Interrumpir Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb interrumpir means to interrupt, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Interrumpir means to interrupt, and it covers interrupting a person who is speaking, interrupting a meeting, and interrupting a journey or a process. It takes a direct object: interrumpir la clase, interrumpir a María. It is a regular -ir verb. Like every Spanish verb, interrumpir 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 interrumpo la clase con una pregunta, and in the preterite you say interrumpí el viaje por la lluvia. 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: interrumpir
  • English: to interrupt
  • Verb type: regular -ir verb
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: interrumpiendo
  • Past participle: interrumpido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + interrumpido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for interrumpir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Interrumpir is regular: interrumpí, interrumpía, interrumpiré. The double r is part of the stem.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for interrumpir. 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 interrumpo
tú interrumpes
él/ella/Ud. interrumpe
nosotros/as interrumpimos
vosotros/as interrumpís
ellos/ellas/Uds. interrumpen

Preterite

Person Form
yo interrumpí
tú interrumpiste
él/ella/Ud. interrumpió
nosotros/as interrumpimos
vosotros/as interrumpisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. interrumpieron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo interrumpía
tú interrumpías
él/ella/Ud. interrumpía
nosotros/as interrumpíamos
vosotros/as interrumpíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. interrumpían

Future

Person Form
yo interrumpiré
tú interrumpirás
él/ella/Ud. interrumpirá
nosotros/as interrumpiremos
vosotros/as interrumpiréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. interrumpirán

Conditional

Person Form
yo interrumpiría
tú interrumpirías
él/ella/Ud. interrumpiría
nosotros/as interrumpiríamos
vosotros/as interrumpiríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. interrumpirían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo interrumpa
tú interrumpas
él/ella/Ud. interrumpa
nosotros/as interrumpamos
vosotros/as interrumpáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. interrumpan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo interrumpiera
tú interrumpieras
él/ella/Ud. interrumpiera
nosotros/as interrumpiéramos
vosotros/as interrumpierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. interrumpieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú interrumpe
él/ella/Ud. interrumpa
nosotros/as interrumpamos
vosotros/as interrumpid
ellos/ellas/Uds. interrumpan

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú interrumpas
él/ella/Ud. interrumpa
nosotros/as interrumpamos
vosotros/as interrumpáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. interrumpan

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund interrumpiendo with estar for the progressive: estoy interrumpiendo
Past participle interrumpido with haber for the perfect tenses: he interrumpido

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 interrumpir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interrumpir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, interrumpí a María mientras habla. 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 interrumpir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, interrumpía el viaje por la lluvia. 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 interrumpir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, interrumpiré la reunión dos veces. 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 interrumpir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Interrumpiría la clase con una pregunta 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 interrumpir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he interrumpido a María mientras habla. 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 interrumpir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había interrumpido el viaje por la lluvia 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 interrumpir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré interrumpido la reunión dos veces. 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 interrumpir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría interrumpido la clase con una pregunta 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interrumpir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él interrumpa a María mientras habla. 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 interrumpir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él interrumpiera el viaje por la lluvia, 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interrumpir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Interrumpe la reunión dos veces! 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interrumpir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No interrumpas la clase con una pregunta. 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 interrumpir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta. — I interrupt the class with a question.
  2. Interrumpe a María mientras habla. — He/she interrupts María while she is speaking.
  3. Ayer, interrumpí el viaje por la lluvia. — Yesterday, I interrupted the trip because of the rain.
  4. Antes, nosotros interrumpíamos la reunión dos veces. — Before, we used to interrupt the meeting twice.
  5. Mañana, tú interrumpirás la clase con una pregunta. — Tomorrow, you will interrupt the class with a question.
  6. Yo interrumpiría a María mientras habla si tuviera más tiempo. — I would interrupt María while she is speaking if I had more time.
  7. Él ha interrumpido el viaje por la lluvia. — He has interrupted the trip because of the rain.
  8. Espero que él interrumpa la reunión dos veces. — I hope he interrupts the meeting twice.
  9. Yo ya había interrumpido la clase con una pregunta antes de salir. — I had already interrupted the class with a question before leaving.
  10. Ellos interrumpían a María mientras habla cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to interrupt María while she is speaking when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo interrumpe la clase con una pregunta. — Right: Yo interrumpo la clase con una pregunta. — The person matters: interrumpe is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is interrumpo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo interrumpo a María mientras habla. — Right: Ayer yo interrumpí a María mientras habla. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: interrumpo is happening now, while interrumpí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating interrumpir and cortar as identical in every context. — Right: Interrumpir means to interrupt, while cortar means to cut off. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: interrumpir fits sentences such as Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta, while cortar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy interrumpido a María mientras habla. — Right: Yo he interrumpido a María mientras habla. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he interrumpido, has interrumpido, ha interrumpido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo interrumpí el viaje por la lluvia todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo interrumpía el viaje por la lluvia todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (interrumpía), not the preterite. The preterite (interrumpí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la clase con una pregunta. (present tense) A. interrumpo B. interrumpes C. interrumpe D. interrumpimos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a María mientras habla. (preterite) A. interrumpí B. interrumpiste C. interrumpimos D. interrumpió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el viaje por la lluvia. (imperfect) A. interrumpías B. interrumpo C. interrumpíamos D. interrumpía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la reunión dos veces. (future) A. interrumpiremos B. interrumpirás C. interrumpiré D. interrumpirá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la clase con una pregunta si pudiera. (conditional) A. interrumpiría B. interrumpirías C. interrumpiríamos D. interrumpo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a María mientras habla. (present subjunctive) A. interrumpas B. interrumpamos C. interrumpo D. interrumpa

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el viaje por la lluvia, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. interrumpiéramos B. interrumpo C. interrumpiera D. interrumpieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la reunión dos veces. (present perfect) A. ha interrumpido B. hemos interrumpido C. he interrumpido D. has interrumpido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ la clase con una pregunta! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. interrumpe B. interrumpa C. interrumpamos D. interrumpid

  10. Which is the gerund of interrumpir, used with estar for the progressive? A. interrumpido B. interrumpo C. interrumpí D. interrumpiendo

Answer key

  1. interrumpo — The yo present tense of interrumpir is interrumpo.
  2. interrumpió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of interrumpir is interrumpió.
  3. interrumpíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of interrumpir is interrumpíamos.
  4. interrumpirás — The tú future of interrumpir is interrumpirás.
  5. interrumpiría — The yo conditional of interrumpir is interrumpiría.
  6. interrumpa — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of interrumpir is interrumpa.
  7. interrumpiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of interrumpir is interrumpiera.
  8. hemos interrumpido — The nosotros/as present perfect of interrumpir is hemos interrumpido.
  9. interrumpe — The affirmative tú imperative of interrumpir is interrumpe.
  10. interrumpiendo — The gerund of interrumpir is interrumpiendo: estoy interrumpiendo. The participle interrumpido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does interrumpir mean in English?

Interrumpir means to interrupt. It is used in everyday situations such as Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is interrumpir regular or irregular?

Interrumpir is a fully regular -ir 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 interrumpo in the present and interrumpí in the preterite.

What is the difference between interrumpir and cortar?

Interrumpir means to interrupt, while cortar means to cut off. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use interrumpir when you mean to interrupt, as in Interrumpo la clase con una pregunta, and use cortar for to cut off. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I interrupt” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo interrumpí a María mientras habla. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo interrumpía el viaje por la lluvia. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he interrumpido a María mientras habla.

How do I practise interrumpir?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the interrumpir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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