Morder Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb morder means to bite, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Morder means to bite: morder una manzana, morder el bocadillo. It takes a direct object for the thing bitten and a person with a for the person bitten: morder a su hermano. Like every Spanish verb, morder 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 Yo muerdo una manzana verde — "I bite a green apple". 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.

The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: muerdo, muerdes, muerde and muerden — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: mordemos, mordéis.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: morder
  • English: to bite
  • Verb type: stem-changing -er verb (o → ue)
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: mordiendo
  • Past participle: mordido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + mordido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for morder, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for morder. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | muerdo | | tú | muerdes | | él/ella/Ud. | muerde | | nosotros/as | mordemos | | vosotros/as | mordéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | muerden |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | mordí | | tú | mordiste | | él/ella/Ud. | mordió | | nosotros/as | mordimos | | vosotros/as | mordisteis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | mordieron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | mordía | | tú | mordías | | él/ella/Ud. | mordía | | nosotros/as | mordíamos | | vosotros/as | mordíais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | mordían |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | morderé | | tú | morderás | | él/ella/Ud. | morderá | | nosotros/as | morderemos | | vosotros/as | morderéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | morderán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | mordería | | tú | morderías | | él/ella/Ud. | mordería | | nosotros/as | morderíamos | | vosotros/as | morderíais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | morderían |

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | muerda | | tú | muerdas | | él/ella/Ud. | muerda | | nosotros/as | mordamos | | vosotros/as | mordáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | muerdan |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | mordiera | | tú | mordieras | | él/ella/Ud. | mordiera | | nosotros/as | mordiéramos | | vosotros/as | mordierais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | mordieran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | muerde | | él/ella/Ud. | muerda | | nosotros/as | mordamos | | vosotros/as | morded | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | muerdan |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | muerdas | | él/ella/Ud. | muerda | | nosotros/as | mordamos | | vosotros/as | mordáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | muerdan |

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund mordiendo with estar for the progressive: está mordiendo
Past participle mordido with haber for the perfect tenses: he mordido

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: muerdo, muerdes, muerde and muerden — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: mordemos, mordéis. For morder, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo muerdo una manzana verde — "I bite a green apple".

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 morder, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo mordí el bocadillo con hambre — "Yesterday, I bit the sandwich hungrily".

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 morder, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo mordía la cuerda con los dientes — "As a child, I used to bite the rope with his teeth".

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 morder, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo morderé a su hermano en el brazo — "Tomorrow, I will bite his brother on the arm".

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 morder, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo mordería una manzana verde si pudiera — "I would bite a green apple if I could".

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 morder, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he mordido el bocadillo con hambre — "Today, I have bitten the sandwich hungrily".

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 morder, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había mordido la cuerda con los dientes antes de salir — "I already had bitten the rope with his teeth before leaving".

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 morder, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré mordido a su hermano en el brazo — "By tomorrow, I will have bitten his brother on the arm".

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 morder, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría mordido una manzana verde con más tiempo — "I would have bitten a green apple with more time".

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: muerdo, muerdes, muerde and muerden — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: mordemos, mordéis. For morder, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él muerda el bocadillo con hambre — "I hope he bites the sandwich hungrily".

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past. The -ra forms are 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 morder, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo mordiera la cuerda con los dientes, todo cambiaría — "If I bit the rope with his teeth, everything would change".

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: muerdo, muerdes, muerde and muerden — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: mordemos, mordéis. For morder, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Muerde a su hermano en el brazo. — "Bite his brother on the arm.".

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: muerdo, muerdes, muerde and muerden — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: mordemos, mordéis. For morder, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No muerdas una manzana verde. — "Do not bite a green apple.".

