Gastar Conjugation in Spanish
gastar means "to spend (money)" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for talking about spending money — on food, clothes, travel and everything else, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of gastar in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. Gastar is a regular -ar verb verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: Yo gasto demasiado dinero en ropa. — "I spend too much money on clothes.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: gastar
- English: to spend (money)
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Gerund: gastando
- Past participle: gastado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + gastado)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of gastar with all six persons. The gerund is gastando and the past participle is gastado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | gasto |
| tú | gastas |
| él/ella/Ud. | gasta |
| nosotros/as | gastamos |
| vosotros/as | gastáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | gastan |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | gasté |
| tú | gastaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | gastó |
| nosotros/as | gastamos |
| vosotros/as | gastasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | gastaron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | gastaba |
| tú | gastabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | gastaba |
| nosotros/as | gastábamos |
| vosotros/as | gastabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | gastaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | gastaré |
| tú | gastarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | gastará |
| nosotros/as | gastaremos |
| vosotros/as | gastaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | gastarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | gastaría |
| tú | gastarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | gastaría |
| nosotros/as | gastaríamos |
| vosotros/as | gastaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | gastarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he gastado |
| tú | has gastado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha gastado |
| nosotros/as | hemos gastado |
| vosotros/as | habéis gastado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han gastado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había gastado |
| tú | habías gastado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había gastado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos gastado |
| vosotros/as | habíais gastado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían gastado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré gastado |
| tú | habrás gastado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá gastado |
| nosotros/as | habremos gastado |
| vosotros/as | habréis gastado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán gastado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría gastado |
| tú | habrías gastado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría gastado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos gastado |
| vosotros/as | habríais gastado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían gastado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | gaste |
| tú | gastes |
| él/ella/Ud. | gaste |
| nosotros/as | gastemos |
| vosotros/as | gastéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | gasten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | gastara |
| tú | gastaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | gastara |
| nosotros/as | gastáramos |
| vosotros/as | gastarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | gastaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | gasta |
| él/ella/Ud. | gaste |
| nosotros/as | gastemos |
| vosotros/as | gastad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | gasten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | gastes |
| él/ella/Ud. | gaste |
| nosotros/as | gastemos |
| vosotros/as | gastéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | gasten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | gastando |
| Past participle | gastado |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with gastar, with one example sentence. The example forms are taken from the tables above.
Present indicative
The present tense talks about what happens now, habits, routines and general truths. It is the first tense every learner needs, because it covers daily life: what you do, what you like, where you live. For most verbs the present is also the base for the present subjunctive, so learning it well pays off twice.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo gasto demasiado dinero.
Preterite (past)
The preterite talks about finished actions in the past — things that started and ended at a specific moment. Use it for events, for what happened yesterday, last year, or at a particular time. It answers the question "what happened?" and it is the tense of stories told as a sequence of events.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Ayer yo gasté demasiado dinero.
Imperfect (past)
The imperfect talks about the past as background: habits, repeated actions, descriptions, and things that were in progress when something else happened. Use it for "used to", for setting a scene, and for age, time and weather in the past. It answers "what was going on?" rather than "what happened?".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: En aquella época, yo gastaba demasiado dinero.
Future
The future tense talks about what will happen: plans, predictions and promises. In everyday speech Spanish speakers often use "ir a + infinitive" instead, but the future tense is essential for formal writing, for promises, and for guessing about the present ("¿Dónde estará?").
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Mañana yo gastaré demasiado dinero.
Conditional
The conditional talks about what would happen: hypothetical situations, polite requests, and advice. It pairs with the imperfect subjunctive in "if" sentences ("Si pudiera, lo haría"). It is also the polite way to ask for things and to soften opinions.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo gastaría demasiado dinero si pudiera.
Present perfect
The present perfect (haber + past participle) talks about the recent past and about experience: what you have done, what has just happened, what you have never tried. It connects the past to the present moment, so it often appears with "hoy", "esta semana", "ya" and "todavía no".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya he gastado demasiado dinero.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect (había + past participle) talks about the past before the past: what had already happened when something else happened. Use it to order two past events — the pluperfect one comes first in time. It appears constantly in stories and explanations.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya había gastado demasiado dinero antes.
Future perfect
The future perfect (habré + past participle) talks about something that will already be finished by a future moment: "Para mañana ya habré terminado". It is also used to guess about the past: "¿Dónde habrá ido?". It is less common in speech but regular in writing.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Para mañana yo ya habré gastado demasiado dinero.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect (habría + past participle) talks about what would have happened: the past of the conditional. It appears in "if" sentences about a past that did not happen ("Si hubiera sabido, habría venido") and in polite regrets and reproaches.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo habría gastado demasiado dinero si hubiera podido.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is the mood of wishes, doubts, emotions and influence: what you want, hope, doubt or demand. It appears after "quiero que", "espero que", "es posible que", "ojalá" and after verbs of emotion and doubt. It never stands alone — a trigger in the main clause calls for it.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Espero que él gaste demasiado dinero.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive is the past of the subjunctive: it follows past-tense triggers ("Quería que vinieras") and it is the tense of "if" clauses about unlikely or impossible situations ("Si tuviera dinero, viajaría"). The -ra forms shown here are the standard ones; -se forms exist too but -ra is far more common in speech.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Si él gastara demasiado dinero, sería perfecto.
