Formatear Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb formatear means to format, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Formatear 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 formatear 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 Yo formateo el disco duro — "I format the hard drive" — and in the preterite you say Yo formateé la memoria — "I formated the memory stick". 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: formatear
- English: to format
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: formateando
- Past participle: formateado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + formateado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for formatear, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for formatear. 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: formateando · Past participle: formateado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | formateo |
| tú | formateas |
| él/ella/Ud. | formatea |
| nosotros/as | formateamos |
| vosotros/as | formateáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | formatean |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | formateé |
| tú | formateaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | formateó |
| nosotros/as | formateamos |
| vosotros/as | formateasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | formatearon |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | formateaba |
| tú | formateabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | formateaba |
| nosotros/as | formateábamos |
| vosotros/as | formateabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | formateaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | formatearé |
| tú | formatearás |
| él/ella/Ud. | formateará |
| nosotros/as | formatearemos |
| vosotros/as | formatearéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | formatearán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | formatearía |
| tú | formatearías |
| él/ella/Ud. | formatearía |
| nosotros/as | formatearíamos |
| vosotros/as | formatearíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | formatearían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he formateado |
| tú | has formateado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha formateado |
| nosotros/as | hemos formateado |
| vosotros/as | habéis formateado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han formateado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había formateado |
| tú | habías formateado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había formateado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos formateado |
| vosotros/as | habíais formateado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían formateado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré formateado |
| tú | habrás formateado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá formateado |
| nosotros/as | habremos formateado |
| vosotros/as | habréis formateado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán formateado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría formateado |
| tú | habrías formateado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría formateado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos formateado |
| vosotros/as | habríais formateado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían formateado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | formatee |
| tú | formatees |
| él/ella/Ud. | formatee |
| nosotros/as | formateemos |
| vosotros/as | formateéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | formateen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | formateara |
| tú | formatearas |
| él/ella/Ud. | formateara |
| nosotros/as | formateáramos |
| vosotros/as | formatearais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | formatearan |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | formatea |
| él/ella/Ud. | formatee |
| nosotros/as | formateemos |
| vosotros/as | formatead |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | formateen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | formatees |
| él/ella/Ud. | formatee |
| nosotros/as | formateemos |
| vosotros/as | formateéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | formateen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | formateando | with estar for the progressive: estoy formateando |
| Past participle | formateado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he formateado |
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 formatear, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo formateo la memoria — "I format the memory stick". 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 formatear, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo formateé el ordenador — "I formated the computer". 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 formatear, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo formateaba el disco duro — "I used to format the hard drive". 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 formatear, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo formatearé la memoria — "I will format the memory stick". 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 formatear, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo formatearía el ordenador — "I would format the computer". 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 formatear, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he formateado el disco duro — "I have formated the hard drive". 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 formatear, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había formateado la memoria — "I had formated the memory stick". 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 formatear, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré formateado el ordenador — "I will have formated the computer". 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 formatear, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría formateado el disco duro — "I would have formated the hard drive". 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 formatear, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él formatee la memoria — "I hope he formats the memory stick". 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 formatear, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo formateara el ordenador, todo cambiaría — "If I formated the computer, 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 formatear, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Formatee el disco duro — "Let him format the hard drive". 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 formatear, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No formatees la memoria — "Don't format the memory stick". 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 formatear, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo formateo el ordenador — "I format the computer"
- Él formatea el disco duro — "He formats the hard drive"
- Yo formateé la memoria — "I formated the memory stick"
- Yo formateaba el ordenador — "I used to format the computer"
- Tú formatearás el disco duro — "You will format the hard drive"
- Yo formatearía la memoria — "I would format the memory stick"
- Él ha formateado el ordenador — "He has formated the computer"
- Espero que él formatee el disco duro — "I hope he formats the hard drive"
- Yo había formateado la memoria — "I had formated the memory stick"
- Ellos formateaban el ordenador — "They used to format the computer"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos formatea el disco duro — Right: Ellos formatean el disco duro — Ellos needs the ellos form formatean. The singular formatea belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo formateo — Right: Ayer, yo formateé — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to formateé.
- Wrong: De niño, yo formateé todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo formateaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (formateaba), not the preterite. The preterite (formateé) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy formateado la memoria. — Right: Yo he formateado la memoria. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he formateado, has formateado, ha formateado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él formatea el disco duro. — Right: Espero que él formatee el disco duro. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: formatee. The indicative formatea is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on formatear. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el disco duro. (present tense) A. formateo B. formateáis C. formatearé D. formatee
Complete the sentence: Él ___ el disco duro. (preterite) A. formateamos B. formateaban C. formatees D. formateó
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el disco duro. (imperfect) A. formatearan B. formateábamos C. habrás formateado D. formatearán
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ el disco duro. (future) A. formatees B. formatearás C. había formateado D. habrá formateado
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el disco duro. (conditional) A. formateé B. formatea C. formatearía D. formatee
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el disco duro. (present subjunctive) A. ha formateado B. habíamos formateado C. hemos formateado D. formatee
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el disco duro, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. formateas B. habrán formateado C. formateara D. habré formateado
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el disco duro. (present perfect) A. hemos formateado B. formatearas C. formatearás D. habrás formateado
Complete the command: No ___ el disco duro. (negative imperative, tú) A. formateéis B. formatees C. formateemos D. formateen
Which is the gerund of formatear, used with estar for the progressive? A. formatearé B. formateando C. formateaba D. formateé
Answer key
- formateo — The yo present tense of formatear is formateo.
- formateó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of formatear is formateó.
- formateábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of formatear is formateábamos.
- formatearás — The tú future of formatear is formatearás.
- formatearía — The yo conditional of formatear is formatearía.
- formatee — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of formatear is formatee.
- formateara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of formatear is formateara.
- hemos formateado — The nosotros/as present perfect of formatear is hemos formateado.
- formatees — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: formatees.
- formateando — The gerund of formatear is formateando: estoy formateando. The participle formateado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does formatear mean in English?
Formatear means to format. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo formateo el disco duro. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is formatear regular?
Yes. Formatear is a regular -ar verb: formateo, formateas, formatea. 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 formatear?
The gerund is formateando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy formateando. The past participle is formateado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he formateado.
How do I say “I format” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo formateé la memoria. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo formateaba el ordenador. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he formateado el disco duro.
How do I practise formatear?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the formatear examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Formatear in the present tense — the full present-tense table for formatear.
- Formatear examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for formatear.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Pegarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with formatear.
- Peinar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with formatear.
- Pelear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with formatear.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.