Ingerir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb ingerir means to ingest, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Ingerir means to ingest or to take in, and it is the formal verb for eating, drinking and taking medicine: ingerir alimentos, ingerir pastillas. It is a stem-changing -ir verb, e to ie in the present and e to i in the preterite third person and the gerund: ingiero, ingirió, ingiriendo. Like every Spanish verb, ingerir 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 ingiero alimentos sanos cada día, and in the preterite you say ingerí demasiada sal en la cena. 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: ingerir
- English: to ingest
- Verb type: irregular verb, stem-changing (e → ie)
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: ingiriendo
- Past participle: ingerido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + ingerido)
- Stem change: e → ie in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ingerir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Ingerir changes e to ie in the present (ingiero) and e to i in the preterite third person (ingirió) and the gerund (ingiriendo).
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for ingerir. 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 | ingiero |
| tú | ingieres |
| él/ella/Ud. | ingiere |
| nosotros/as | ingerimos |
| vosotros/as | ingerís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ingieren |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ingerí |
| tú | ingeriste |
| él/ella/Ud. | ingirió |
| nosotros/as | ingerimos |
| vosotros/as | ingeristeis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ingirieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ingería |
| tú | ingerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | ingería |
| nosotros/as | ingeríamos |
| vosotros/as | ingeríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ingerían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ingeriré |
| tú | ingerirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | ingerirá |
| nosotros/as | ingeriremos |
| vosotros/as | ingeriréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ingerirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ingeriría |
| tú | ingerirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | ingeriría |
| nosotros/as | ingeriríamos |
| vosotros/as | ingeriríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ingerirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he ingerido |
| tú | has ingerido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha ingerido |
| nosotros/as | hemos ingerido |
| vosotros/as | habéis ingerido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han ingerido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había ingerido |
| tú | habías ingerido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había ingerido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos ingerido |
| vosotros/as | habíais ingerido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían ingerido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré ingerido |
| tú | habrás ingerido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá ingerido |
| nosotros/as | habremos ingerido |
| vosotros/as | habréis ingerido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán ingerido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría ingerido |
| tú | habrías ingerido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría ingerido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos ingerido |
| vosotros/as | habríais ingerido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían ingerido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ingiera |
| tú | ingieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ingiera |
| nosotros/as | ingiramos |
| vosotros/as | ingiráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ingieran |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ingiriera |
| tú | ingirieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ingiriera |
| nosotros/as | ingiriéramos |
| vosotros/as | ingirierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ingirieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ingiere |
| él/ella/Ud. | ingiera |
| nosotros/as | ingiramos |
| vosotros/as | ingerid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ingieran |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ingieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ingiera |
| nosotros/as | ingiramos |
| vosotros/as | ingiráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ingieran |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | ingiriendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy ingiriendo |
| Past participle | ingerido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he ingerido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For ingerir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Ingiero alimentos sanos cada día. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For ingerir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, ingerí pastillas con agua. 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 ingerir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, ingería demasiada sal en la cena. 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 ingerir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, ingeriré líquidos durante el partido. 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 ingerir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Ingeriría alimentos sanos cada día 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 ingerir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he ingerido pastillas con agua. 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 ingerir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había ingerido demasiada sal en la cena 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 ingerir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré ingerido líquidos durante el partido. 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 ingerir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría ingerido alimentos sanos cada día 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For ingerir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él ingiera pastillas con agua. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For ingerir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él ingiriera demasiada sal en la cena, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For ingerir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Ingiere líquidos durante el partido! 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For ingerir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No ingieras alimentos sanos cada día. 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 ingerir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Ingiero alimentos sanos cada día. — I ingest healthy food every day.
- Ingiere pastillas con agua. — He/she ingests pills with water.
- Ayer, ingerí demasiada sal en la cena. — Yesterday, I ingested too much salt at dinner.
- Antes, nosotros ingeríamos líquidos durante el partido. — Before, we used to ingest liquids during the match.
