Explorar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb explorar means to explore, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. It is a regular -ar verb verb: the stem is explor and the endings follow the -ar pattern, with the exceptions noted in the tables below. 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 «Yo exploro todos los días», which means «I explore every day». 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: explorar
  • English: to explore
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: explorando
  • Past participle: explorado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + explorado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for explorar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for explorar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Gerund: explorando · Past participle: explorado

Present Indicative

Person Form
yo exploro
tú exploras
él/ella/Ud. explora
nosotros/as exploramos
vosotros/as exploráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. exploran

The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For explorar, the yo form is exploro, as in the examples below. Use the present for routines («todos los días») and for general truths, and remember that Spanish often uses the present where English would use a progressive or a near future.

Preterite

Person Form
yo exploré
tú exploraste
él/ella/Ud. exploró
nosotros/as exploramos
vosotros/as explorasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. exploraron

The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. «Ayer yo exploré» is the classic use. Do not confuse it with the imperfect: the preterite moves the story forward, one finished event at a time.

Imperfect

Person Form
yo exploraba
tú explorabas
él/ella/Ud. exploraba
nosotros/as explorábamos
vosotros/as explorabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. exploraban

The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. «De pequeño, yo exploraba» shows the habitual use. It sets the scene while the preterite reports what happened inside it.

Future

Person Form
yo exploraré
tú explorarás
él/ella/Ud. explorará
nosotros/as exploraremos
vosotros/as exploraréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. explorarán

The future tense states what will happen. For explorar the future is built on the infinitive: «Mañana yo exploraré». It is also used for predictions and promises, and in spoken Spanish it often alternates with ir a + infinitive.

Conditional

Person Form
yo exploraría
tú explorarías
él/ella/Ud. exploraría
nosotros/as exploraríamos
vosotros/as exploraríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. explorarían

The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo exploraría» is the typical pattern. It shares its stem with the future and changes only the endings.

Present Perfect

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

The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. It is haber in the present plus the past participle: «Hoy yo he explorado». In Spain it is used for anything that happened today; in Latin America the preterite is often preferred.

Pluperfect

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

The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event: «Cuando llegué, ya había explorado». It is haber in the imperfect plus the past participle, and it is the tense for explaining what had already happened when something else took place.

Future Perfect

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

The future perfect looks back from a future point: by then, something will already have happened. «Para mañana, yo habré explorado» is the pattern — haber in the future plus the past participle. It is less common in speech but regular in formal writing.

Conditional Perfect

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

The conditional perfect expresses what would have happened: «Yo habría explorado si hubiera podido». It is haber in the conditional plus the past participle, and it is the tense for regrets and missed chances.

Present Subjunctive

Person Form
yo explore
tú explores
él/ella/Ud. explore
nosotros/as exploremos
vosotros/as exploréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. exploren

The present subjunctive appears after wishes, doubts, emotions and impersonal expressions: «Espero que él explore». The trigger is in the main clause; the subjunctive is the mood of uncertainty, desire and influence. Learn the yo form first — most of the table follows from it.

Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra forms)

Person Form
yo explorara
tú exploraras
él/ella/Ud. explorara
nosotros/as exploráramos
vosotros/as explorarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. exploraran

The imperfect subjunctive is the past partner of the present subjunctive, used after past-tense triggers and in si-clauses: «Si él explorara, todo sería distinto». The table above shows the -ra forms, the ones you will hear most often. There is also a less common -se set built on the same stem.

Imperative — Affirmative

Person Form
tú explora
él/ella/Ud. explore
nosotros/as exploremos
vosotros/as explorad
ellos/ellas/Uds. exploren

There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.

The affirmative imperative gives direct commands and instructions: «¡explora!». There is no yo form — you cannot command yourself. The tú form is the one you will use with friends and family, and the usted form with people you address formally.

Imperative — Negative

Person Form
tú explores
él/ella/Ud. explore
nosotros/as exploremos
vosotros/as exploréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. exploren

There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.

The negative imperative tells someone not to do something: «¡No explores!». Unlike the affirmative imperative, the negative forms come from the present subjunctive, which is why they look different. Never use the affirmative form after no.