Imperative (affirmative)
Affirmative commands tell someone to do something: "¡Ven aquí!", "¡Siéntate!". The tú and vosotros forms are the ones you will use most, and they are also the ones that break the regular pattern most often — the tú affirmative command comes from the él/ella present form, not from the infinitive.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: ¡Gasta demasiado dinero!
Imperative (negative)
Negative commands tell someone not to do something: "¡No hables!", "¡No te vayas!". Unlike affirmative commands, negative commands always use the subjunctive forms, for every person. If you know the present subjunctive, you already know the negative imperative.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: No gastes demasiado dinero.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with gastar, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo gasto demasiado dinero en ropa. — "I spend too much money on clothes."
- ¿Tú gastas demasiado dinero en viajes? — "Do you spend too much money on travel?"
- Ayer gasté demasiado dinero en el mercado. — "Yesterday I spent too much money at the market."
- Ella gastaba demasiado dinero cuando era joven. — "She used to spend too much money when she was young."
- Mañana gastaré demasiado dinero en la fiesta. — "Tomorrow I will spend too much money at the party."
- Yo gastaría demasiado dinero si tuviera tarjeta. — "I would spend too much money if I had a card."
- Ya he gastado demasiado dinero este mes. — "I have already spent too much money this month."
- Espero que no gaste demasiado dinero. — "I hope he doesn't spend too much money."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with gastar — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo gasté demasiado dinero — learners often write gaste without the accent. → Right: Yo gasté demasiado dinero.. The preterite yo form is gasté, with an accent on the final e. Gastar is regular, so the accent is the only spelling point.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú gastas demasiado dinero. → Right: Espero que tú gastes demasiado dinero.. After espero que, use the subjunctive gastes, not the indicative gastas.
- Wrong: *Gasto demasiado dinero en ropa — some learners use a and write gasto en ropa correctly; the error is gasto para ropa. → Right: Yo gasto demasiado dinero en ropa.. Use en for what you spend money on: gasto dinero en ropa, gasto dinero en comida. Para is for purpose, not for the thing bought.
- Wrong: *Yo he gastado demasiado dinero — learners sometimes write he gasto instead of the participle. → Right: Yo he gastado demasiado dinero.. The perfect tenses use the participle gastado after haber: he gastado, not he gasto.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on gastar. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of gastar in the present indicative?
- a) gastamos
- b) gastas
- c) gasta
- d) gasto
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of gastar in the preterite (past)?
- a) gastó
- b) gastamos
- c) gasté
- d) gastaste
What is the nosotros/as form of gastar in the imperfect (past)?
- a) gastaba
- b) gastábamos
- c) gastaba
- d) gastabas
What is the tú form of gastar in the future?
- a) gastará
- b) gastaré
- c) gastarás
- d) gastaremos
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of gastar in the conditional?
- a) gastaría
- b) gastarían
- c) gastarías
- d) gastaría
What is the yo form of gastar in the present subjunctive?
- a) gastes
- b) gaste
- c) gastemos
- d) gaste
What is the gerund of gastar?
- a) gastar
- b) gastado
- c) gastando
- d) gasta
What is the past participle of gastar?
- a) gastando
- b) gastado
- c) he gastado
- d) gasto
What does gastar mean in English?
- a) to forget
- b) to fulfil, to turn (an age)
- c) to give (a gift)
- d) to spend (money)
The form gasté belongs to which tense?
- a) Imperfect
- b) Preterite
- c) Present
- d) Future
Answer key
- gasto — The yo form in the present indicative is gasto — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- gastó — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is gastó — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- gastábamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is gastábamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- gastarás — The tú form in the future is gastarás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- gastarían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is gastarían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- gaste — The yo form in the present subjunctive is gaste — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- gastando — The gerund is gastando — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy gastando). The past participle is gastado.
- gastado — The past participle is gastado — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he gastado).
- to spend (money) — gastar means "to spend (money)".
- Preterite — gasté is the yo form of the preterite of gastar — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is gastaba.
Frequently asked questions
Is gastar regular?
Yes, gastar is a completely regular -ar verb: gasto, gastas, gasta, gastamos, gastáis, gastan. The preterite is gasté, gastaste, gastó, and the participle is gastado.
What is the difference between gastar and pagar?
Gastar means to spend money in general (gasto dinero en ropa), while pagar means to pay someone or for something specific (pago la cuenta, le pago al taxista). You spend money; you pay a bill or a person.
How do you say "to waste money" in Spanish?
Gastar dinero tontamente or malgastar dinero. Malgastar is the specific verb for wasting: No malgastes tu dinero. Gastar alone is neutral — it just means to spend.
Does gastar take a preposition?
Yes, en for the thing you spend on: gasto dinero en ropa, gasto dinero en viajes. For the person you spend on, use en as well, or para: Gasto mucho en mis hijos.
Related pages
- Gastar in the present tense — the present tense of gastar in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Gastar examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with gastar and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Ahorrar conjugation — another verb in the same family as gastar.
- Comprar conjugation — another verb in the same family as gastar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise gastar with this tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise gastar with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.