Forjar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb forjar means to forge, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Forjar means to forge, to shape hot metal with a hammer, and also, in a figurative sense, to build a friendship or a reputation. It is a fully regular verb used in craft and in formal writing. Like every Spanish verb, forjar 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 forjo el hierro en la fragua, and in the preterite you say forjé una amistad durante años. 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: forjar
- English: to forge
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: forjando
- Past participle: forjado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + forjado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for forjar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Forjar is fully regular: forjo, forja. It is hammering hot metal into shape; fundir is melting it.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for forjar. 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 | forjo |
| tú | forjas |
| él/ella/Ud. | forja |
| nosotros/as | forjamos |
| vosotros/as | forjáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | forjan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | forjé |
| tú | forjaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | forjó |
| nosotros/as | forjamos |
| vosotros/as | forjasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | forjaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | forjaba |
| tú | forjabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | forjaba |
| nosotros/as | forjábamos |
| vosotros/as | forjabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | forjaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | forjaré |
| tú | forjarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | forjará |
| nosotros/as | forjaremos |
| vosotros/as | forjaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | forjarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | forjaría |
| tú | forjarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | forjaría |
| nosotros/as | forjaríamos |
| vosotros/as | forjaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | forjarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he forjado |
| tú | has forjado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha forjado |
| nosotros/as | hemos forjado |
| vosotros/as | habéis forjado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han forjado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había forjado |
| tú | habías forjado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había forjado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos forjado |
| vosotros/as | habíais forjado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían forjado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré forjado |
| tú | habrás forjado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá forjado |
| nosotros/as | habremos forjado |
| vosotros/as | habréis forjado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán forjado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría forjado |
| tú | habrías forjado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría forjado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos forjado |
| vosotros/as | habríais forjado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían forjado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | forje |
| tú | forjes |
| él/ella/Ud. | forje |
| nosotros/as | forjemos |
| vosotros/as | forjéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | forjen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | forjara |
| tú | forjaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | forjara |
| nosotros/as | forjáramos |
| vosotros/as | forjarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | forjaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | forja |
| él/ella/Ud. | forje |
| nosotros/as | forjemos |
| vosotros/as | forjad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | forjen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | forjes |
| él/ella/Ud. | forje |
| nosotros/as | forjemos |
| vosotros/as | forjéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | forjen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | forjando | with estar for the progressive: estoy forjando |
| Past participle | forjado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he forjado |
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 forjar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Forjo el hierro en la fragua. 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 forjar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, forjé una espada para el museo. 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 forjar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, forjaba una amistad durante años. 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 forjar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, forjaré su carácter con el trabajo. 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 forjar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Forjaría el hierro en la fragua 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 forjar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he forjado una espada para el museo. 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 forjar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había forjado una amistad durante años 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 forjar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré forjado su carácter con el trabajo. 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 forjar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría forjado el hierro en la fragua 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 forjar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él forje una espada para el museo. 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 forjar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él forjara una amistad durante años, 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 forjar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Forja su carácter con el trabajo! 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 forjar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No forjes el hierro en la fragua. 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 forjar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Forjo el hierro en la fragua. — I forge the iron in the forge.
- Forja una espada para el museo. — He/she forges a sword for the museum.
- Ayer, forjé una amistad durante años. — Yesterday, I forged a friendship over the years.
- Antes, nosotros forjábamos su carácter con el trabajo. — Before, we used to forge my character through work.
- Mañana, tú forjarás el hierro en la fragua. — Tomorrow, you will forge the iron in the forge.
- Yo forjaría una espada para el museo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would forge a sword for the museum if I had more time.
- Él ha forjado una amistad durante años. — He has forged a friendship over the years.
- Espero que él forje su carácter con el trabajo. — I hope he forges my character through work.
- Yo ya había forjado el hierro en la fragua antes de salir. — I had already forged the iron in the forge before leaving.
- Ellos forjaban una espada para el museo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to forge a sword for the museum when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo forja el hierro en la fragua. — Right: Yo forjo el hierro en la fragua. — The person matters: forja is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is forjo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo forjo una espada para el museo. — Right: Ayer yo forjé una espada para el museo. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: forjo is happening now, while forjé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating forjar and fundir as identical in every context. — Right: Forjar means to forge, while fundir means to melt metal. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: forjar fits sentences such as Forjo el hierro en la fragua, while fundir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy forjado una espada para el museo. — Right: Yo he forjado una espada para el museo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he forjado, has forjado, ha forjado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo forjé una amistad durante años todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo forjaba una amistad durante años todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (forjaba), not the preterite. The preterite (forjé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on forjar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el hierro en la fragua. (present tense) A. forjo B. forjas C. forja D. forjamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ una espada para el museo. (preterite) A. forjé B. forjaste C. forjaron D. forjó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ una amistad durante años. (imperfect) A. forjabas B. forjaban C. forjábamos D. forjaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ su carácter con el trabajo. (future) A. forjaremos B. forjarás C. forjaré D. forjará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el hierro en la fragua si pudiera. (conditional) A. forjaría B. forjarías C. forjarían D. forjo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una espada para el museo. (present subjunctive) A. forjes B. forjemos C. forjo D. forje
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una amistad durante años, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. forjáramos B. forjo C. forjara D. forjaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ su carácter con el trabajo. (present perfect) A. han forjado B. hemos forjado C. he forjado D. has forjado
Complete the command: ¡___ el hierro en la fragua! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. forja B. forje C. forjemos D. forjad
Which is the gerund of forjar, used with estar for the progressive? A. forjado B. forjo C. forjé D. forjando
Answer key
- forjo — The first-person present of forjar is forjo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- forjó — The third-person preterite of forjar is forjó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- forjábamos — The nosotros imperfect of forjar is forjábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- forjarás — The second-person future of forjar is forjarás.
- forjaría — The first-person conditional of forjar is forjaría, the form for what would happen.
- forje — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of forjar is forje.
- forjara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of forjar is forjara.
- hemos forjado — The nosotros present perfect of forjar is hemos forjado: hemos + forjado.
- forja — The affirmative tú imperative of forjar is forja.
- forjando — The gerund of forjar is forjando: estoy forjando. The participle forjado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does forjar mean in English?
Forjar means to forge. It is used in everyday situations such as Forjo el hierro en la fragua. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is forjar regular or irregular?
Forjar 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 forjo in the present and forjé in the preterite.
What is the difference between forjar and fundir?
Forjar means to forge, while fundir means to melt metal. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use forjar when you mean to forge, as in Forjo el hierro en la fragua, and use fundir for to melt metal. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I forge” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo forjé una espada para el museo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo forjaba una amistad durante años. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he forjado una espada para el museo.
How do I practise forjar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the forjar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Forjar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for forjar.
- Forjar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for forjar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Modelar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with forjar.
- Soldar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with forjar.
- Tallar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with forjar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.