Indicar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb indicar means to indicate, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Indicar means to indicate, and it is used for indicating the way with a finger, a clock indicating the time, a map showing the way and a patient indicating symptoms to a doctor. It is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e. Like every Spanish verb, indicar 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 indico el camino con el dedo, and in the preterite you say indiqué el camino a seguir en el mapa. 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: indicar
- English: to indicate
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: indicando
- Past participle: indicado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + indicado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for indicar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is indiqué and the subjunctive is indique.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for indicar. 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 | indico |
| tú | indicas |
| él/ella/Ud. | indica |
| nosotros/as | indicamos |
| vosotros/as | indicáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indican |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | indiqué |
| tú | indicaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | indicó |
| nosotros/as | indicamos |
| vosotros/as | indicasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indicaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | indicaba |
| tú | indicabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | indicaba |
| nosotros/as | indicábamos |
| vosotros/as | indicabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indicaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | indicaré |
| tú | indicarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | indicará |
| nosotros/as | indicaremos |
| vosotros/as | indicaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indicarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | indicaría |
| tú | indicarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | indicaría |
| nosotros/as | indicaríamos |
| vosotros/as | indicaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indicarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he indicado |
| tú | has indicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha indicado |
| nosotros/as | hemos indicado |
| vosotros/as | habéis indicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han indicado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había indicado |
| tú | habías indicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había indicado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos indicado |
| vosotros/as | habíais indicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían indicado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré indicado |
| tú | habrás indicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá indicado |
| nosotros/as | habremos indicado |
| vosotros/as | habréis indicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán indicado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría indicado |
| tú | habrías indicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría indicado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos indicado |
| vosotros/as | habríais indicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían indicado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | indique |
| tú | indiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | indique |
| nosotros/as | indiquemos |
| vosotros/as | indiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indiquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | indicara |
| tú | indicaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | indicara |
| nosotros/as | indicáramos |
| vosotros/as | indicarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indicaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | indica |
| él/ella/Ud. | indique |
| nosotros/as | indiquemos |
| vosotros/as | indicad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indiquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | indiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | indique |
| nosotros/as | indiquemos |
| vosotros/as | indiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | indiquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | indicando | with estar for the progressive: estoy indicando |
| Past participle | indicado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he indicado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For indicar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Indico el camino con el dedo. 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 in the first person: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is indiqué. For indicar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, indiqué la hora en el reloj. 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 indicar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, indicaba el camino a seguir en el mapa. 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 indicar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, indicaré los síntomas al médico. 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 indicar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Indicaría el camino con el dedo 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 indicar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he indicado la hora en el reloj. 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 indicar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había indicado el camino a seguir en el mapa 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 indicar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré indicado los síntomas al médico. 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 indicar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría indicado el camino con el dedo 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: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For indicar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él indique la hora en el reloj. 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 indicar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él indicara el camino a seguir en el mapa, 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: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For indicar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Indica los síntomas al médico! 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: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For indicar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No indiques el camino con el dedo. 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 indicar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Indico el camino con el dedo. — I indicate the way with my finger.
- Indica la hora en el reloj. — He/she indicates the time on the clock.
- Ayer, indiqué el camino a seguir en el mapa. — Yesterday, I indicated the way to follow on the map.
- Antes, nosotros indicábamos los síntomas al médico. — Before, we used to indicate the symptoms to the doctor.
- Mañana, tú indicarás el camino con el dedo. — Tomorrow, you will indicate the way with my finger.
- Yo indicaría la hora en el reloj si tuviera más tiempo. — I would indicate the time on the clock if I had more time.
- Él ha indicado el camino a seguir en el mapa. — He has indicated the way to follow on the map.
- Espero que él indique los síntomas al médico. — I hope he indicates the symptoms to the doctor.
- Yo ya había indicado el camino con el dedo antes de salir. — I had already indicated the way with my finger before leaving.
- Ellos indicaban la hora en el reloj cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to indicate the time on the clock when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo indica el camino con el dedo. — Right: Yo indico el camino con el dedo. — The person matters: indica is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is indico. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo indicé la hora en el reloj. — Right: Yo indiqué la hora en el reloj. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is indiqué, not indicé. indicar is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
- Wrong: Treating indicar and mostrar as identical in every context. — Right: Indicar means to indicate, while mostrar means to show, the close verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: indicar fits sentences such as Indico el camino con el dedo, while mostrar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy indicado la hora en el reloj. — Right: Yo he indicado la hora en el reloj. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he indicado, has indicado, ha indicado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo indiqué el camino a seguir en el mapa todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo indicaba el camino a seguir en el mapa todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (indicaba), not the preterite. The preterite (indiqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on indicar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el camino con el dedo. (present tense) A. indico B. indicas C. indica D. indicamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la hora en el reloj. (preterite) A. indiqué B. indicaste C. indicaron D. indicó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el camino a seguir en el mapa. (imperfect) A. indicabas B. indicaban C. indicábamos D. indicaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ los síntomas al médico. (future) A. indicaremos B. indicarás C. indicaré D. indicará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el camino con el dedo si pudiera. (conditional) A. indicaría B. indicarías C. indicarían D. indico
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la hora en el reloj. (present subjunctive) A. indiques B. indiquemos C. indico D. indique
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el camino a seguir en el mapa, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. indicáramos B. indico C. indicara D. indicaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ los síntomas al médico. (present perfect) A. han indicado B. hemos indicado C. he indicado D. has indicado
Complete the command: ¡___ el camino con el dedo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. indica B. indique C. indiquemos D. indicad
Which is the gerund of indicar, used with estar for the progressive? A. indicado B. indico C. indiqué D. indicando
Answer key
- indico — The first-person present of indicar is indico. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- indicó — The third-person preterite of indicar is indicó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- indicábamos — The nosotros imperfect of indicar is indicábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- indicarás — The second-person future of indicar is indicarás.
- indicaría — The first-person conditional of indicar is indicaría, the form for what would happen.
- indique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of indicar is indique.
- indicara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of indicar is indicara.
- hemos indicado — The nosotros present perfect of indicar is hemos indicado: hemos + indicado.
- indica — The affirmative tú imperative of indicar is indica.
- indicando — The gerund of indicar is indicando: estoy indicando. The participle indicado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does indicar mean in English?
Indicar means to indicate. It is used in everyday situations such as Indico el camino con el dedo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is indicar regular or irregular?
Indicar 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 indico in the present and indiqué in the preterite.
What is the difference between indicar and mostrar?
Indicar means to indicate, while mostrar means to show, the close verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use indicar when you mean to indicate, as in Indico el camino con el dedo, and use mostrar for to show, the close verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I indicate” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo indiqué la hora en el reloj. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo indicaba el camino a seguir en el mapa. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he indicado la hora en el reloj.
How do I practise indicar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the indicar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Indicar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for indicar.
- Indicar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for indicar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Aplicar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with indicar.
- Dedicar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with indicar.
- Complicar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with indicar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.