Mencionar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb mencionar means to mention, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Mencionar means to mention, and it is used for mentioning a name in passing, bringing up a topic briefly and referring to something in a letter or a talk. It is shorter and lighter than comentar, and it is a fully regular -ar verb. Like every Spanish verb, mencionar 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 menciono el nombre del autor en el artículo, and in the preterite you say mencioné el problema en su carta. 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: mencionar
  • English: to mention
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: mencionando
  • Past participle: mencionado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + mencionado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for mencionar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Mencionar is fully regular: mencioné, mencionaba, mencionaré. Mencionar algo is a brief reference, not a full discussion.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for mencionar. 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 menciono
tú mencionas
él/ella/Ud. menciona
nosotros/as mencionamos
vosotros/as mencionáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. mencionan

Preterite

Person Form
yo mencioné
tú mencionaste
él/ella/Ud. mencionó
nosotros/as mencionamos
vosotros/as mencionasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. mencionaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo mencionaba
tú mencionabas
él/ella/Ud. mencionaba
nosotros/as mencionábamos
vosotros/as mencionabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. mencionaban

Future

Person Form
yo mencionaré
tú mencionarás
él/ella/Ud. mencionará
nosotros/as mencionaremos
vosotros/as mencionaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. mencionarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo mencionaría
tú mencionarías
él/ella/Ud. mencionaría
nosotros/as mencionaríamos
vosotros/as mencionaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. mencionarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo mencione
tú menciones
él/ella/Ud. mencione
nosotros/as mencionemos
vosotros/as mencionéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. mencionen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo mencionara
tú mencionaras
él/ella/Ud. mencionara
nosotros/as mencionáramos
vosotros/as mencionarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. mencionaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú menciona
él/ella/Ud. mencione
nosotros/as mencionemos
vosotros/as mencionad
ellos/ellas/Uds. mencionen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú menciones
él/ella/Ud. mencione
nosotros/as mencionemos
vosotros/as mencionéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. mencionen

Gerund and past participle

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

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 mencionar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Menciono el nombre del autor en el artículo. 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 mencionar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, mencioné el tema al final de la reunión. 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 mencionar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, mencionaba el problema en su carta. 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 mencionar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, mencionaré a su madre en la conversación. 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 mencionar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Mencionaría el nombre del autor en el artículo 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 mencionar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he mencionado el tema al final de la reunión. 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 mencionar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había mencionado el problema en su carta 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 mencionar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré mencionado a su madre en la conversación. 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 mencionar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría mencionado el nombre del autor en el artículo 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 mencionar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él mencione el tema al final de la reunión. 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 mencionar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él mencionara el problema en su carta, 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 mencionar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Menciona a su madre en la conversación! 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 mencionar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No menciones el nombre del autor en el artículo. 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 mencionar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Menciono el nombre del autor en el artículo. — I mention the author's name in the article.
  2. Menciona el tema al final de la reunión. — He/she mentions the subject at the end of the meeting.
  3. Ayer, mencioné el problema en su carta. — Yesterday, I mentioned the problem in his letter.
  4. Antes, nosotros mencionábamos a su madre en la conversación. — Before, we used to mention his mother in the conversation.
  5. Mañana, tú mencionarás el nombre del autor en el artículo. — Tomorrow, you will mention the author's name in the article.
  6. Yo mencionaría el tema al final de la reunión si tuviera más tiempo. — I would mention the subject at the end of the meeting if I had more time.
  7. Él ha mencionado el problema en su carta. — He has mentioned the problem in his letter.
  8. Espero que él mencione a su madre en la conversación. — I hope he mentions his mother in the conversation.
  9. Yo ya había mencionado el nombre del autor en el artículo antes de salir. — I had already mentioned the author's name in the article before leaving.
  10. Ellos mencionaban el tema al final de la reunión cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to mention the subject at the end of the meeting when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo menciona el nombre del autor en el artículo. — Right: Yo menciono el nombre del autor en el artículo. — The person matters: menciona is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is menciono. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Vosotros mencionais el tema al final de la reunión. — Right: Vosotros mencionáis el tema al final de la reunión. — The vosotros present form carries a written accent: mencionáis, not mencionais. The accent marks the stressed vowel.
  3. Wrong: Treating mencionar and comentar as identical in every context. — Right: Mencionar means to mention, while comentar means to comment at length. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: mencionar fits sentences such as Menciono el nombre del autor en el artículo, while comentar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy mencionado el tema al final de la reunión. — Right: Yo he mencionado el tema al final de la reunión. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he mencionado, has mencionado, ha mencionado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo mencioné el problema en su carta todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo mencionaba el problema en su carta todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (mencionaba), not the preterite. The preterite (mencioné) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el nombre del autor en el artículo. (present tense) A. menciono B. mencionas C. menciona D. mencionamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el tema al final de la reunión. (preterite) A. mencioné B. mencionaste C. mencionaron D. mencionó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el problema en su carta. (imperfect) A. mencionabas B. mencionaban C. mencionábamos D. mencionaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a su madre en la conversación. (future) A. mencionaremos B. mencionarás C. mencionaré D. mencionará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el nombre del autor en el artículo si pudiera. (conditional) A. mencionaría B. mencionarías C. mencionarían D. menciono

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el tema al final de la reunión. (present subjunctive) A. menciones B. mencionemos C. menciono D. mencione

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el problema en su carta, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. mencionáramos B. menciono C. mencionara D. mencionaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a su madre en la conversación. (present perfect) A. han mencionado B. hemos mencionado C. he mencionado D. has mencionado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ el nombre del autor en el artículo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. menciona B. mencione C. mencionemos D. mencionad

  10. Which is the gerund of mencionar, used with estar for the progressive? A. mencionado B. menciono C. mencioné D. mencionando

Answer key

  1. menciono — The first-person present of mencionar is menciono. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. mencionó — The third-person preterite of mencionar is mencionó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. mencionábamos — The nosotros imperfect of mencionar is mencionábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. mencionarás — The second-person future of mencionar is mencionarás.
  5. mencionaría — The first-person conditional of mencionar is mencionaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. mencione — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of mencionar is mencione.
  7. mencionara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of mencionar is mencionara.
  8. hemos mencionado — The nosotros present perfect of mencionar is hemos mencionado: hemos + mencionado.
  9. menciona — The affirmative tú imperative of mencionar is menciona.
  10. mencionando — The gerund of mencionar is mencionando: estoy mencionando. The participle mencionado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does mencionar mean in English?

Mencionar means to mention. It is used in everyday situations such as Menciono el nombre del autor en el artículo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is mencionar regular or irregular?

Mencionar 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 menciono in the present and mencioné in the preterite.

What is the difference between mencionar and comentar?

Mencionar means to mention, while comentar means to comment at length. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use mencionar when you mean to mention, as in Menciono el nombre del autor en el artículo, and use comentar for to comment at length. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I mention” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo mencioné el tema al final de la reunión. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo mencionaba el problema en su carta. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he mencionado el tema al final de la reunión.

How do I practise mencionar?

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

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