Insinuar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb insinuar means to insinuate, to hint, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Insinuar means to insinuate or hint at something: insinuar que su jefe miente. It takes a que-clause or a noun, and it suggests saying something without saying it directly. Like every Spanish verb, insinuar 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 Yo insinúo que su jefe miente — "I insinuate that his boss is lying". 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: insinuar
  • English: to insinuate, to hint
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: insinuando
  • Past participle: insinuado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + insinuado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for insinuar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for insinuar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | insinúo | | tú | insinúas | | él/ella/Ud. | insinúa | | nosotros/as | insinuamos | | vosotros/as | insinuáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | insinúan |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | insinué | | tú | insinuaste | | él/ella/Ud. | insinuó | | nosotros/as | insinuamos | | vosotros/as | insinuasteis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | insinuaron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | insinuaba | | tú | insinuabas | | él/ella/Ud. | insinuaba | | nosotros/as | insinuábamos | | vosotros/as | insinuabais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | insinuaban |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | insinuaré | | tú | insinuarás | | él/ella/Ud. | insinuará | | nosotros/as | insinuaremos | | vosotros/as | insinuaréis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | insinuarán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | insinuaría | | tú | insinuarías | | él/ella/Ud. | insinuaría | | nosotros/as | insinuaríamos | | vosotros/as | insinuaríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | insinuarían |

Present perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | he insinuado | | tú | has insinuado | | él/ella/Ud. | ha insinuado | | nosotros/as | hemos insinuado | | vosotros/as | habéis insinuado | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | han insinuado |

Pluperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | había insinuado | | tú | habías insinuado | | él/ella/Ud. | había insinuado | | nosotros/as | habíamos insinuado | | vosotros/as | habíais insinuado | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían insinuado |

Future perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | habré insinuado | | tú | habrás insinuado | | él/ella/Ud. | habrá insinuado | | nosotros/as | habremos insinuado | | vosotros/as | habréis insinuado | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán insinuado |

Conditional perfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | habría insinuado | | tú | habrías insinuado | | él/ella/Ud. | habría insinuado | | nosotros/as | habríamos insinuado | | vosotros/as | habríais insinuado | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían insinuado |

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | insinúe | | tú | insinúes | | él/ella/Ud. | insinúe | | nosotros/as | insinuemos | | vosotros/as | insinuéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | insinúen |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | insinuara | | tú | insinuaras | | él/ella/Ud. | insinuara | | nosotros/as | insinuáramos | | vosotros/as | insinuarais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | insinuaran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | insinúa | | él/ella/Ud. | insinúe | | nosotros/as | insinuemos | | vosotros/as | insinuad | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | insinúen |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | insinúes | | él/ella/Ud. | insinúe | | nosotros/as | insinuemos | | vosotros/as | insinuéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | insinúen |

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund insinuando with estar for the progressive: está insinuando
Past participle insinuado with haber for the perfect tenses: he insinuado

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 insinuar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo insinúo que su jefe miente — "I insinuate that his boss is lying".

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 insinuar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo insinué que quiere un aumento — "Yesterday, I insinuated that he wants a rise".

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 insinuar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo insinuaba que conoce el secreto — "As a child, I used to insinuate that he knows the secret".

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 insinuar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo insinuaré una duda en su voz — "Tomorrow, I will insinuate a doubt in his voice".

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 insinuar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo insinuaría que su jefe miente si pudiera — "I would insinuate that his boss is lying if I could".

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 insinuar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he insinuado que quiere un aumento — "Today, I have insinuated that he wants a rise".

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 insinuar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había insinuado que conoce el secreto antes de salir — "I already had insinuated that he knows the secret before leaving".

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 insinuar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré insinuado una duda en su voz — "By tomorrow, I will have insinuated a doubt in his voice".

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 insinuar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría insinuado que su jefe miente con más tiempo — "I would have insinuated that his boss is lying with more time".

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 insinuar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él insinúe que quiere un aumento — "I hope he insinuates that he wants a rise".

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past. The -ra forms are 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 insinuar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo insinuara que conoce el secreto, todo cambiaría — "If I insinuated that he knows the secret, everything would change".

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 insinuar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Insinúa una duda en su voz. — "Insinuate a doubt in his voice.".

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 insinuar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No insinúes que su jefe miente. — "Do not insinuate that his boss is lying.".

