Maldecir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb maldecir means to curse, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Maldecir means to curse, and it is used for cursing your luck, cursing a person and swearing in anger. It follows the pattern of decir, with the present maldigo and the preterite maldije, though its participle is regular, maldecido. Like every Spanish verb, maldecir 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 maldigo su suerte tras el accidente, and in the preterite you say maldije en voz baja al perder. 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: maldecir
- English: to curse
- Verb type: irregular verb, stem-changing (e → i)
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: maldiciendo
- Past participle: maldecido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + maldecido)
- Stem change: e → i in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for maldecir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Maldecir follows decir: the present is maldigo and the preterite is maldije. Its participle is regular: maldecido.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for maldecir. 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 | maldigo |
| tú | maldices |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldice |
| nosotros/as | maldecimos |
| vosotros/as | maldecís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldicen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | maldije |
| tú | maldijiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldijo |
| nosotros/as | maldijimos |
| vosotros/as | maldijisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldijeron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | maldecía |
| tú | maldecías |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldecía |
| nosotros/as | maldecíamos |
| vosotros/as | maldecíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldecían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | maldeciré |
| tú | maldecirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldecirá |
| nosotros/as | maldeciremos |
| vosotros/as | maldeciréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldecirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | maldeciría |
| tú | maldecirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldeciría |
| nosotros/as | maldeciríamos |
| vosotros/as | maldeciríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldecirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he maldecido |
| tú | has maldecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha maldecido |
| nosotros/as | hemos maldecido |
| vosotros/as | habéis maldecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han maldecido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había maldecido |
| tú | habías maldecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había maldecido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos maldecido |
| vosotros/as | habíais maldecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían maldecido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré maldecido |
| tú | habrás maldecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá maldecido |
| nosotros/as | habremos maldecido |
| vosotros/as | habréis maldecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán maldecido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría maldecido |
| tú | habrías maldecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría maldecido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos maldecido |
| vosotros/as | habríais maldecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían maldecido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | maldiga |
| tú | maldigas |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldiga |
| nosotros/as | maldigamos |
| vosotros/as | maldigáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldigan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | maldijera |
| tú | maldijeras |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldijera |
| nosotros/as | maldijéramos |
| vosotros/as | maldijerais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldijeran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | maldice |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldiga |
| nosotros/as | maldigamos |
| vosotros/as | maldecid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldigan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | maldigas |
| él/ella/Ud. | maldiga |
| nosotros/as | maldigamos |
| vosotros/as | maldigáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | maldigan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | maldiciendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy maldiciendo |
| Past participle | maldecido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he maldecido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For maldecir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Maldigo su suerte tras el accidente. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For maldecir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, maldije el día en que lo conoció. 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 maldecir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, maldecía en voz baja al perder. 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 maldecir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, maldeciré a su enemigo en la historia. 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 maldecir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Maldeciría su suerte tras el accidente 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 maldecir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he maldecido el día en que lo conoció. 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 maldecir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había maldecido en voz baja al perder 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 maldecir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré maldecido a su enemigo en la historia. 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 maldecir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría maldecido su suerte tras el accidente 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For maldecir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él maldiga el día en que lo conoció. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For maldecir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él maldijera en voz baja al perder, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For maldecir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Maldice a su enemigo en la historia! 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of decir, with a -g- in the present (as in predigo), a -j- stem in the preterite (as in predije), and an irregular participle where one applies. Learn the forms in the table rather than guessing them from the infinitive. For maldecir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No maldigas su suerte tras el accidente. 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 maldecir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Maldigo su suerte tras el accidente. — I curse his luck after the accident.
- Maldice el día en que lo conoció. — He/she curses the day he met him.
- Ayer, maldije en voz baja al perder. — Yesterday, I cursed under his breath when he lost.
- Antes, nosotros maldecíamos a su enemigo en la historia. — Before, we used to curse his enemy in the story.
- Mañana, tú maldecirás su suerte tras el accidente. — Tomorrow, you will curse his luck after the accident.
