Extinguir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb extinguir means to extinguish, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Extinguir means to extinguish, and it is used for fires, lights, debts and species: extinguir un incendio, extinguir una especie. It is a -guir verb: the u drops before o and a, so yo extingo and the subjunctive extinga. Like every Spanish verb, extinguir 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 extingo un incendio en el bosque, and in the preterite you say extinguí una especie en peligro. 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: extinguir
- English: to extinguish
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: extinguiendo
- Past participle: extinguido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + extinguido)
- Pattern to learn: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is extingo and extingue, and the gerund is extinguiendo.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for extinguir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Extinguir is a -guir verb: the u drops before o and a, so yo extingo and the subjunctive extinga.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for extinguir. 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 | extingo |
| tú | extingues |
| él/ella/Ud. | extingue |
| nosotros/as | extinguimos |
| vosotros/as | extinguís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extinguen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | extinguí |
| tú | extinguiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | extinguió |
| nosotros/as | extinguimos |
| vosotros/as | extinguisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extinguieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | extinguía |
| tú | extinguías |
| él/ella/Ud. | extinguía |
| nosotros/as | extinguíamos |
| vosotros/as | extinguíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extinguían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | extinguiré |
| tú | extinguirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | extinguirá |
| nosotros/as | extinguiremos |
| vosotros/as | extinguiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extinguirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | extinguiría |
| tú | extinguirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | extinguiría |
| nosotros/as | extinguiríamos |
| vosotros/as | extinguiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extinguirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he extinguido |
| tú | has extinguido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha extinguido |
| nosotros/as | hemos extinguido |
| vosotros/as | habéis extinguido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han extinguido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había extinguido |
| tú | habías extinguido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había extinguido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos extinguido |
| vosotros/as | habíais extinguido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían extinguido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré extinguido |
| tú | habrás extinguido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá extinguido |
| nosotros/as | habremos extinguido |
| vosotros/as | habréis extinguido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán extinguido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría extinguido |
| tú | habrías extinguido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría extinguido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos extinguido |
| vosotros/as | habríais extinguido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían extinguido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | extinga |
| tú | extingas |
| él/ella/Ud. | extinga |
| nosotros/as | extingamos |
| vosotros/as | extinguáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extingan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | extinguiera |
| tú | extinguieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | extinguiera |
| nosotros/as | extinguiéramos |
| vosotros/as | extinguierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extinguieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | extingue |
| él/ella/Ud. | extinga |
| nosotros/as | extingamos |
| vosotros/as | extinguid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extingan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | extingas |
| él/ella/Ud. | extinga |
| nosotros/as | extingamos |
| vosotros/as | extinguáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extingan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | extinguiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy extinguiendo |
| Past participle | extinguido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he extinguido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the pattern here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is extingo and extingue, and the gerund is extinguiendo. For extinguir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Extingo un incendio en el bosque. 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. Note the spelling change here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is extingo and extingue, and the gerund is extinguiendo. For extinguir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, extinguí la luz de la vela. 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 extinguir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, extinguía una especie en peligro. 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 extinguir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, extinguiré una deuda antigua. 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 extinguir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Extinguiría un incendio en el bosque 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 extinguir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he extinguido la luz de la vela. 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 extinguir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había extinguido una especie en peligro 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 extinguir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré extinguido una deuda antigua. 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 extinguir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría extinguido un incendio en el bosque 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: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is extingo and extingue, and the gerund is extinguiendo. For extinguir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él extinga la luz de la vela. 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 extinguir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él extinguiera una especie en peligro, 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: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is extingo and extingue, and the gerund is extinguiendo. For extinguir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Extingue una deuda antigua! 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: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is extingo and extingue, and the gerund is extinguiendo. For extinguir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No extingas un incendio en el bosque. 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 extinguir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Extingo un incendio en el bosque. — I extinguish a fire in the forest.
- Extingue la luz de la vela. — He/she extinguishes the candle light.
- Ayer, extinguí una especie en peligro. — Yesterday, I extinguished an endangered species.
