Influir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb influir means to influence, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Influir means to influence, and it describes one person, idea or event changing what another person thinks or does. It almost always takes en: influir en una decisión, influir en los jóvenes. It is a formal verb, common in news, essays and discussions about politics, media and health. Like every Spanish verb, influir 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 influyo en las decisiones de los jóvenes, and in the preterite you say influí mucho en mi opinión. 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: influir
- English: to influence
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: influyendo
- Past participle: influido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + influido)
- Pattern to learn: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is influyo and influye, and the gerund is influyendo.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for influir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Influir is a -uir verb: yo influyo, él influye, with y before the vowel endings.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for influir. 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 | influyo |
| tú | influyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | influye |
| nosotros/as | influimos |
| vosotros/as | influís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | influyen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | influí |
| tú | influiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | influyó |
| nosotros/as | influimos |
| vosotros/as | influisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | influyeron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | influía |
| tú | influías |
| él/ella/Ud. | influía |
| nosotros/as | influíamos |
| vosotros/as | influíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | influían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | influiré |
| tú | influirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | influirá |
| nosotros/as | influiremos |
| vosotros/as | influiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | influirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | influiría |
| tú | influirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | influiría |
| nosotros/as | influiríamos |
| vosotros/as | influiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | influirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he influido |
| tú | has influido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha influido |
| nosotros/as | hemos influido |
| vosotros/as | habéis influido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han influido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había influido |
| tú | habías influido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había influido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos influido |
| vosotros/as | habíais influido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían influido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré influido |
| tú | habrás influido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá influido |
| nosotros/as | habremos influido |
| vosotros/as | habréis influido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán influido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría influido |
| tú | habrías influido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría influido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos influido |
| vosotros/as | habríais influido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían influido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | influya |
| tú | influyas |
| él/ella/Ud. | influya |
| nosotros/as | influyamos |
| vosotros/as | influyáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | influyan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | influyera |
| tú | influyeras |
| él/ella/Ud. | influyera |
| nosotros/as | influyéramos |
| vosotros/as | influyerais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | influyeran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | influye |
| él/ella/Ud. | influya |
| nosotros/as | influyamos |
| vosotros/as | influid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | influyan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | influyas |
| él/ella/Ud. | influya |
| nosotros/as | influyamos |
| vosotros/as | influyáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | influyan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | influyendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy influyendo |
| Past participle | influido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he influido |
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 influyo and influye, and the gerund is influyendo. For influir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Influyo en las decisiones de los jóvenes. 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 influyo and influye, and the gerund is influyendo. For influir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, influí en el resultado de las elecciones. 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 influir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, influía mucho en mi opinión. 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 influir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, influiré en la salud de la gente. 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 influir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Influiría en las decisiones de los jóvenes 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 influir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he influido en el resultado de las elecciones. 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 influir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había influido mucho en mi opinión 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 influir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré influido en la salud de la gente. 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 influir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría influido en las decisiones de los jóvenes 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 influyo and influye, and the gerund is influyendo. For influir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él influya en el resultado de las elecciones. 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 influir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él influyera mucho en mi opinión, 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 influyo and influye, and the gerund is influyendo. For influir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Influye en la salud de la gente! 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 influyo and influye, and the gerund is influyendo. For influir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No influyas en las decisiones de los jóvenes. 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 influir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Influyo en las decisiones de los jóvenes. — I influence young people's decisions.
- Influye en el resultado de las elecciones. — He/she influences the result of the elections.
- Ayer, influí mucho en mi opinión. — Yesterday, I influenced my opinion a lot.
- Antes, nosotros influíamos en la salud de la gente. — Before, we used to influence people's health.
- Mañana, tú influirás en las decisiones de los jóvenes. — Tomorrow, you will influence young people's decisions.
- Yo influiría en el resultado de las elecciones si tuviera más tiempo. — I would influence the result of the elections if I had more time.
- Él ha influido mucho en mi opinión. — He has influenced my opinion a lot.
- Espero que él influya en la salud de la gente. — I hope he influences people's health.
- Yo ya había influido en las decisiones de los jóvenes antes de salir. — I had already influenced young people's decisions before leaving.
- Ellos influían en el resultado de las elecciones cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to influence the result of the elections when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo influye en las decisiones de los jóvenes. — Right: Yo influyo en las decisiones de los jóvenes. — The person matters: influye is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is influyo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo influo en el resultado de las elecciones. — Right: Yo influyo en el resultado de las elecciones. — Influir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is influyo and influye, and the gerund is influyendo. The form influyo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
- Wrong: Treating influir and afectar as identical in every context. — Right: Influir means to influence, while afectar means to affect. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: influir fits sentences such as Influyo en las decisiones de los jóvenes, while afectar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy influido en el resultado de las elecciones. — Right: Yo he influido en el resultado de las elecciones. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he influido, has influido, ha influido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo influí mucho en mi opinión todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo influía mucho en mi opinión todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (influía), not the preterite. The preterite (influí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on influir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en las decisiones de los jóvenes. (present tense) A. influyo B. influyes C. influye D. influimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en el resultado de las elecciones. (preterite) A. influí B. influiste C. influimos D. influyó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ mucho en mi opinión. (imperfect) A. influías B. influyo C. influíamos D. influía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en la salud de la gente. (future) A. influiremos B. influirás C. influiré D. influirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en las decisiones de los jóvenes si pudiera. (conditional) A. influiría B. influirías C. influiríamos D. influyo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en el resultado de las elecciones. (present subjunctive) A. influyas B. influyamos C. influyo D. influya
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ mucho en mi opinión, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. influyéramos B. influyo C. influyera D. influyeras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en la salud de la gente. (present perfect) A. ha influido B. hemos influido C. he influido D. has influido
Complete the command: ¡___ en las decisiones de los jóvenes! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. influye B. influya C. influyamos D. influid
Which is the gerund of influir, used with estar for the progressive? A. influido B. influyo C. influí D. influyendo
Answer key
- influyo — The yo present tense of influir is influyo.
- influyó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of influir is influyó.
- influíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of influir is influíamos.
- influirás — The tú future of influir is influirás.
- influiría — The yo conditional of influir is influiría.
- influya — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of influir is influya.
- influyera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of influir is influyera.
- hemos influido — The nosotros/as present perfect of influir is hemos influido.
- influye — The affirmative tú imperative of influir is influye.
- influyendo — The gerund of influir is influyendo: estoy influyendo. The participle influido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does influir mean in English?
Influir means to influence. It is used in everyday situations such as Influyo en las decisiones de los jóvenes. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is influir regular or irregular?
Influir is a spelling-change verb: it is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is influyo and influye, and the gerund is influyendo. The endings are regular, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page, including influyo in the present and influí in the preterite.
What is the difference between influir and afectar?
Influir means to influence, while afectar means to affect. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use influir when you mean to influence, as in Influyo en las decisiones de los jóvenes, and use afectar for to affect. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I influence” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo influí en el resultado de las elecciones. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo influía mucho en mi opinión. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he influido en el resultado de las elecciones.
How do I practise influir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the influir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Influir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for influir.
- Influir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for influir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Incluir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with influir.
- Insistir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with influir.
- Interrumpir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with influir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.