- Yo maldeciría el día en que lo conoció si tuviera más tiempo. — I would curse the day he met him if I had more time.
- Él ha maldecido en voz baja al perder. — He has cursed under his breath when he lost.
- Espero que él maldiga a su enemigo en la historia. — I hope he curses his enemy in the story.
- Yo ya había maldecido su suerte tras el accidente antes de salir. — I had already cursed his luck after the accident before leaving.
- Ellos maldecían el día en que lo conoció cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to curse the day he met him when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo maldice su suerte tras el accidente. — Right: Yo maldigo su suerte tras el accidente. — The person matters: maldice is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is maldigo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo maldeco el día en que lo conoció. — Right: Yo maldigo el día en que lo conoció. — Maldecir is a stem-changing verb (e → i), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural. The nosotros form keeps the original stem.
- Wrong: Treating maldecir and bendecir as identical in every context. — Right: Maldecir means to curse, while bendecir means to bless. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: maldecir fits sentences such as Maldigo su suerte tras el accidente, while bendecir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy maldecido el día en que lo conoció. — Right: Yo he maldecido el día en que lo conoció. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he maldecido, has maldecido, ha maldecido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo maldije en voz baja al perder todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo maldecía en voz baja al perder todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (maldecía), not the preterite. The preterite (maldije) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on maldecir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ su suerte tras el accidente. (present tense) A. maldigo B. maldices C. maldice D. maldecimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el día en que lo conoció. (preterite) A. maldije B. maldijiste C. maldijeron D. maldijo
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en voz baja al perder. (imperfect) A. maldecías B. maldecían C. maldecíamos D. maldecía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a su enemigo en la historia. (future) A. maldeciremos B. maldecirás C. maldeciré D. maldecirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ su suerte tras el accidente si pudiera. (conditional) A. maldeciría B. maldecirías C. maldecirían D. maldigo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el día en que lo conoció. (present subjunctive) A. maldigas B. maldigamos C. maldigo D. maldiga
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en voz baja al perder, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. maldijéramos B. maldigo C. maldijera D. maldijeras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a su enemigo en la historia. (present perfect) A. han maldecido B. hemos maldecido C. he maldecido D. has maldecido
Complete the command: ¡___ su suerte tras el accidente! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. maldice B. maldiga C. maldigamos D. maldecid
Which is the gerund of maldecir, used with estar for the progressive? A. maldecido B. maldigo C. maldije D. maldiciendo
Answer key
- maldigo — The first-person present of maldecir is maldigo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- maldijo — The third-person preterite of maldecir is maldijo, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- maldecíamos — The nosotros imperfect of maldecir is maldecíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- maldecirás — The second-person future of maldecir is maldecirás.
- maldeciría — The first-person conditional of maldecir is maldeciría, the form for what would happen.
- maldiga — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of maldecir is maldiga.
- maldijera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of maldecir is maldijera.
- hemos maldecido — The nosotros present perfect of maldecir is hemos maldecido: hemos + maldecido.
- maldice — The affirmative tú imperative of maldecir is maldice.
- maldiciendo — The gerund of maldecir is maldiciendo: estoy maldiciendo. The participle maldecido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does maldecir mean in English?
Maldecir means to curse. It is used in everyday situations such as Maldigo su suerte tras el accidente. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is maldecir regular or irregular?
Maldecir is a stem-changing verb (e → i), so it is not fully regular: the stem changes in the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. The preterite and the imperfect are regular. Check the tables above for the exact forms in each tense.
What is the difference between maldecir and bendecir?
Maldecir means to curse, while bendecir means to bless. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use maldecir when you mean to curse, as in Maldigo su suerte tras el accidente, and use bendecir for to bless. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I curse” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo maldije el día en que lo conoció. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo maldecía en voz baja al perder. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he maldecido el día en que lo conoció.
How do I practise maldecir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the maldecir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Maldecir in the preterite tense — the full preterite-tense table for maldecir.
- Maldecir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for maldecir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Bendecir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with maldecir.
- Contradecir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with maldecir.
- Predecir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with maldecir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.