- Antes, nosotros extinguíamos una deuda antigua. — Before, we used to extinguish an old debt.
- Mañana, tú extinguirás un incendio en el bosque. — Tomorrow, you will extinguish a fire in the forest.
- Yo extinguiría la luz de la vela si tuviera más tiempo. — I would extinguish the candle light if I had more time.
- Él ha extinguido una especie en peligro. — He has extinguished an endangered species.
- Espero que él extinga una deuda antigua. — I hope he extinguishes an old debt.
- Yo ya había extinguido un incendio en el bosque antes de salir. — I had already extinguished a fire in the forest before leaving.
- Ellos extinguían la luz de la vela cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to extinguish the candle light when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo extingue un incendio en el bosque. — Right: Yo extingo un incendio en el bosque. — The person matters: extingue is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is extingo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo extinguo la luz de la vela. — Right: Yo extingo la luz de la vela. — Extinguir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is extingo and extingue, and the gerund is extinguiendo. The form extingo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
- Wrong: Treating extinguir and apagar as identical in every context. — Right: Extinguir means to extinguish, while apagar means to put out. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: extinguir fits sentences such as Extingo un incendio en el bosque, while apagar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy extinguido la luz de la vela. — Right: Yo he extinguido la luz de la vela. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he extinguido, has extinguido, ha extinguido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo extinguí una especie en peligro todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo extinguía una especie en peligro todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (extinguía), not the preterite. The preterite (extinguí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on extinguir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un incendio en el bosque. (present tense) A. extingo B. extingues C. extingue D. extinguimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la luz de la vela. (preterite) A. extinguí B. extinguiste C. extinguimos D. extinguió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ una especie en peligro. (imperfect) A. extinguías B. extingo C. extinguíamos D. extinguía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ una deuda antigua. (future) A. extinguiremos B. extinguirás C. extinguiré D. extinguirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un incendio en el bosque si pudiera. (conditional) A. extinguiría B. extinguirías C. extinguiríamos D. extingo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la luz de la vela. (present subjunctive) A. extingas B. extingamos C. extingo D. extinga
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una especie en peligro, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. extinguiéramos B. extingo C. extinguiera D. extinguieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una deuda antigua. (present perfect) A. ha extinguido B. hemos extinguido C. he extinguido D. has extinguido
Complete the command: ¡___ un incendio en el bosque! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. extingue B. extinga C. extingamos D. extinguid
Which is the gerund of extinguir, used with estar for the progressive? A. extinguido B. extingo C. extinguí D. extinguiendo
Answer key
- extingo — The yo present tense of extinguir is extingo.
- extinguió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of extinguir is extinguió.
- extinguíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of extinguir is extinguíamos.
- extinguirás — The tú future of extinguir is extinguirás.
- extinguiría — The yo conditional of extinguir is extinguiría.
- extinga — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of extinguir is extinga.
- extinguiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of extinguir is extinguiera.
- hemos extinguido — The nosotros/as present perfect of extinguir is hemos extinguido.
- extingue — The affirmative tú imperative of extinguir is extingue.
- extinguiendo — The gerund of extinguir is extinguiendo: estoy extinguiendo. The participle extinguido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does extinguir mean in English?
Extinguir means to extinguish. It is used in everyday situations such as Extingo un incendio en el bosque. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is extinguir regular or irregular?
Extinguir is a spelling-change verb: it is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is extingo and extingue, and the gerund is extinguiendo. The endings are regular, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page, including extingo in the present and extinguí in the preterite.
What is the difference between extinguir and apagar?
Extinguir means to extinguish, while apagar means to put out. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use extinguir when you mean to extinguish, as in Extingo un incendio en el bosque, and use apagar for to put out. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I extinguish” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo extinguí la luz de la vela. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo extinguía una especie en peligro. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he extinguido la luz de la vela.
How do I practise extinguir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the extinguir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Extinguir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for extinguir.
- Extinguir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for extinguir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Expandir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with extinguir.
- Fingir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with extinguir.
- Emitir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with extinguir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.