Fichar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb fichar means to clock in, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Fichar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of fichar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say A las ocho, yo ficho — "At eight o'clock, I clock in" — and in the preterite you say Al entrar, yo fiché — "On arrival, I clocked in". 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: fichar
- English: to clock in
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: fichando
- Past participle: fichado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + fichado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for fichar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for fichar. 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.
Gerund: fichando · Past participle: fichado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ficho |
| tú | fichas |
| él/ella/Ud. | ficha |
| nosotros/as | fichamos |
| vosotros/as | ficháis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | fichan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | fiché |
| tú | fichaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | fichó |
| nosotros/as | fichamos |
| vosotros/as | fichasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ficharon |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | fichaba |
| tú | fichabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | fichaba |
| nosotros/as | fichábamos |
| vosotros/as | fichabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | fichaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ficharé |
| tú | ficharás |
| él/ella/Ud. | fichará |
| nosotros/as | ficharemos |
| vosotros/as | ficharéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ficharán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ficharía |
| tú | ficharías |
| él/ella/Ud. | ficharía |
| nosotros/as | ficharíamos |
| vosotros/as | ficharíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ficharían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he fichado |
| tú | has fichado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha fichado |
| nosotros/as | hemos fichado |
| vosotros/as | habéis fichado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han fichado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había fichado |
| tú | habías fichado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había fichado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos fichado |
| vosotros/as | habíais fichado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían fichado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré fichado |
| tú | habrás fichado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá fichado |
| nosotros/as | habremos fichado |
| vosotros/as | habréis fichado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán fichado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría fichado |
| tú | habrías fichado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría fichado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos fichado |
| vosotros/as | habríais fichado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían fichado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | fiche |
| tú | fiches |
| él/ella/Ud. | fiche |
| nosotros/as | fichemos |
| vosotros/as | fichéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | fichen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | fichara |
| tú | ficharas |
| él/ella/Ud. | fichara |
| nosotros/as | ficháramos |
| vosotros/as | ficharais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ficharan |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ficha |
| él/ella/Ud. | fiche |
| nosotros/as | fichemos |
| vosotros/as | fichad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | fichen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | fiches |
| él/ella/Ud. | fiche |
| nosotros/as | fichemos |
| vosotros/as | fichéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | fichen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | fichando | with estar for the progressive: estoy fichando |
| Past participle | fichado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he fichado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For fichar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Al entrar, yo ficho — "On arrival, I clock in". Learn the present indicative 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 in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For fichar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Todos los días, yo fiché — "Every day, I clocked in". 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 words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For fichar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: A las ocho, yo fichaba — "At eight o'clock, I used to clock in". 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. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For fichar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Al entrar, yo ficharé — "On arrival, I will clock in". 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 in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For fichar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Todos los días, yo ficharía — "Every day, I would clock in". 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. It connects the past with the present moment. For fichar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: A las ocho, yo he fichado — "At eight o'clock, I have clocked in". 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. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For fichar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Al entrar, yo había fichado — "On arrival, I had clocked in". 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, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For fichar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Todos los días, yo habré fichado — "Every day, I will have clocked in". 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. It looks back at a past that never happened. For fichar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: A las ocho, yo habría fichado — "At eight o'clock, I would have clocked in". 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. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For fichar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él fiche al entrar — "I hope he clocks in on arrival". 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 fichar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo fichara todos los días, todo cambiaría — "If I clocked in every day, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) 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. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For fichar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Fiche a las ocho — "Let him clock in at eight o'clock". Learn the imperative (affirmative) 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. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For fichar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No fiches al entrar — "Don't clock in on arrival". Learn the imperative (negative) 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 fichar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Todos los días, yo ficho — "Every day, I clock in"
- A las ocho, él ficha — "At eight o'clock, he clocks in"
- Al entrar, yo fiché — "On arrival, I clocked in"
- Todos los días, yo fichaba — "Every day, I used to clock in"
- A las ocho, tú ficharás — "At eight o'clock, you will clock in"
- Al entrar, yo ficharía — "On arrival, I would clock in"
- Todos los días, él ha fichado — "Every day, he has clocked in"
- Espero que él fiche a las ocho — "I hope he clocks in at eight o'clock"
- Al entrar, yo había fichado — "On arrival, I had clocked in"
- Todos los días, ellos fichaban — "Every day, they used to clock in"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos ficha a las ocho — Right: A las ocho, ellos fichan — Ellos needs the ellos form fichan. The singular ficha belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo ficho — Right: Ayer, yo fiché — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to fiché.
- Wrong: De niño, yo fiché todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo fichaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (fichaba), not the preterite. The preterite (fiché) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy fichado al entrar. — Right: Yo he fichado al entrar. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he fichado, has fichado, ha fichado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él ficha a las ocho. — Right: Espero que él fiche a las ocho. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: fiche. The indicative ficha is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on fichar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las ocho. (present tense) A. fichará B. habréis fichado C. ficho D. fichaban
Complete the sentence: Él ___ a las ocho. (preterite) A. fichaste B. fichemos C. fichabais D. fichó
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a las ocho. (imperfect) A. fichábamos B. fichara C. fiche D. ficho
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ a las ocho. (future) A. fichemos B. ficharás C. ficharíamos D. ficharían
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las ocho. (conditional) A. ficharía B. fichen C. fichamos D. habréis fichado
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a las ocho. (present subjunctive) A. ficho B. ha fichado C. fiche D. fichen
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a las ocho, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. ficharán B. fichábamos C. fichara D. ficharía
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a las ocho. (present perfect) A. había fichado B. habríais fichado C. hemos fichado D. fichamos
Complete the command: No ___ a las ocho. (negative imperative, tú) A. fiches B. fichéis C. fichen D. fichemos
Which is the gerund of fichar, used with estar for the progressive? A. ficho B. fichando C. ficharé D. fiché
Answer key
- ficho — The yo present tense of fichar is ficho.
- fichó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of fichar is fichó.
- fichábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of fichar is fichábamos.
- ficharás — The tú future of fichar is ficharás.
- ficharía — The yo conditional of fichar is ficharía.
- fiche — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of fichar is fiche.
- fichara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of fichar is fichara.
- hemos fichado — The nosotros/as present perfect of fichar is hemos fichado.
- fiches — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: fiches.
- fichando — The gerund of fichar is fichando: estoy fichando. The participle fichado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does fichar mean in English?
Fichar means to clock in. It is used in everyday situations such as A las ocho, yo ficho. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is fichar regular?
Yes. Fichar is a regular -ar verb: ficho, fichas, ficha. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the gerund and the past participle of fichar?
The gerund is fichando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy fichando. The past participle is fichado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he fichado.
How do I say “I clock in” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Al entrar, yo fiché. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Todos los días, yo fichaba. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: A las ocho, yo he fichado.
How do I practise fichar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the fichar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Fichar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for fichar.
- Fichar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for fichar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Jubilarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with fichar.
- Acariciar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with fichar.
- Mimar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with fichar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.