- Mañana, tú ingerirás alimentos sanos cada día. — Tomorrow, you will ingest healthy food every day.
- Yo ingeriría pastillas con agua si tuviera más tiempo. — I would ingest pills with water if I had more time.
- Él ha ingerido demasiada sal en la cena. — He has ingested too much salt at dinner.
- Espero que él ingiera líquidos durante el partido. — I hope he ingests liquids during the match.
- Yo ya había ingerido alimentos sanos cada día antes de salir. — I had already ingested healthy food every day before leaving.
- Ellos ingerían pastillas con agua cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to ingest pills with water when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo ingiere alimentos sanos cada día. — Right: Yo ingiero alimentos sanos cada día. — The person matters: ingiere is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ingiero. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo ingero pastillas con agua. — Right: Yo ingiero pastillas con agua. — Ingerir is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural. The nosotros form keeps the original stem.
- Wrong: Treating ingerir and comer as identical in every context. — Right: Ingerir means to ingest, while comer means to eat. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: ingerir fits sentences such as Ingiero alimentos sanos cada día, while comer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy ingerido pastillas con agua. — Right: Yo he ingerido pastillas con agua. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he ingerido, has ingerido, ha ingerido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo ingerí demasiada sal en la cena todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo ingería demasiada sal en la cena todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (ingería), not the preterite. The preterite (ingerí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on ingerir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ alimentos sanos cada día. (present tense) A. ingiero B. ingieres C. ingiere D. ingerimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ pastillas con agua. (preterite) A. ingerí B. ingeriste C. ingerimos D. ingirió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ demasiada sal en la cena. (imperfect) A. ingerías B. ingiero C. ingeríamos D. ingería
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ líquidos durante el partido. (future) A. ingeriremos B. ingerirás C. ingeriré D. ingerirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ alimentos sanos cada día si pudiera. (conditional) A. ingeriría B. ingerirías C. ingeriríamos D. ingiero
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ pastillas con agua. (present subjunctive) A. ingieras B. ingiramos C. ingiero D. ingiera
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ demasiada sal en la cena, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. ingiriéramos B. ingiero C. ingiriera D. ingirieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ líquidos durante el partido. (present perfect) A. ha ingerido B. hemos ingerido C. he ingerido D. has ingerido
Complete the command: ¡___ alimentos sanos cada día! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. ingiere B. ingiera C. ingiramos D. ingerid
Which is the gerund of ingerir, used with estar for the progressive? A. ingerido B. ingiero C. ingerí D. ingiriendo
Answer key
- ingiero — The yo present tense of ingerir is ingiero.
- ingirió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of ingerir is ingirió.
- ingeríamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of ingerir is ingeríamos.
- ingerirás — The tú future of ingerir is ingerirás.
- ingeriría — The yo conditional of ingerir is ingeriría.
- ingiera — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of ingerir is ingiera.
- ingiriera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of ingerir is ingiriera.
- hemos ingerido — The nosotros/as present perfect of ingerir is hemos ingerido.
- ingiere — The affirmative tú imperative of ingerir is ingiere.
- ingiriendo — The gerund of ingerir is ingiriendo: estoy ingiriendo. The participle ingerido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does ingerir mean in English?
Ingerir means to ingest. It is used in everyday situations such as Ingiero alimentos sanos cada día. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is ingerir regular or irregular?
Ingerir is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so it is not fully regular: the stem changes in the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. The preterite and the imperfect are regular. Check the tables above for the exact forms in each tense.
What is the difference between ingerir and comer?
Ingerir means to ingest, while comer means to eat. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use ingerir when you mean to ingest, as in Ingiero alimentos sanos cada día, and use comer for to eat. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I ingest” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo ingerí pastillas con agua. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo ingería demasiada sal en la cena. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he ingerido pastillas con agua.
How do I practise ingerir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the ingerir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Ingerir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for ingerir.
- Ingerir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for ingerir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Inducir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with ingerir.
- Instruir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with ingerir.
- Incurrir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with ingerir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.