Huir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb huir means to flee, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Huir means to flee or to run away, and it is used for escaping danger, a fire, the police and a bad situation: huir del incendio, huir de la policía. It is a -uir verb with a strong y: yo huyo, él huye, gerund huyendo. It takes de for what you flee from. Like every Spanish verb, huir 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 huyo del incendio en el bosque, and in the preterite you say huí del peligro en la noche. 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: huir
- English: to flee
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: huyendo
- Past participle: huido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + huido)
- Pattern to learn: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is huyo and huye, and the gerund is huyendo.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for huir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Huir takes de: huyo del peligro. The forms carry a y: yo huyo, gerund huyendo.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for huir. 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 | huyo |
| tú | huyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | huye |
| nosotros/as | huimos |
| vosotros/as | huís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huyen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | huí |
| tú | huiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | huyó |
| nosotros/as | huimos |
| vosotros/as | huisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huyeron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | huía |
| tú | huías |
| él/ella/Ud. | huía |
| nosotros/as | huíamos |
| vosotros/as | huíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | huiré |
| tú | huirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | huirá |
| nosotros/as | huiremos |
| vosotros/as | huiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | huiría |
| tú | huirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | huiría |
| nosotros/as | huiríamos |
| vosotros/as | huiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he huido |
| tú | has huido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha huido |
| nosotros/as | hemos huido |
| vosotros/as | habéis huido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han huido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había huido |
| tú | habías huido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había huido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos huido |
| vosotros/as | habíais huido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían huido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré huido |
| tú | habrás huido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá huido |
| nosotros/as | habremos huido |
| vosotros/as | habréis huido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán huido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría huido |
| tú | habrías huido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría huido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos huido |
| vosotros/as | habríais huido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían huido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | huya |
| tú | huyas |
| él/ella/Ud. | huya |
| nosotros/as | huyamos |
| vosotros/as | huyáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huyan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | huyera |
| tú | huyeras |
| él/ella/Ud. | huyera |
| nosotros/as | huyéramos |
| vosotros/as | huyerais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huyeran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | huye |
| él/ella/Ud. | huya |
| nosotros/as | huyamos |
| vosotros/as | huid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huyan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | huyas |
| él/ella/Ud. | huya |
| nosotros/as | huyamos |
| vosotros/as | huyáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | huyan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | huyendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy huyendo |
| Past participle | huido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he huido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the pattern here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is huyo and huye, and the gerund is huyendo. For huir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Huyo del incendio en el bosque. 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. Note the spelling change here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is huyo and huye, and the gerund is huyendo. For huir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, huí de la policía por la calle. 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 huir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, huía del peligro en la noche. 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 huir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, huiré de casa a los dieciséis años. 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 huir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Huiría del incendio en el bosque 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 huir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he huido de la policía por la calle. 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 huir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había huido del peligro en la noche 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 huir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré huido de casa a los dieciséis años. 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 huir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría huido del incendio en el bosque 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. Note the spelling change here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is huyo and huye, and the gerund is huyendo. For huir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él huya de la policía por la calle. 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 huir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él huyera del peligro en la noche, 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. Note the spelling change here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is huyo and huye, and the gerund is huyendo. For huir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Huye de casa a los dieciséis años! 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. Note the spelling change here: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is huyo and huye, and the gerund is huyendo. For huir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No huyas del incendio en el bosque. 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 huir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Huyo del incendio en el bosque. — I flee from the fire in the forest.
- Huye de la policía por la calle. — He/she flees from the police down the street.
- Ayer, huí del peligro en la noche. — Yesterday, I fled from danger at night.
- Antes, nosotros huíamos de casa a los dieciséis años. — Before, we used to flee from home at sixteen.
- Mañana, tú huirás del incendio en el bosque. — Tomorrow, you will flee from the fire in the forest.
- Yo huiría de la policía por la calle si tuviera más tiempo. — I would flee from the police down the street if I had more time.
- Él ha huido del peligro en la noche. — He has fled from danger at night.
- Espero que él huya de casa a los dieciséis años. — I hope he flees from home at sixteen.
- Yo ya había huido del incendio en el bosque antes de salir. — I had already fled from the fire in the forest before leaving.
- Ellos huían de la policía por la calle cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to flee from the police down the street when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo huye del incendio en el bosque. — Right: Yo huyo del incendio en el bosque. — The person matters: huye is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is huyo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo huo de la policía por la calle. — Right: Yo huyo de la policía por la calle. — Huir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is huyo and huye, and the gerund is huyendo. The form huyo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
- Wrong: Treating huir and escapar as identical in every context. — Right: Huir means to flee, while escapar means to escape. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: huir fits sentences such as Huyo del incendio en el bosque, while escapar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy huido de la policía por la calle. — Right: Yo he huido de la policía por la calle. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he huido, has huido, ha huido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo huí del peligro en la noche todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo huía del peligro en la noche todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (huía), not the preterite. The preterite (huí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on huir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ del incendio en el bosque. (present tense) A. huyo B. huyes C. huye D. huimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ de la policía por la calle. (preterite) A. huí B. huiste C. huimos D. huyó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ del peligro en la noche. (imperfect) A. huías B. huyo C. huíamos D. huía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de casa a los dieciséis años. (future) A. huiremos B. huirás C. huiré D. huirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ del incendio en el bosque si pudiera. (conditional) A. huiría B. huirías C. huiríamos D. huyo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de la policía por la calle. (present subjunctive) A. huyas B. huyamos C. huyo D. huya
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ del peligro en la noche, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. huyéramos B. huyo C. huyera D. huyeras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de casa a los dieciséis años. (present perfect) A. ha huido B. hemos huido C. he huido D. has huido
Complete the command: ¡___ del incendio en el bosque! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. huye B. huya C. huyamos D. huid
Which is the gerund of huir, used with estar for the progressive? A. huido B. huyo C. huí D. huyendo
Answer key
- huyo — The yo present tense of huir is huyo.
- huyó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of huir is huyó.
- huíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of huir is huíamos.
- huirás — The tú future of huir is huirás.
- huiría — The yo conditional of huir is huiría.
- huya — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of huir is huya.
- huyera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of huir is huyera.
- hemos huido — The nosotros/as present perfect of huir is hemos huido.
- huye — The affirmative tú imperative of huir is huye.
- huyendo — The gerund of huir is huyendo: estoy huyendo. The participle huido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does huir mean in English?
Huir means to flee. It is used in everyday situations such as Huyo del incendio en el bosque. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is huir regular or irregular?
Huir is a spelling-change verb: it is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is huyo and huye, and the gerund is huyendo. The endings are regular, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page, including huyo in the present and huí in the preterite.
What is the difference between huir and escapar?
Huir means to flee, while escapar means to escape. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use huir when you mean to flee, as in Huyo del incendio en el bosque, and use escapar for to escape. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I flee” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo huí de la policía por la calle. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo huía del peligro en la noche. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he huido de la policía por la calle.
How do I practise huir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the huir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Huir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for huir.
- Huir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for huir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Fundir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with huir.
- Impartir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with huir.
- Fluir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with huir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.