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with insinuar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo insinúo que su jefe miente — "I insinuate that his boss is lying"
  2. Mi amigo insinúa que quiere un aumento — "My friend insinuates that he wants a rise"
  3. Ayer, yo insinué que conoce el secreto — "Yesterday, I insinuated that he knows the secret"
  4. Antes, nosotros insinuábamos una duda en su voz — "Before, we used to insinuate a doubt in his voice"
  5. Mañana, tú insinuarás una sonrisa maliciosa — "Tomorrow, you will insinuate a malicious smile"
  6. Yo insinuaría que su jefe miente si tuviera más tiempo — "I would insinuate that his boss is lying if I had more time"
  7. Él ha insinuado que quiere un aumento — "He has insinuated that he wants a rise"
  8. Espero que él insinúe que conoce el secreto — "I hope he insinuates that he knows the secret"
  9. Yo ya había insinuado una duda en su voz antes de salir — "I already had insinuated a doubt in his voice before leaving"
  10. Ellos insinuaban una sonrisa maliciosa cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to insinuate a malicious smile when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Espero que él insinúa que quiere un aumento — Right: Espero que él insinúe que quiere un aumento — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él insinúe que quiere un aumento — not the indicative Espero que él insinúa que quiere un aumento.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo insinúo que conoce el secreto — Right: Ayer, yo insinué que conoce el secreto — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo insinué que conoce el secreto.
  3. Wrong: De niño, yo insinué una duda en su voz todos los días — Right: De niño, yo insinuaba una duda en su voz todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo insinuaba una duda en su voz todos los días.
  4. Wrong: Yo insinúo en que su jefe miente. — Right: Yo insinúo que su jefe miente. — insinuar takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo insinúo que su jefe miente.
  5. Wrong: Vosotros insinuais una sonrisa maliciosa. — Right: Vosotros insinuáis una sonrisa maliciosa. — The vosotros present form carries a written accent: insinuáis, not insinuais.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on insinuar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ que su jefe miente — "I insinuate that his boss is lying" (present) A. insinúo B. insinúas C. insinúa D. insinuamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ que quiere un aumento — "He insinuated that he wants a rise" (preterite) A. insinuamos B. insinuó C. insinué D. insinuaste

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ que conoce el secreto — "We used to insinuate that he knows the secret" (imperfect) A. insinuaba B. insinuabas C. insinuabais D. insinuábamos

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ una duda en su voz — "You will insinuate a doubt in his voice" (future) A. insinuará B. insinuaremos C. insinuarás D. insinuaré

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ una sonrisa maliciosa — "I would insinuate a malicious smile" (conditional) A. insinuaríamos B. insinuaríais C. insinuaría D. insinuarías

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ que su jefe miente — "I hope he insinuates that his boss is lying" (present subjunctive) A. insinúe B. insinúes C. insinuemos D. insinuéis

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ que quiere un aumento, todo cambiaría — "If I insinuated that he wants a rise, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. insinuarais B. insinuara C. insinuaras D. insinuáramos

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ que conoce el secreto — "We have insinuated that he knows the secret" (present perfect) A. hemos insinuado B. he insinuado C. has insinuado D. ha insinuado

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ una duda en su voz. — "Do not insinuate a doubt in his voice." (negative imperative) A. insinuemos B. insinuéis C. insinúes D. insinúe

  10. Which is the gerund of insinuar, used with estar for the progressive? A. insinué B. insinuando C. insinuado D. insinúo

Answer key

  1. insinúo — The present form for yo is insinúo.
  2. insinuó — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is insinuó.
  3. insinuábamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is insinuábamos.
  4. insinuarás — The future form for tú is insinuarás.
  5. insinuaría — The conditional form for yo is insinuaría.
  6. insinúe — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is insinúe.
  7. insinuara — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is insinuara.
  8. hemos insinuado — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos insinuado.
  9. insinúes — The negative imperative form is insinúes.
  10. insinuando — The gerund of insinuar is insinuando: estoy insinuando. The participle insinuado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does insinuar mean in English?

insinuar means to insinuate, to hint. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo insinúo que su jefe miente — "I insinuate that his boss is lying". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is insinuar regular?

Yes. insinuar is a regular -ar verb, so once you know the endings for its class you can conjugate it in every tense. The only thing to watch is the written accent on some forms, such as insinuáis.

What is the gerund and the past participle of insinuar?

The gerund is insinuando and the past participle is insinuado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do I say "I insinuate" in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo insinué que quiere un aumento — "Yesterday, I insinuated that he wants a rise". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo insinuaba que conoce el secreto — "As a child, I used to insinuate that he knows the secret". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he insinuado que quiere un aumento — "Today, I have insinuated that he wants a rise".

What is the difference between insinuar and sugerir?

Sugerir is to suggest an idea openly. Insinuar is to hint at it — saying it indirectly, often with an edge. Insinuar means to insinuate or hint at something: insinuar que su jefe miente. It takes a que-clause or a noun, and it suggests saying something without saying it directly.

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