Invocar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb invocar means to invoke, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Invocar means to invoke or to call on, and it is used for calling on a god, a law, a right or a spirit: invocar la ley, invocar a los dioses. It is a formal, literary verb, and its spelling change — c to qu before e — is its main learning point. Like every Spanish verb, invocar 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 invoco la ley en el juicio, and in the preterite you say invoqué el derecho a la libertad. 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: invocar
- English: to invoke
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: invocando
- Past participle: invocado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + invocado)
- Pattern to learn: this verb is a -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is invoqué and the present subjunctive is invoque.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for invocar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is invoqué and the subjunctive invoque.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for invocar. 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 | invoco |
| tú | invocas |
| él/ella/Ud. | invoca |
| nosotros/as | invocamos |
| vosotros/as | invocáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | invocan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | invoqué |
| tú | invocaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | invocó |
| nosotros/as | invocamos |
| vosotros/as | invocasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | invocaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | invocaba |
| tú | invocabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | invocaba |
| nosotros/as | invocábamos |
| vosotros/as | invocabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | invocaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | invocaré |
| tú | invocarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | invocará |
| nosotros/as | invocaremos |
| vosotros/as | invocaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | invocarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | invocaría |
| tú | invocarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | invocaría |
| nosotros/as | invocaríamos |
| vosotros/as | invocaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | invocarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he invocado |
| tú | has invocado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha invocado |
| nosotros/as | hemos invocado |
| vosotros/as | habéis invocado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han invocado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había invocado |
| tú | habías invocado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había invocado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos invocado |
| vosotros/as | habíais invocado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían invocado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré invocado |
| tú | habrás invocado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá invocado |
| nosotros/as | habremos invocado |
| vosotros/as | habréis invocado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán invocado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría invocado |
| tú | habrías invocado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría invocado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos invocado |
| vosotros/as | habríais invocado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían invocado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | invoque |
| tú | invoques |
| él/ella/Ud. | invoque |
| nosotros/as | invoquemos |
| vosotros/as | invoquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | invoquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | invocara |
| tú | invocaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | invocara |
| nosotros/as | invocáramos |
| vosotros/as | invocarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | invocaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | invoca |
| él/ella/Ud. | invoque |
| nosotros/as | invoquemos |
| vosotros/as | invocad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | invoquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | invoques |
| él/ella/Ud. | invoque |
| nosotros/as | invoquemos |
| vosotros/as | invoquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | invoquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | invocando | with estar for the progressive: estoy invocando |
| Past participle | invocado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he invocado |
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 -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is invoqué and the present subjunctive is invoque. For invocar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Invoco la ley en el juicio. 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 -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is invoqué and the present subjunctive is invoque. For invocar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, invoqué a los dioses antiguos. 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 invocar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, invocaba el derecho a la libertad. 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 invocar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, invocaré el nombre de su madre. 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 invocar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Invocaría la ley en el juicio 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 invocar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he invocado a los dioses antiguos. 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 invocar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había invocado el derecho a la libertad 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 invocar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré invocado el nombre de su madre. 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 invocar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría invocado la ley en el juicio 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 -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is invoqué and the present subjunctive is invoque. For invocar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él invoque a los dioses antiguos. 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 invocar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él invocara el derecho a la libertad, 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 -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is invoqué and the present subjunctive is invoque. For invocar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Invoca el nombre de su madre! 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 -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is invoqué and the present subjunctive is invoque. For invocar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No invoques la ley en el juicio. 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 invocar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Invoco la ley en el juicio. — I invoke the law in the trial.
- Invoca a los dioses antiguos. — He/she invokes the ancient gods.
- Ayer, invoqué el derecho a la libertad. — Yesterday, I invoked the right to freedom.
- Antes, nosotros invocábamos el nombre de su madre. — Before, we used to invoke his mother's name.
- Mañana, tú invocarás la ley en el juicio. — Tomorrow, you will invoke the law in the trial.
- Yo invocaría a los dioses antiguos si tuviera más tiempo. — I would invoke the ancient gods if I had more time.
- Él ha invocado el derecho a la libertad. — He has invoked the right to freedom.
- Espero que él invoque el nombre de su madre. — I hope he invokes his mother's name.
- Yo ya había invocado la ley en el juicio antes de salir. — I had already invoked the law in the trial before leaving.
- Ellos invocaban a los dioses antiguos cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to invoke the ancient gods when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo invoca la ley en el juicio. — Right: Yo invoco la ley en el juicio. — The person matters: invoca is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is invoco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Espero que yo invoce la ley en el juicio. — Right: Espero que yo invoque la ley en el juicio. — Spelling change: this verb is a -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is invoqué and the present subjunctive is invoque, so the present subjunctive is invoque, never invoce.
- Wrong: Treating invocar and llamar as identical in every context. — Right: Invocar means to invoke, while llamar means to call. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: invocar fits sentences such as Invoco la ley en el juicio, while llamar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy invocado a los dioses antiguos. — Right: Yo he invocado a los dioses antiguos. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he invocado, has invocado, ha invocado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo invoqué el derecho a la libertad todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo invocaba el derecho a la libertad todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (invocaba), not the preterite. The preterite (invoqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on invocar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la ley en el juicio. (present tense) A. invoco B. invocas C. invoca D. invocamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a los dioses antiguos. (preterite) A. invoqué B. invocaste C. invocamos D. invocó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el derecho a la libertad. (imperfect) A. invocabas B. invoco C. invocábamos D. invocaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el nombre de su madre. (future) A. invocaremos B. invocarás C. invocaré D. invocará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la ley en el juicio si pudiera. (conditional) A. invocaría B. invocarías C. invocaríamos D. invoco
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a los dioses antiguos. (present subjunctive) A. invoques B. invoquemos C. invoco D. invoque
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el derecho a la libertad, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. invocáramos B. invoco C. invocara D. invocaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el nombre de su madre. (present perfect) A. ha invocado B. hemos invocado C. he invocado D. has invocado
Complete the command: ¡___ la ley en el juicio! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. invoca B. invoque C. invoquemos D. invocad
Which is the gerund of invocar, used with estar for the progressive? A. invocado B. invoco C. invoqué D. invocando
Answer key
- invoco — The yo present tense of invocar is invoco.
- invocó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of invocar is invocó.
- invocábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of invocar is invocábamos.
- invocarás — The tú future of invocar is invocarás.
- invocaría — The yo conditional of invocar is invocaría.
- invoque — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of invocar is invoque.
- invocara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of invocar is invocara.
- hemos invocado — The nosotros/as present perfect of invocar is hemos invocado.
- invoca — The affirmative tú imperative of invocar is invoca.
- invocando — The gerund of invocar is invocando: estoy invocando. The participle invocado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does invocar mean in English?
Invocar means to invoke. It is used in everyday situations such as Invoco la ley en el juicio. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is invocar regular or irregular?
Invocar is a spelling-change verb: it is a -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is invoqué and the present subjunctive is invoque. The endings are regular, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page, including invoco in the present and invoqué in the preterite.
What is the difference between invocar and llamar?
Invocar means to invoke, while llamar means to call. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use invocar when you mean to invoke, as in Invoco la ley en el juicio, and use llamar for to call. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I invoke” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo invoqué a los dioses antiguos. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo invocaba el derecho a la libertad. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he invocado a los dioses antiguos.
How do I practise invocar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the invocar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Invocar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for invocar.
- Invocar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for invocar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Inventar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with invocar.
- Involucrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with invocar.
- Irritar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with invocar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.