Meter Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb meter means to put in, to insert, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Meter means to put in or to insert, and it is used for putting keys in a pocket, clothes in a suitcase, a book in a bag and money in the bank. It is a regular -er verb, and it is the opposite of sacar in most of its uses. Like every Spanish verb, meter 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 meto las llaves en el bolsillo, and in the preterite you say metí el libro en la mochila. 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: meter
  • English: to put in, to insert
  • Verb type: regular -er verb
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: metiendo
  • Past participle: metido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + metido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for meter, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Meter is a regular -er verb: metí, metía, meteré. Pair it with sacar to learn the in-out contrast.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for meter. 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 meto
tú metes
él/ella/Ud. mete
nosotros/as metemos
vosotros/as metéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. meten

Preterite

Person Form
yo metí
tú metiste
él/ella/Ud. metió
nosotros/as metimos
vosotros/as metisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. metieron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo metía
tú metías
él/ella/Ud. metía
nosotros/as metíamos
vosotros/as metíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. metían

Future

Person Form
yo meteré
tú meterás
él/ella/Ud. meterá
nosotros/as meteremos
vosotros/as meteréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. meterán

Conditional

Person Form
yo metería
tú meterías
él/ella/Ud. metería
nosotros/as meteríamos
vosotros/as meteríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. meterían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo meta
tú metas
él/ella/Ud. meta
nosotros/as metamos
vosotros/as metáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. metan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo metiera
tú metieras
él/ella/Ud. metiera
nosotros/as metiéramos
vosotros/as metierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. metieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú mete
él/ella/Ud. meta
nosotros/as metamos
vosotros/as meted
ellos/ellas/Uds. metan

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú metas
él/ella/Ud. meta
nosotros/as metamos
vosotros/as metáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. metan

Gerund and past participle

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

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 meter, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Meto las llaves en el bolsillo. 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 meter, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, metí la ropa en la maleta. 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 meter, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, metía el libro en la mochila. 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 meter, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, meteré dinero en el banco. 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 meter, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Metería las llaves en el bolsillo 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 meter, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he metido la ropa en la maleta. 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 meter, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había metido el libro en la mochila 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 meter, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré metido dinero en el banco. 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 meter, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría metido las llaves en el bolsillo 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 meter, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él meta la ropa en la maleta. 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 meter, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él metiera el libro en la mochila, 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 meter, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Mete dinero en el banco! 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 meter, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No metas las llaves en el bolsillo. 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 meter, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Meto las llaves en el bolsillo. — I put the keys in my pocket.
  2. Mete la ropa en la maleta. — He/she puts the clothes in the suitcase.
  3. Ayer, metí el libro en la mochila. — Yesterday, I put the book in the bag.
  4. Antes, nosotros metíamos dinero en el banco. — Before, we used to put money in the bank.
  5. Mañana, tú meterás las llaves en el bolsillo. — Tomorrow, you will put the keys in my pocket.
  6. Yo metería la ropa en la maleta si tuviera más tiempo. — I would put the clothes in the suitcase if I had more time.
  7. Él ha metido el libro en la mochila. — He has put the book in the bag.
  8. Espero que él meta dinero en el banco. — I hope he puts money in the bank.
  9. Yo ya había metido las llaves en el bolsillo antes de salir. — I had already put the keys in my pocket before leaving.
  10. Ellos metían la ropa en la maleta cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to put the clothes in the suitcase when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo mete las llaves en el bolsillo. — Right: Yo meto las llaves en el bolsillo. — The person matters: mete is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is meto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo meto la ropa en la maleta. — Right: Ayer yo metí la ropa en la maleta. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: meto is happening now, while metí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating meter and sacar as identical in every context. — Right: Meter means to put in, to insert, while sacar means to take out, its opposite. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: meter fits sentences such as Meto las llaves en el bolsillo, while sacar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy metido la ropa en la maleta. — Right: Yo he metido la ropa en la maleta. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he metido, has metido, ha metido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo metí el libro en la mochila todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo metía el libro en la mochila todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (metía), not the preterite. The preterite (metí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ las llaves en el bolsillo. (present tense) A. meto B. metes C. mete D. metemos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la ropa en la maleta. (preterite) A. metí B. metiste C. metieron D. metió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el libro en la mochila. (imperfect) A. metías B. metían C. metíamos D. metía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ dinero en el banco. (future) A. meteremos B. meterás C. meteré D. meterá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ las llaves en el bolsillo si pudiera. (conditional) A. metería B. meterías C. meterían D. meto

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la ropa en la maleta. (present subjunctive) A. metas B. metamos C. meto D. meta

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el libro en la mochila, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. metiéramos B. meto C. metiera D. metieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ dinero en el banco. (present perfect) A. han metido B. hemos metido C. he metido D. has metido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ las llaves en el bolsillo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. mete B. meta C. metamos D. meted

  10. Which is the gerund of meter, used with estar for the progressive? A. metido B. meto C. metí D. metiendo

Answer key

  1. meto — The first-person present of meter is meto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. metió — The third-person preterite of meter is metió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. metíamos — The nosotros imperfect of meter is metíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. meterás — The second-person future of meter is meterás.
  5. metería — The first-person conditional of meter is metería, the form for what would happen.
  6. meta — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of meter is meta.
  7. metiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of meter is metiera.
  8. hemos metido — The nosotros present perfect of meter is hemos metido: hemos + metido.
  9. mete — The affirmative tú imperative of meter is mete.
  10. metiendo — The gerund of meter is metiendo: estoy metiendo. The participle metido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does meter mean in English?

Meter means to put in, to insert. It is used in everyday situations such as Meto las llaves en el bolsillo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is meter regular or irregular?

Meter is a fully regular -er 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 meto in the present and metí in the preterite.

What is the difference between meter and sacar?

Meter means to put in, to insert, while sacar means to take out, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use meter when you mean to put in, to insert, as in Meto las llaves en el bolsillo, and use sacar for to take out, its opposite. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I put in” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo metí la ropa en la maleta. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo metía el libro en la mochila. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he metido la ropa en la maleta.

How do I practise meter?

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

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