Legislar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb legislar means to legislate, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Legislar means to legislate, to make laws, and it is used for parliaments, governments and councils creating or changing the law. It is a formal, fully regular verb that belongs to politics and news, not to everyday conversation. Like every Spanish verb, legislar 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 legislo sobre el medio ambiente este año, and in the preterite you say legislé con el apoyo de todos los partidos. 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: legislar
- English: to legislate
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: legislando
- Past participle: legislado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + legislado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for legislar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Legislar is formal and regular: legislo, legisla. It is about making laws, while gobernar is about running the country day to day.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for legislar. 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 | legislo |
| tú | legislas |
| él/ella/Ud. | legisla |
| nosotros/as | legislamos |
| vosotros/as | legisláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | legislan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | legislé |
| tú | legislaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | legisló |
| nosotros/as | legislamos |
| vosotros/as | legislasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | legislaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | legislaba |
| tú | legislabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | legislaba |
| nosotros/as | legislábamos |
| vosotros/as | legislabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | legislaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | legislaré |
| tú | legislarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | legislará |
| nosotros/as | legislaremos |
| vosotros/as | legislaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | legislarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | legislaría |
| tú | legislarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | legislaría |
| nosotros/as | legislaríamos |
| vosotros/as | legislaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | legislarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he legislado |
| tú | has legislado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha legislado |
| nosotros/as | hemos legislado |
| vosotros/as | habéis legislado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han legislado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había legislado |
| tú | habías legislado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había legislado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos legislado |
| vosotros/as | habíais legislado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían legislado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré legislado |
| tú | habrás legislado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá legislado |
| nosotros/as | habremos legislado |
| vosotros/as | habréis legislado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán legislado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría legislado |
| tú | habrías legislado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría legislado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos legislado |
| vosotros/as | habríais legislado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían legislado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | legisle |
| tú | legisles |
| él/ella/Ud. | legisle |
| nosotros/as | legislemos |
| vosotros/as | legisléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | legislen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | legislara |
| tú | legislaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | legislara |
| nosotros/as | legisláramos |
| vosotros/as | legislarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | legislaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | legisla |
| él/ella/Ud. | legisle |
| nosotros/as | legislemos |
| vosotros/as | legislad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | legislen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | legisles |
| él/ella/Ud. | legisle |
| nosotros/as | legislemos |
| vosotros/as | legisléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | legislen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | legislando | with estar for the progressive: estoy legislando |
| Past participle | legislado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he legislado |
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 legislar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Legislo sobre el medio ambiente este año. 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 legislar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, legislé en materia de vivienda. 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 legislar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, legislaba con el apoyo de todos los partidos. 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 legislar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, legislaré para proteger a los trabajadores. 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 legislar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Legislaría sobre el medio ambiente este año 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 legislar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he legislado en materia de vivienda. 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 legislar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había legislado con el apoyo de todos los partidos 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 legislar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré legislado para proteger a los trabajadores. 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 legislar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría legislado sobre el medio ambiente este año 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 legislar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él legisle en materia de vivienda. 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 legislar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él legislara con el apoyo de todos los partidos, 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 legislar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Legisla para proteger a los trabajadores! 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 legislar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No legisles sobre el medio ambiente este año. 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 legislar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Legislo sobre el medio ambiente este año. — I legislate on the environment this year.
- Legisla en materia de vivienda. — He/she legislates on housing.
- Ayer, legislé con el apoyo de todos los partidos. — Yesterday, I legislated with the support of all the parties.
- Antes, nosotros legislábamos para proteger a los trabajadores. — Before, we used to legislate to protect workers.
- Mañana, tú legislarás sobre el medio ambiente este año. — Tomorrow, you will legislate on the environment this year.
- Yo legislaría en materia de vivienda si tuviera más tiempo. — I would legislate on housing if I had more time.
- Él ha legislado con el apoyo de todos los partidos. — He has legislated with the support of all the parties.
- Espero que él legisle para proteger a los trabajadores. — I hope he legislates to protect workers.
- Yo ya había legislado sobre el medio ambiente este año antes de salir. — I had already legislated on the environment this year before leaving.
- Ellos legislaban en materia de vivienda cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to legislate on housing when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo legisla sobre el medio ambiente este año. — Right: Yo legislo sobre el medio ambiente este año. — The person matters: legisla is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is legislo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo legislo en materia de vivienda. — Right: Ayer yo legislé en materia de vivienda. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: legislo is happening now, while legislé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating legislar and gobernar as identical in every context. — Right: Legislar means to legislate, while gobernar means to govern. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: legislar fits sentences such as Legislo sobre el medio ambiente este año, while gobernar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy legislado en materia de vivienda. — Right: Yo he legislado en materia de vivienda. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he legislado, has legislado, ha legislado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo legislé con el apoyo de todos los partidos todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo legislaba con el apoyo de todos los partidos todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (legislaba), not the preterite. The preterite (legislé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on legislar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ sobre el medio ambiente este año. (present tense) A. legislo B. legislas C. legisla D. legislamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en materia de vivienda. (preterite) A. legislé B. legislaste C. legislaron D. legisló
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ con el apoyo de todos los partidos. (imperfect) A. legislabas B. legislaban C. legislábamos D. legislaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ para proteger a los trabajadores. (future) A. legislaremos B. legislarás C. legislaré D. legislará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ sobre el medio ambiente este año si pudiera. (conditional) A. legislaría B. legislarías C. legislarían D. legislo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en materia de vivienda. (present subjunctive) A. legisles B. legislemos C. legislo D. legisle
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ con el apoyo de todos los partidos, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. legisláramos B. legislo C. legislara D. legislaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ para proteger a los trabajadores. (present perfect) A. han legislado B. hemos legislado C. he legislado D. has legislado
Complete the command: ¡___ sobre el medio ambiente este año! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. legisla B. legisle C. legislemos D. legislad
Which is the gerund of legislar, used with estar for the progressive? A. legislado B. legislo C. legislé D. legislando
Answer key
- legislo — The first-person present of legislar is legislo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- legisló — The third-person preterite of legislar is legisló, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- legislábamos — The nosotros imperfect of legislar is legislábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- legislarás — The second-person future of legislar is legislarás.
- legislaría — The first-person conditional of legislar is legislaría, the form for what would happen.
- legisle — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of legislar is legisle.
- legislara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of legislar is legislara.
- hemos legislado — The nosotros present perfect of legislar is hemos legislado: hemos + legislado.
- legisla — The affirmative tú imperative of legislar is legisla.
- legislando — The gerund of legislar is legislando: estoy legislando. The participle legislado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does legislar mean in English?
Legislar means to legislate. It is used in everyday situations such as Legislo sobre el medio ambiente este año. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is legislar regular or irregular?
Legislar 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 legislo in the present and legislé in the preterite.
What is the difference between legislar and gobernar?
Legislar means to legislate, while gobernar means to govern. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use legislar when you mean to legislate, as in Legislo sobre el medio ambiente este año, and use gobernar for to govern. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I legislate” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo legislé en materia de vivienda. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo legislaba con el apoyo de todos los partidos. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he legislado en materia de vivienda.
How do I practise legislar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the legislar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Legislar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for legislar.
- Legislar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for legislar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Pausar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with legislar.
- Escanear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with legislar.
- Sancionar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with legislar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.