríamos |
| vosotros/as | estrenaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estrenarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he estrenado |
| tú | has estrenado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha estrenado |
| nosotros/as | hemos estrenado |
| vosotros/as | habéis estrenado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han estrenado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había estrenado |
| tú | habías estrenado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había estrenado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos estrenado |
| vosotros/as | habíais estrenado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían estrenado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré estrenado |
| tú | habrás estrenado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá estrenado |
| nosotros/as | habremos estrenado |
| vosotros/as | habréis estrenado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán estrenado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría estrenado |
| tú | habrías estrenado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría estrenado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos estrenado |
| vosotros/as | habríais estrenado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían estrenado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estrene |
| tú | estrenes |
| él/ella/Ud. | estrene |
| nosotros/as | estrenemos |
| vosotros/as | estrenéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estrenen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | estrenara |
| tú | estrenaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | estrenara |
| nosotros/as | estrenáramos |
| vosotros/as | estrenarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estrenaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | estrena |
| él/ella/Ud. | estrene |
| nosotros/as | estrenemos |
| vosotros/as | estrenad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estrenen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | estrenes |
| él/ella/Ud. | estrene |
| nosotros/as | estrenemos |
| vosotros/as | estrenéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | estrenen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | estrenando | with estar for the progressive: estoy estrenando |
| Past participle | estrenado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he estrenado |
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 estrenar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Estreno la película en el festival de cine. 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 estrenar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, estrené la obra de teatro en Madrid. 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 estrenar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, estrenaba el vestido nuevo en la boda. 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 estrenar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, estrenaré los zapatos en la fiesta. 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 estrenar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Estrenaría la película en el festival de cine 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 estrenar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he estrenado la obra de teatro en Madrid. 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 estrenar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había estrenado el vestido nuevo en la boda 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 estrenar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré estrenado los zapatos en la fiesta. 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 estrenar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría estrenado la película en el festival de cine 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 estrenar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él estrene la obra de teatro en Madrid. 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 estrenar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él estrenara el vestido nuevo en la boda, 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 estrenar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Estrena los zapatos en la fiesta! 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 estrenar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No estrenes la película en el festival de cine. 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 estrenar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Estreno la película en el festival de cine. — I premiere the film at the film festival.
- Estrena la obra de teatro en Madrid. — He/she premieres the play in Madrid.
- Ayer, estrené el vestido nuevo en la boda. — Yesterday, I premiered the new dress at the wedding.
- Antes, nosotros estrenábamos los zapatos en la fiesta. — Before, we used to premiere the shoes at the party.
- Mañana, tú estrenarás la película en el festival de cine. — Tomorrow, you will premiere the film at the film festival.
- Yo estrenaría la obra de teatro en Madrid si tuviera más tiempo. — I would premiere the play in Madrid if I had more time.
- Él ha estrenado el vestido nuevo en la boda. — He has premiered the new dress at the wedding.
- Espero que él estrene los zapatos en la fiesta. — I hope he premieres the shoes at the party.
- Yo ya había estrenado la película en el festival de cine antes de salir. — I had already premiered the film at the film festival before leaving.
- Ellos estrenaban la obra de teatro en Madrid cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to premiere the play in Madrid when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo estrena la película en el festival de cine. — Right: Yo estreno la película en el festival de cine. — The person matters: estrena is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is estreno. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo estreno la obra de teatro en Madrid. — Right: Ayer yo estrené la obra de teatro en Madrid. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: estreno is happening now, while estrené is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating estrenar and presentar as identical in every context. — Right: Estrenar means to premiere, to wear for the first time, while presentar means to present or introduce. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: estrenar fits sentences such as Estreno la película en el festival de cine, while presentar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy estrenado la obra de teatro en Madrid. — Right: Yo he estrenado la obra de teatro en Madrid. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he estrenado, has estrenado, ha estrenado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo estrené el vestido nuevo en la boda todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo estrenaba el vestido nuevo en la boda todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (estrenaba), not the preterite. The preterite (estrené) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on estrenar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la película en el festival de cine. (present tense) A. estreno B. estrenas C. estrena D. estrenamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la obra de teatro en Madrid. (preterite) A. estrené B. estrenaste C. estrenaron D. estrenó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el vestido nuevo en la boda. (imperfect) A. estrenabas B. estrenaban C. estrenábamos D. estrenaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ los zapatos en la fiesta. (future) A. estrenaremos B. estrenarás C. estrenaré D. estrenará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la película en el festival de cine si pudiera. (conditional) A. estrenaría B. estrenarías C. estrenarían D. estreno
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la obra de teatro en Madrid. (present subjunctive) A. estrenes B. estrenemos C. estreno D. estrene
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el vestido nuevo en la boda, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. estrenáramos B. estreno C. estrenara D. estrenaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ los zapatos en la fiesta. (present perfect) A. han estrenado B. hemos estrenado C. he estrenado D. has estrenado
Complete the command: ¡___ la película en el festival de cine! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. estrena B. estrene C. estrenemos D. estrenad
Which is the gerund of estrenar, used with estar for the progressive? A. estrenado B. estreno C. estrené D. estrenando
Answer key
- estreno — The first-person present of estrenar is estreno. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- estrenó — The third-person preterite of estrenar is estrenó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- estrenábamos — The nosotros imperfect of estrenar is estrenábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- estrenarás — The second-person future of estrenar is estrenarás.
- estrenaría — The first-person conditional of estrenar is estrenaría, the form for what would happen.
- estrene — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of estrenar is estrene.
- estrenara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of estrenar is estrenara.
- hemos estrenado — The nosotros present perfect of estrenar is hemos estrenado: hemos + estrenado.
- estrena — The affirmative tú imperative of estrenar is estrena.
- estrenando — The gerund of estrenar is estrenando: estoy estrenando. The participle estrenado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does estrenar mean in English?
Estrenar means to premiere, to wear for the first time. It is used in everyday situations such as Estreno la película en el festival de cine. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is estrenar regular or irregular?
Estrenar 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 estreno in the present and estrené in the preterite.
What is the difference between estrenar and presentar?
Estrenar means to premiere, to wear for the first time, while presentar means to present or introduce. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use estrenar when you mean to premiere, to wear for the first time, as in Estreno la película en el festival de cine, and use presentar for to present or introduce. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I premiere” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo estrené la obra de teatro en Madrid. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo estrenaba el vestido nuevo en la boda. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he estrenado la obra de teatro en Madrid.
How do I practise estrenar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the estrenar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Estrenar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for estrenar.
- Estrenar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for estrenar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Arbitrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with estrenar.
- Filmar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with estrenar.
- Empatar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with estrenar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.