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with morder, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo muerdo una manzana verde — "I bite a green apple"
  2. Mi amigo muerde el bocadillo con hambre — "My friend bites the sandwich hungrily"
  3. Ayer, yo mordí la cuerda con los dientes — "Yesterday, I bit the rope with his teeth"
  4. Antes, nosotros mordíamos a su hermano en el brazo — "Before, we used to bite his brother on the arm"
  5. Mañana, tú morderás el lápiz mientras piensa — "Tomorrow, you will bite the pencil while thinking"
  6. Yo mordería una manzana verde si tuviera más tiempo — "I would bite a green apple if I had more time"
  7. Él ha mordido el bocadillo con hambre — "He has bitten the sandwich hungrily"
  8. Espero que él muerda la cuerda con los dientes — "I hope he bites the rope with his teeth"
  9. Yo ya había mordido a su hermano en el brazo antes de salir — "I already had bitten his brother on the arm before leaving"
  10. Ellos mordían el lápiz mientras piensa cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to bite the pencil while thinking when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo mordo el bocadillo con hambre. — Right: Yo muerdo el bocadillo con hambre. — morder is a stem-changing verb (o → ue): the stem vowel changes in the stressed present forms, so the yo form is muerdo, not mordo.
  2. Wrong: Espero que él muerde el bocadillo con hambre — Right: Espero que él muerda el bocadillo con hambre — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él muerda el bocadillo con hambre — not the indicative Espero que él muerde el bocadillo con hambre.
  3. Wrong: Ayer, yo muerdo la cuerda con los dientes — Right: Ayer, yo mordí la cuerda con los dientes — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo mordí la cuerda con los dientes.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo mordí a su hermano en el brazo todos los días — Right: De niño, yo mordía a su hermano en el brazo todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo mordía a su hermano en el brazo todos los días.
  5. Wrong: Yo muerdo en una manzana verde. — Right: Yo muerdo una manzana verde. — morder takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo muerdo una manzana verde.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ una manzana verde — "I bite a green apple" (present) A. muerde B. mordemos C. muerdo D. muerdes

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el bocadillo con hambre — "He bit the sandwich hungrily" (preterite) A. mordiste B. mordimos C. mordió D. mordí

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ la cuerda con los dientes — "We used to bite the rope with his teeth" (imperfect) A. mordías B. mordíais C. mordíamos D. mordía

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ a su hermano en el brazo — "You will bite his brother on the arm" (future) A. morderemos B. morderás C. morderé D. morderá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el lápiz mientras piensa — "I would bite the pencil while thinking" (conditional) A. morderías B. morderíamos C. morderíais D. mordería

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ una manzana verde — "I hope he bites a green apple" (present subjunctive) A. mordamos B. mordáis C. muerda D. muerdas

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ el bocadillo con hambre, todo cambiaría — "If I bit the sandwich hungrily, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. mordiéramos B. mordierais C. mordiera D. mordieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ la cuerda con los dientes — "We have bitten the rope with his teeth" (present perfect) A. ha mordido B. hemos mordido C. he mordido D. has mordido

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ a su hermano en el brazo. — "Do not bite his brother on the arm." (negative imperative) A. mordáis B. muerdas C. muerda D. mordamos

  10. Which is the gerund of morder, used with estar for the progressive? A. mordí B. mordiendo C. mordido D. muerdo

Answer key

  1. muerdo — The present form for yo is muerdo.
  2. mordió — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is mordió.
  3. mordíamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is mordíamos.
  4. morderás — The future form for tú is morderás.
  5. mordería — The conditional form for yo is mordería.
  6. muerda — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is muerda.
  7. mordiera — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is mordiera.
  8. hemos mordido — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos mordido.
  9. muerdas — The negative imperative form is muerdas.
  10. mordiendo — The gerund of morder is mordiendo: estoy mordiendo. The participle mordido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does morder mean in English?

morder means to bite. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo muerdo una manzana verde — "I bite a green apple". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is morder regular?

No. morder is a stem-changing -er verb (o → ue). The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: muerdo, muerdes, muerde and muerden — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: mordemos, mordéis. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the plain stem, which is the part learners most often get right by accident.

What is the gerund and the past participle of morder?

The gerund is mordiendo and the past participle is mordido. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do I say "I bite" in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo mordí el bocadillo con hambre — "Yesterday, I bit the sandwich hungrily". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo mordía la cuerda con los dientes — "As a child, I used to bite the rope with his teeth". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he mordido el bocadillo con hambre — "Today, I have bitten the sandwich hungrily".

What is the difference between morder and morderse?

Morderse is the reflexive form, used for biting your own nails or your lip: morderse las uñas. Morder without the pronoun bites something else. Morder means to bite: morder una manzana, morder el bocadillo. It takes a direct object for the thing bitten and a person with a for the person bitten: morder a su hermano.

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