Gemir Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb gemir means to groan, to moan, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Gemir means to groan or moan, from pain, pleasure or despair: gemir de dolor, gemir de placer. It takes de before the cause of the groan. Like every Spanish verb, gemir 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 Yo gimo de dolor en el hospital — "I groan with pain in hospital". 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.

The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: gimo, gimes, gime and gimen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: gemimos, gemís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: gimió, gimieron, and the gerund is gimiendo.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: gemir
  • English: to groan, to moan
  • Verb type: stem-changing -ir verb (e → i)
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: gimiendo
  • Past participle: gemido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + gemido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for gemir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for gemir. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | gimo | | tú | gimes | | él/ella/Ud. | gime | | nosotros/as | gemimos | | vosotros/as | gemís | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | gimen |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | gemí | | tú | gemiste | | él/ella/Ud. | gimió | | nosotros/as | gemimos | | vosotros/as | gemisteis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | gimieron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | gemía | | tú | gemías | | él/ella/Ud. | gemía | | nosotros/as | gemíamos | | vosotros/as | gemíais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | gemían |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | gemiré | | tú | gemirás | | él/ella/Ud. | gemirá | | nosotros/as | gemiremos | | vosotros/as | gemiréis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | gemirán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | gemiría | | tú | gemirías | | él/ella/Ud. | gemiría | | nosotros/as | gemiríamos | | vosotros/as | gemiríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | gemirían |

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | gima | | tú | gimas | | él/ella/Ud. | gima | | nosotros/as | gimamos | | vosotros/as | gimáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | giman |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | gimiera | | tú | gimieras | | él/ella/Ud. | gimiera | | nosotros/as | gimiéramos | | vosotros/as | gimierais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | gimieran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | gime | | él/ella/Ud. | gima | | nosotros/as | gimamos | | vosotros/as | gemid | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | giman |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | gimas | | él/ella/Ud. | gima | | nosotros/as | gimamos | | vosotros/as | gimáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | giman |

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund gimiendo with estar for the progressive: está gimiendo
Past participle gemido with haber for the perfect tenses: he gemido

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: gimo, gimes, gime and gimen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: gemimos, gemís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: gimió, gimieron, and the gerund is gimiendo. For gemir, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo gimo de dolor en el hospital — "I groan with pain in hospital".

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. In this tense the stem changes in the third person: gimió, gimieron. The gerund changes too: gimiendo. For gemir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo gemí toda la noche por la fiebre — "Yesterday, I groaned all night with the fever".

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 gemir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo gemía de placer al comer — "As a child, I used to groan with pleasure while eating".

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 gemir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo gemiré bajo el peso de la carga — "Tomorrow, I will groan under the weight of the load".

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 gemir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo gemiría de dolor en el hospital si pudiera — "I would groan with pain in hospital if I could".

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 gemir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he gemido toda la noche por la fiebre — "Today, I have groaned all night with the fever".

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 gemir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había gemido de placer al comer antes de salir — "I already had groaned with pleasure while eating before leaving".

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 gemir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré gemido bajo el peso de la carga — "By tomorrow, I will have groaned under the weight of the load".

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 gemir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría gemido de dolor en el hospital con más tiempo — "I would have groaned with pain in hospital with more time".

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: gimo, gimes, gime and gimen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: gemimos, gemís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: gimió, gimieron, and the gerund is gimiendo. For gemir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él gima toda la noche por la fiebre — "I hope he groans all night with the fever".

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past. The -ra forms are shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is irregular — see the table above. For gemir, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo gimiera de placer al comer, todo cambiaría — "If I groaned with pleasure while eating, everything would change".

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: gimo, gimes, gime and gimen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: gemimos, gemís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: gimió, gimieron, and the gerund is gimiendo. For gemir, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Gime bajo el peso de la carga. — "Groan under the weight of the load.".

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: gimo, gimes, gime and gimen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: gemimos, gemís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: gimió, gimieron, and the gerund is gimiendo. For gemir, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No gimas de dolor en el hospital. — "Do not groan with pain in hospital.".

