Funcionar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb funcionar means to work, to function, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Funcionar means to work or to function, and it is used for machines, phones, computers and plans that work — or do not work. Its subject is usually a thing, not a person, as in el televisor funciona, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, funcionar 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 funciono bien desde la reparación, and in the preterite you say funcioné a la primera siempre. 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: funcionar
  • English: to work, to function
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: funcionando
  • Past participle: funcionado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + funcionado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for funcionar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Funcionar is fully regular, and its subject is usually a thing: el ordenador funciona, la nevera no funciona.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for funcionar. 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 funciono
tú funcionas
él/ella/Ud. funciona
nosotros/as funcionamos
vosotros/as funcionáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionan

Preterite

Person Form
yo funcioné
tú funcionaste
él/ella/Ud. funcionó
nosotros/as funcionamos
vosotros/as funcionasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo funcionaba
tú funcionabas
él/ella/Ud. funcionaba
nosotros/as funcionábamos
vosotros/as funcionabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionaban

Future

Person Form
yo funcionaré
tú funcionarás
él/ella/Ud. funcionará
nosotros/as funcionaremos
vosotros/as funcionaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo funcionaría
tú funcionarías
él/ella/Ud. funcionaría
nosotros/as funcionaríamos
vosotros/as funcionaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo funcione
tú funciones
él/ella/Ud. funcione
nosotros/as funcionemos
vosotros/as funcionéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo funcionara
tú funcionaras
él/ella/Ud. funcionara
nosotros/as funcionáramos
vosotros/as funcionarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú funciona
él/ella/Ud. funcione
nosotros/as funcionemos
vosotros/as funcionad
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú funciones
él/ella/Ud. funcione
nosotros/as funcionemos
vosotros/as funcionéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund funcionando with estar for the progressive: estoy funcionando
Past participle funcionado with haber for the perfect tenses: he funcionado

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 funcionar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Funciono bien desde la reparación. 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 funcionar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, funcioné sin problemas por la mañana. 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 funcionar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, funcionaba a la primera siempre. 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 funcionar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, funcionaré con el interruptor nuevo. 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 funcionar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Funcionaría bien desde la reparación 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 funcionar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he funcionado sin problemas por la mañana. 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 funcionar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había funcionado a la primera siempre 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 funcionar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré funcionado con el interruptor nuevo. 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 funcionar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría funcionado bien desde la reparación 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 funcionar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él funcione sin problemas por la mañana. 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 funcionar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él funcionara a la primera siempre, 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 funcionar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Funciona con el interruptor nuevo! 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 funcionar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No funciones bien desde la reparación. 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 funcionar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Funciono bien desde la reparación. — I work well since the repair.
  2. Funciona sin problemas por la mañana. — He/she works without problems in the morning.
  3. Ayer, funcioné a la primera siempre. — Yesterday, I worked first time, always.
  4. Antes, nosotros funcionábamos con el interruptor nuevo. — Before, we used to work with the new switch.
  5. Mañana, tú funcionarás bien desde la reparación. — Tomorrow, you will work well since the repair.
  6. Yo funcionaría sin problemas por la mañana si tuviera más tiempo. — I would work without problems in the morning if I had more time.
  7. Él ha funcionado a la primera siempre. — He has worked first time, always.
  8. Espero que él funcione con el interruptor nuevo. — I hope he works with the new switch.
  9. Yo ya había funcionado bien desde la reparación antes de salir. — I had already worked well since the repair before leaving.
  10. Ellos funcionaban sin problemas por la mañana cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to work without problems in the morning when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo funciona bien desde la reparación. — Right: Yo funciono bien desde la reparación. — The person matters: funciona is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is funciono. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo funciono sin problemas por la mañana. — Right: Ayer yo funcioné sin problemas por la mañana. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: funciono is happening now, while funcioné is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating funcionar and marchar as identical in every context. — Right: Funcionar means to work, to function, while marchar means to work, to go. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: funcionar fits sentences such as Funciono bien desde la reparación, while marchar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy funcionado sin problemas por la mañana. — Right: Yo he funcionado sin problemas por la mañana. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he funcionado, has funcionado, ha funcionado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo funcioné a la primera siempre todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo funcionaba a la primera siempre todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (funcionaba), not the preterite. The preterite (funcioné) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on funcionar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ bien desde la reparación. (present tense) A. funciono B. funcionas C. funciona D. funcionamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ sin problemas por la mañana. (preterite) A. funcioné B. funcionaste C. funcionaron D. funcionó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a la primera siempre. (imperfect) A. funcionabas B. funcionaban C. funcionábamos D. funcionaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con el interruptor nuevo. (future) A. funcionaremos B. funcionarás C. funcionaré D. funcionará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ bien desde la reparación si pudiera. (conditional) A. funcionaría B. funcionarías C. funcionarían D. funciono

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ sin problemas por la mañana. (present subjunctive) A. funciones B. funcionemos C. funciono D. funcione

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a la primera siempre, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. funcionáramos B. funciono C. funcionara D. funcionaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con el interruptor nuevo. (present perfect) A. han funcionado B. hemos funcionado C. he funcionado D. has funcionado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ bien desde la reparación! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. funciona B. funcione C. funcionemos D. funcionad

  10. Which is the gerund of funcionar, used with estar for the progressive? A. funcionado B. funciono C. funcioné D. funcionando

Answer key

  1. funciono — The first-person present of funcionar is funciono. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. funcionó — The third-person preterite of funcionar is funcionó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. funcionábamos — The nosotros imperfect of funcionar is funcionábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. funcionarás — The second-person future of funcionar is funcionarás.
  5. funcionaría — The first-person conditional of funcionar is funcionaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. funcione — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of funcionar is funcione.
  7. funcionara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of funcionar is funcionara.
  8. hemos funcionado — The nosotros present perfect of funcionar is hemos funcionado: hemos + funcionado.
  9. funciona — The affirmative tú imperative of funcionar is funciona.
  10. funcionando — The gerund of funcionar is funcionando: estoy funcionando. The participle funcionado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does funcionar mean in English?

Funcionar means to work, to function. It is used in everyday situations such as Funciono bien desde la reparación. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is funcionar regular or irregular?

Funcionar 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 funciono in the present and funcioné in the preterite.

What is the difference between funcionar and marchar?

Funcionar means to work, to function, while marchar means to work, to go. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use funcionar when you mean to work, to function, as in Funciono bien desde la reparación, and use marchar for to work, to go. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I work” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo funcioné sin problemas por la mañana. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo funcionaba a la primera siempre. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he funcionado sin problemas por la mañana.

How do I practise funcionar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the funcionar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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