Inventar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb inventar means to invent, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Inventar means to invent, and it covers inventing a machine, a story, an excuse or a word. It is fully regular and very common in history, school and everyday excuses: inventar una excusa is something every learner should know how to say. Like every Spanish verb, inventar 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 invento una máquina nueva, and in the preterite you say inventé una excusa para no ir. 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: inventar
- English: to invent
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: inventando
- Past participle: inventado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + inventado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for inventar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Inventar is fully regular: inventé, inventaba, inventaré.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for inventar. 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 | invento |
| tú | inventas |
| él/ella/Ud. | inventa |
| nosotros/as | inventamos |
| vosotros/as | inventáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | inventan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | inventé |
| tú | inventaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | inventó |
| nosotros/as | inventamos |
| vosotros/as | inventasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | inventaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | inventaba |
| tú | inventabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | inventaba |
| nosotros/as | inventábamos |
| vosotros/as | inventabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | inventaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | inventaré |
| tú | inventarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | inventará |
| nosotros/as | inventaremos |
| vosotros/as | inventaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | inventarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | inventaría |
| tú | inventarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | inventaría |
| nosotros/as | inventaríamos |
| vosotros/as | inventaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | inventarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he inventado |
| tú | has inventado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha inventado |
| nosotros/as | hemos inventado |
| vosotros/as | habéis inventado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han inventado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había inventado |
| tú | habías inventado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había inventado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos inventado |
| vosotros/as | habíais inventado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían inventado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré inventado |
| tú | habrás inventado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá inventado |
| nosotros/as | habremos inventado |
| vosotros/as | habréis inventado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán inventado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría inventado |
| tú | habrías inventado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría inventado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos inventado |
| vosotros/as | habríais inventado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían inventado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | invente |
| tú | inventes |
| él/ella/Ud. | invente |
| nosotros/as | inventemos |
| vosotros/as | inventéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | inventen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | inventara |
| tú | inventaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | inventara |
| nosotros/as | inventáramos |
| vosotros/as | inventarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | inventaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | inventa |
| él/ella/Ud. | invente |
| nosotros/as | inventemos |
| vosotros/as | inventad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | inventen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | inventes |
| él/ella/Ud. | invente |
| nosotros/as | inventemos |
| vosotros/as | inventéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | inventen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | inventando | with estar for the progressive: estoy inventando |
| Past participle | inventado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he inventado |
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 inventar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Invento una máquina nueva. 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 inventar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, inventé una historia para los niños. 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 inventar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, inventaba una excusa para no ir. 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 inventar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, inventaré un juego nuevo en el patio. 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 inventar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Inventaría una máquina nueva 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 inventar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he inventado una historia para los niños. 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 inventar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había inventado una excusa para no ir 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 inventar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré inventado un juego nuevo en el patio. 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 inventar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría inventado una máquina nueva 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 inventar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él invente una historia para los niños. 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 inventar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él inventara una excusa para no ir, 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 inventar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Inventa un juego nuevo en el patio! 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 inventar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No inventes una máquina nueva. 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 inventar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Invento una máquina nueva. — I invent a new machine.
- Inventa una historia para los niños. — He/she invents a story for the children.
- Ayer, inventé una excusa para no ir. — Yesterday, I invented an excuse not to go.
- Antes, nosotros inventábamos un juego nuevo en el patio. — Before, we used to invent a new game in the yard.
- Mañana, tú inventarás una máquina nueva. — Tomorrow, you will invent a new machine.
- Yo inventaría una historia para los niños si tuviera más tiempo. — I would invent a story for the children if I had more time.
- Él ha inventado una excusa para no ir. — He has invented an excuse not to go.
- Espero que él invente un juego nuevo en el patio. — I hope he invents a new game in the yard.
- Yo ya había inventado una máquina nueva antes de salir. — I had already invented a new machine before leaving.
- Ellos inventaban una historia para los niños cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to invent a story for the children when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo inventa una máquina nueva. — Right: Yo invento una máquina nueva. — The person matters: inventa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is invento. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo invento una historia para los niños. — Right: Ayer yo inventé una historia para los niños. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: invento is happening now, while inventé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating inventar and descubrir as identical in every context. — Right: Inventar means to invent, while descubrir means to discover. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: inventar fits sentences such as Invento una máquina nueva, while descubrir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy inventado una historia para los niños. — Right: Yo he inventado una historia para los niños. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he inventado, has inventado, ha inventado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo inventé una excusa para no ir todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo inventaba una excusa para no ir todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (inventaba), not the preterite. The preterite (inventé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on inventar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una máquina nueva. (present tense) A. invento B. inventas C. inventa D. inventamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ una historia para los niños. (preterite) A. inventé B. inventaste C. inventamos D. inventó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ una excusa para no ir. (imperfect) A. inventabas B. invento C. inventábamos D. inventaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ un juego nuevo en el patio. (future) A. inventaremos B. inventarás C. inventaré D. inventará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una máquina nueva si pudiera. (conditional) A. inventaría B. inventarías C. inventaríamos D. invento
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una historia para los niños. (present subjunctive) A. inventes B. inventemos C. invento D. invente
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una excusa para no ir, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. inventáramos B. invento C. inventara D. inventaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ un juego nuevo en el patio. (present perfect) A. ha inventado B. hemos inventado C. he inventado D. has inventado
Complete the command: ¡___ una máquina nueva! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. inventa B. invente C. inventemos D. inventad
Which is the gerund of inventar, used with estar for the progressive? A. inventado B. invento C. inventé D. inventando
Answer key
- invento — The yo present tense of inventar is invento.
- inventó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of inventar is inventó.
- inventábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of inventar is inventábamos.
- inventarás — The tú future of inventar is inventarás.
- inventaría — The yo conditional of inventar is inventaría.
- invente — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of inventar is invente.
- inventara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of inventar is inventara.
- hemos inventado — The nosotros/as present perfect of inventar is hemos inventado.
- inventa — The affirmative tú imperative of inventar is inventa.
- inventando — The gerund of inventar is inventando: estoy inventando. The participle inventado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does inventar mean in English?
Inventar means to invent. It is used in everyday situations such as Invento una máquina nueva. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is inventar regular or irregular?
Inventar 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 invento in the present and inventé in the preterite.
What is the difference between inventar and descubrir?
Inventar means to invent, while descubrir means to discover. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use inventar when you mean to invent, as in Invento una máquina nueva, and use descubrir for to discover. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I invent” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo inventé una historia para los niños. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo inventaba una excusa para no ir. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he inventado una historia para los niños.
How do I practise inventar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the inventar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Inventar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for inventar.
- Inventar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for inventar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Invocar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with inventar.
- Involucrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with inventar.
- Integrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with inventar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.