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with gemir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo gimo de dolor en el hospital — "I groan with pain in hospital"
  2. Mi amigo gime toda la noche por la fiebre — "My friend groans all night with the fever"
  3. Ayer, yo gemí de placer al comer — "Yesterday, I groaned with pleasure while eating"
  4. Antes, nosotros gemíamos bajo el peso de la carga — "Before, we used to groan under the weight of the load"
  5. Mañana, tú gemirás de desesperación en la celda — "Tomorrow, you will groan in despair in the cell"
  6. Yo gemiría de dolor en el hospital si tuviera más tiempo — "I would groan with pain in hospital if I had more time"
  7. Él ha gemido toda la noche por la fiebre — "He has groaned all night with the fever"
  8. Espero que él gima de placer al comer — "I hope he groans with pleasure while eating"
  9. Yo ya había gemido bajo el peso de la carga antes de salir — "I already had groaned under the weight of the load before leaving"
  10. Ellos gemían de desesperación en la celda cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to groan in despair in the cell when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo gemo toda la noche por la fiebre. — Right: Yo gimo toda la noche por la fiebre. — gemir is a stem-changing verb (e → i): the stem vowel changes in the stressed present forms, so the yo form is gimo, not gemo.
  2. Wrong: Espero que él gime toda la noche por la fiebre — Right: Espero que él gima toda la noche por la fiebre — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él gima toda la noche por la fiebre — not the indicative Espero que él gime toda la noche por la fiebre.
  3. Wrong: Ayer, yo gimo de placer al comer — Right: Ayer, yo gemí de placer al comer — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo gemí de placer al comer.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo gemí bajo el peso de la carga todos los días — Right: De niño, yo gemía bajo el peso de la carga todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo gemía bajo el peso de la carga todos los días.
  5. Wrong: Yo gimo dolor en el hospital. — Right: Yo gimo de dolor en el hospital. — gemir takes de before this complement: Yo gimo de dolor en el hospital. Dropping the preposition is a common learner error.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ de dolor en el hospital — "I groan with pain in hospital" (present) A. gimes B. gime C. gemimos D. gimo

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ toda la noche por la fiebre — "He groaned all night with the fever" (preterite) A. gemimos B. gimió C. gemí D. gemiste

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ de placer al comer — "We used to groan with pleasure while eating" (imperfect) A. gemías B. gemíais C. gemíamos D. gemía

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ bajo el peso de la carga — "You will groan under the weight of the load" (future) A. gemirá B. gemiremos C. gemirás D. gemiré

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ de desesperación en la celda — "I would groan in despair in the cell" (conditional) A. gemirías B. gemiríamos C. gemiríais D. gemiría

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ de dolor en el hospital — "I hope he groans with pain in hospital" (present subjunctive) A. gimas B. gimamos C. gimáis D. gima

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ toda la noche por la fiebre, todo cambiaría — "If I groaned all night with the fever, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. gimierais B. gimiera C. gimieras D. gimiéramos

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ de placer al comer — "We have groaned with pleasure while eating" (present perfect) A. has gemido B. ha gemido C. hemos gemido D. he gemido

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ bajo el peso de la carga. — "Do not groan under the weight of the load." (negative imperative) A. gimamos B. gimáis C. gimas D. gima

  10. Which is the gerund of gemir, used with estar for the progressive? A. gimo B. gemí C. gimiendo D. gemido

Answer key

  1. gimo — The present form for yo is gimo.
  2. gimió — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is gimió.
  3. gemíamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is gemíamos.
  4. gemirás — The future form for tú is gemirás.
  5. gemiría — The conditional form for yo is gemiría.
  6. gima — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is gima.
  7. gimiera — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is gimiera.
  8. hemos gemido — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos gemido.
  9. gimas — The negative imperative form is gimas.
  10. gimiendo — The gerund of gemir is gimiendo: estoy gimiendo. The participle gemido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does gemir mean in English?

gemir means to groan, to moan. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo gimo de dolor en el hospital — "I groan with pain in hospital". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is gemir regular?

No. gemir is a stem-changing -ir verb (e → i). The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: gimo, gimes, gime and gimen — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: gemimos, gemís. In the preterite the third-person forms change too: gimió, gimieron, and the gerund is gimiendo. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the plain stem, which is the part learners most often get right by accident.

What is the gerund and the past participle of gemir?

The gerund is gimiendo and the past participle is gemido. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do I say "I groan" in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo gemí toda la noche por la fiebre — "Yesterday, I groaned all night with the fever". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo gemía de placer al comer — "As a child, I used to groan with pleasure while eating". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he gemido toda la noche por la fiebre — "Today, I have groaned all night with the fever".

What is the difference between gemir and quejarse?

Quejarse is to complain about something in words. Gemir is the sound itself — a groan or a moan, without necessarily complaining. Gemir means to groan or moan, from pain, pleasure or despair: gemir de dolor, gemir de placer. It takes de before the cause of the groan.

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