Hornear Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb hornear means to bake, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Hornear means to bake, and it is used for baking bread, cakes and biscuits in the oven. It is fully regular, and it is the verb for oven baking in general, while asar is for roasting meat and vegetables. Like every Spanish verb, hornear 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 horneo el pan en el horno, and in the preterite you say horneé galletas con los niños. 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: hornear
- English: to bake
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: horneando
- Past participle: horneado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + horneado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for hornear, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Hornear is fully regular: horneé, horneaba, hornearé. Hornear el pan is to bake the bread.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for hornear. 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 | horneo |
| tú | horneas |
| él/ella/Ud. | hornea |
| nosotros/as | horneamos |
| vosotros/as | horneáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | hornean |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | horneé |
| tú | horneaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | horneó |
| nosotros/as | horneamos |
| vosotros/as | horneasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | hornearon |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | horneaba |
| tú | horneabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | horneaba |
| nosotros/as | horneábamos |
| vosotros/as | horneabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | horneaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | hornearé |
| tú | hornearás |
| él/ella/Ud. | horneará |
| nosotros/as | hornearemos |
| vosotros/as | hornearéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | hornearán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | hornearía |
| tú | hornearías |
| él/ella/Ud. | hornearía |
| nosotros/as | hornearíamos |
| vosotros/as | hornearíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | hornearían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he horneado |
| tú | has horneado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha horneado |
| nosotros/as | hemos horneado |
| vosotros/as | habéis horneado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han horneado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había horneado |
| tú | habías horneado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había horneado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos horneado |
| vosotros/as | habíais horneado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían horneado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré horneado |
| tú | habrás horneado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá horneado |
| nosotros/as | habremos horneado |
| vosotros/as | habréis horneado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán horneado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría horneado |
| tú | habrías horneado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría horneado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos horneado |
| vosotros/as | habríais horneado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían horneado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | hornee |
| tú | hornees |
| él/ella/Ud. | hornee |
| nosotros/as | horneemos |
| vosotros/as | horneéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | horneen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | horneara |
| tú | hornearas |
| él/ella/Ud. | horneara |
| nosotros/as | horneáramos |
| vosotros/as | hornearais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | hornearan |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | hornea |
| él/ella/Ud. | hornee |
| nosotros/as | horneemos |
| vosotros/as | hornead |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | horneen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | hornees |
| él/ella/Ud. | hornee |
| nosotros/as | horneemos |
| vosotros/as | horneéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | horneen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | horneando | with estar for the progressive: estoy horneando |
| Past participle | horneado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he horneado |
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 hornear, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Horneo el pan en el horno. 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 hornear, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, horneé un pastel para el cumpleaños. 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 hornear, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, horneaba galletas con los niños. 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 hornear, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, hornearé la pizza en el horno. 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 hornear, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Hornearía el pan en el horno 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 hornear, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he horneado un pastel para el cumpleaños. 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 hornear, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había horneado galletas con los niños 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 hornear, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré horneado la pizza en el horno. 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 hornear, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría horneado el pan en el horno 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 hornear, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él hornee un pastel para el cumpleaños. 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 hornear, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él horneara galletas con los niños, 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 hornear, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Hornea la pizza en el horno! 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 hornear, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No hornees el pan en el horno. 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 hornear, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Horneo el pan en el horno. — I bake the bread in the oven.
- Hornea un pastel para el cumpleaños. — He/she bakes a cake for the birthday.
- Ayer, horneé galletas con los niños. — Yesterday, I baked biscuits with the children.
- Antes, nosotros horneábamos la pizza en el horno. — Before, we used to bake the pizza in the oven.
- Mañana, tú hornearás el pan en el horno. — Tomorrow, you will bake the bread in the oven.
- Yo hornearía un pastel para el cumpleaños si tuviera más tiempo. — I would bake a cake for the birthday if I had more time.
- Él ha horneado galletas con los niños. — He has baked biscuits with the children.
- Espero que él hornee la pizza en el horno. — I hope he bakes the pizza in the oven.
- Yo ya había horneado el pan en el horno antes de salir. — I had already baked the bread in the oven before leaving.
- Ellos horneaban un pastel para el cumpleaños cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to bake a cake for the birthday when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo hornea el pan en el horno. — Right: Yo horneo el pan en el horno. — The person matters: hornea is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is horneo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo horneo un pastel para el cumpleaños. — Right: Ayer yo horneé un pastel para el cumpleaños. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: horneo is happening now, while horneé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating hornear and asar as identical in every context. — Right: Hornear means to bake, while asar means to roast. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: hornear fits sentences such as Horneo el pan en el horno, while asar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy horneado un pastel para el cumpleaños. — Right: Yo he horneado un pastel para el cumpleaños. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he horneado, has horneado, ha horneado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo horneé galletas con los niños todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo horneaba galletas con los niños todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (horneaba), not the preterite. The preterite (horneé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on hornear. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el pan en el horno. (present tense) A. horneo B. horneas C. hornea D. horneamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ un pastel para el cumpleaños. (preterite) A. horneé B. horneaste C. hornearon D. horneó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ galletas con los niños. (imperfect) A. horneabas B. horneaban C. horneábamos D. horneaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la pizza en el horno. (future) A. hornearemos B. hornearás C. hornearé D. horneará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el pan en el horno si pudiera. (conditional) A. hornearía B. hornearías C. hornearían D. horneo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un pastel para el cumpleaños. (present subjunctive) A. hornees B. horneemos C. horneo D. hornee
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ galletas con los niños, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. horneáramos B. horneo C. horneara D. hornearas
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la pizza en el horno. (present perfect) A. han horneado B. hemos horneado C. he horneado D. has horneado
Complete the command: ¡___ el pan en el horno! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. hornea B. hornee C. horneemos D. hornead
Which is the gerund of hornear, used with estar for the progressive? A. horneado B. horneo C. horneé D. horneando
Answer key
- horneo — The first-person present of hornear is horneo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- horneó — The third-person preterite of hornear is horneó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- horneábamos — The nosotros imperfect of hornear is horneábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- hornearás — The second-person future of hornear is hornearás.
- hornearía — The first-person conditional of hornear is hornearía, the form for what would happen.
- hornee — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of hornear is hornee.
- horneara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of hornear is horneara.
- hemos horneado — The nosotros present perfect of hornear is hemos horneado: hemos + horneado.
- hornea — The affirmative tú imperative of hornear is hornea.
- horneando — The gerund of hornear is horneando: estoy horneando. The participle horneado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does hornear mean in English?
Hornear means to bake. It is used in everyday situations such as Horneo el pan en el horno. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is hornear regular or irregular?
Hornear 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 horneo in the present and horneé in the preterite.
What is the difference between hornear and asar?
Hornear means to bake, while asar means to roast. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use hornear when you mean to bake, as in Horneo el pan en el horno, and use asar for to roast. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I bake” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo horneé un pastel para el cumpleaños. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo horneaba galletas con los niños. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he horneado un pastel para el cumpleaños.
How do I practise hornear?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the hornear examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Hornear in the present tense — the full present-tense table for hornear.
- Hornear examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for hornear.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Asar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with hornear.
- Mezclar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with hornear.
- Amasar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with hornear.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.