Example sentences

  1. Yo exploro todos los días. — I explore every day.
  2. Ayer yo exploré por la tarde. — Yesterday I explored in the afternoon.
  3. Antes, yo exploraba todos los días. — In the past, I used to explore every day.
  4. Mañana yo exploraré sin falta. — Tomorrow I will explore without fail.
  5. Si tuviera más tiempo, yo exploraría ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would explore right now.
  6. Hoy yo he explorado dos veces. — Today I have explored twice.
  7. Espero que tú explores pronto. — I hope You explore soon.
  8. Si yo explorara, todo sería distinto. — If I explored, everything would be different.
  9. Ahora mismo yo estoy explorando. — Right now I am exploring.
  10. ¡explora, por favor! — Explore, please!

Common mistakes

1. Using the imperfect for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo exploraba.

Right: Ayer yo exploré.

Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, exploré. The imperfect exploraba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.

2. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger

Wrong: Espero que tú exploras.

Right: Espero que tú explores.

After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: explores, not the indicative exploras. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.

3. Using the affirmative imperative after no

Wrong: No explora.

Right: No explores.

Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no explores. The affirmative explora can never follow no.

4. Using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form

Wrong: Yo explorar todos los días.

Right: Yo exploro todos los días.

The infinitive explorar names the action; it never works as the main verb of a sentence. Conjugate it for the person: yo exploro.

5. Confusing the gerund with the past participle

Wrong: He explorando.

Right: He explorado.

The perfect tenses use haber plus the past participle: he explorado. The gerund explorando goes with estar for actions in progress («Estoy explorando»), never with haber.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the nosotros/as form of explorar in the present indicative?

- (a) exploras
- (b) exploramos
- (c) exploro
- (d) explora

2. What is the vosotros/as form of explorar in the preterite?

- (a) explorasteis
- (b) exploró
- (c) exploraste
- (d) exploré

3. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of explorar in the imperfect?

- (a) exploraba
- (b) explorabas
- (c) exploraba
- (d) exploraban

4. What is the yo form of explorar in the future?

- (a) exploraré
- (b) explorarás
- (c) explorará
- (d) exploraremos

5. What is the tú form of explorar in the conditional?

- (a) exploraríamos
- (b) explorarías
- (c) exploraría
- (d) exploraría

6. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of explorar in the present perfect?

- (a) has explorado
- (b) he explorado
- (c) ha explorado
- (d) hemos explorado

7. What is the nosotros/as form of explorar in the present subjunctive?

- (a) explores
- (b) exploremos
- (c) explore
- (d) explore

8. What is the vosotros/as form of explorar in the imperfect subjunctive (-ra forms)?

- (a) exploraras
- (b) explorara
- (c) explorara
- (d) explorarais

9. What is the gerund of explorar?

- (a) explorando
- (b) explorar
- (c) explorado
- (d) exploro

10. What is the past participle of explorar?

- (a) explorado
- (b) explorando
- (c) exploré
- (d) explorar

Answer key

1. (b) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of explorar is exploramos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the preterite, the vosotros/as form of explorar is explorasteis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (d) — In the imperfect, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of explorar is exploraban. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the future, the yo form of explorar is exploraré. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (b) — In the conditional, the tú form of explorar is explorarías. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — In the present perfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of explorar is ha explorado. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (b) — In the present subjunctive, the nosotros/as form of explorar is exploremos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 8. (d) — In the imperfect subjunctive (-ra forms), the vosotros/as form of explorar is explorarais. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 9. (a) — The gerund of explorar is explorando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy explorando». 10. (a) — The past participle of explorar is explorado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he explorado».

Frequently asked questions

Is explorar regular or irregular?

Yes — explorar is a regular -ar verb. Learn the endings once and they work in every tense, with the stem explor unchanged throughout.

What are the gerund and past participle of explorar?

The gerund is explorando and the past participle is explorado. Use the gerund with estar for actions in progress («Estoy explorando») and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses («he explorado»).

How do I say «I explore» in Spanish?

Say «Yo exploro todos los días». That is the yo form of the present tense, the form you need for talking about yourself right now.

What is the difference between the preterite and the imperfect of explorar?

Use the preterite (exploré) for a single finished event and the imperfect (exploraba) for habits and background. «Ayer yo exploré» reports something that happened and ended; «Antes, yo exploraba» describes what used to happen.

When do I use the subjunctive with explorar?

Use the subjunctive after wishes, doubts, emotions and impersonal expressions — for example «Espero que tú explores». The trigger sits in the main clause; once it is there, the subjunctive form is required, not a stylistic choice.

How do I use explorar in the present perfect?

Put haber in the present before the past participle: «Hoy yo he explorado». The participle explorado never changes for person — only haber changes — so once you know the participle, the whole perfect tense follows.

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