Murmurar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb murmurar means to murmur, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Murmurar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of murmurar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo murmuro en voz baja — "I murmur in a low voice" — and in the preterite you say Yo murmuré algo en el oído — "I murmured something in my ear". 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: murmurar
- English: to murmur
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: murmurando
- Past participle: murmurado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + murmurado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for murmurar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for murmurar. 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.
Gerund: murmurando · Past participle: murmurado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | murmuro |
| tú | murmuras |
| él/ella/Ud. | murmura |
| nosotros/as | murmuramos |
| vosotros/as | murmuráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | murmuran |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | murmuré |
| tú | murmuraste |
| él/ella/Ud. | murmuró |
| nosotros/as | murmuramos |
| vosotros/as | murmurasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | murmuraron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | murmuraba |
| tú | murmurabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | murmuraba |
| nosotros/as | murmurábamos |
| vosotros/as | murmurabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | murmuraban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | murmuraré |
| tú | murmurarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | murmurará |
| nosotros/as | murmuraremos |
| vosotros/as | murmuraréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | murmurarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | murmuraría |
| tú | murmurarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | murmuraría |
| nosotros/as | murmuraríamos |
| vosotros/as | murmuraríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | murmurarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he murmurado |
| tú | has murmurado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha murmurado |
| nosotros/as | hemos murmurado |
| vosotros/as | habéis murmurado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han murmurado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había murmurado |
| tú | habías murmurado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había murmurado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos murmurado |
| vosotros/as | habíais murmurado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían murmurado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré murmurado |
| tú | habrás murmurado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá murmurado |
| nosotros/as | habremos murmurado |
| vosotros/as | habréis murmurado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán murmurado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría murmurado |
| tú | habrías murmurado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría murmurado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos murmurado |
| vosotros/as | habríais murmurado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían murmurado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | murmure |
| tú | murmures |
| él/ella/Ud. | murmure |
| nosotros/as | murmuremos |
| vosotros/as | murmuréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | murmuren |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | murmurara |
| tú | murmuraras |
| él/ella/Ud. | murmurara |
| nosotros/as | murmuráramos |
| vosotros/as | murmurarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | murmuraran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | murmura |
| él/ella/Ud. | murmure |
| nosotros/as | murmuremos |
| vosotros/as | murmurad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | murmuren |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | murmures |
| él/ella/Ud. | murmure |
| nosotros/as | murmuremos |
| vosotros/as | murmuréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | murmuren |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | murmurando | with estar for the progressive: estoy murmurando |
| Past participle | murmurado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he murmurado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For murmurar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo murmuro algo en el oído — "I murmur something in my ear". Learn the present indicative 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 in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For murmurar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo murmuré durante la clase — "I murmured during the lesson". 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 words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For murmurar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo murmuraba en voz baja — "I used to murmur in a low voice". 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. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For murmurar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo murmuraré algo en el oído — "I will murmur something in my ear". 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 in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For murmurar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo murmuraría durante la clase — "I would murmur during the lesson". 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. It connects the past with the present moment. For murmurar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he murmurado en voz baja — "I have murmured in a low voice". 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. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For murmurar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había murmurado algo en el oído — "I had murmured something in my ear". 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, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For murmurar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré murmurado durante la clase — "I will have murmured during the lesson". 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. It looks back at a past that never happened. For murmurar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría murmurado en voz baja — "I would have murmured in a low voice". 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. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For murmurar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él murmure algo en el oído — "I hope he murmurs something in my ear". 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 murmurar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo murmurara durante la clase, todo cambiaría — "If I murmured during the lesson, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) 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. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For murmurar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Murmure en voz baja — "Let him murmur in a low voice". Learn the imperative (affirmative) 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. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For murmurar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No murmures algo en el oído — "Don't murmur something in my ear". Learn the imperative (negative) 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 murmurar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo murmuro durante la clase — "I murmur during the lesson"
- Él murmura en voz baja — "He murmurs in a low voice"
- Yo murmuré algo en el oído — "I murmured something in my ear"
- Yo murmuraba durante la clase — "I used to murmur during the lesson"
- Tú murmurarás en voz baja — "You will murmur in a low voice"
- Yo murmuraría algo en el oído — "I would murmur something in my ear"
- Él ha murmurado durante la clase — "He has murmured during the lesson"
- Espero que él murmure en voz baja — "I hope he murmurs in a low voice"
- Yo había murmurado algo en el oído — "I had murmured something in my ear"
- Ellos murmuraban durante la clase — "They used to murmur during the lesson"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos murmura en voz baja — Right: Ellos murmuran en voz baja — Ellos needs the ellos form murmuran. The singular murmura belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo murmuro — Right: Ayer, yo murmuré — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to murmuré.
- Wrong: De niño, yo murmuré todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo murmuraba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (murmuraba), not the preterite. The preterite (murmuré) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy murmurado algo en el oído. — Right: Yo he murmurado algo en el oído. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he murmurado, has murmurado, ha murmurado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él murmura en voz baja. — Right: Espero que él murmure en voz baja. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: murmure. The indicative murmura is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on murmurar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en voz baja. (present tense) A. murmurarás B. murmurabais C. murmuro D. habremos murmurado
Complete the sentence: Él ___ en voz baja. (preterite) A. murmuró B. habrías murmurado C. murmurarías D. murmuraron
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en voz baja. (imperfect) A. murmurábamos B. murmurabais C. murmurarían D. murmurasteis
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ en voz baja. (future) A. murmurasteis B. habríamos murmurado C. murmura D. murmurarás
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en voz baja. (conditional) A. murmuraría B. murmuro C. habrá murmurado D. habían murmurado
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en voz baja. (present subjunctive) A. murmurará B. murmure C. murmuraron D. murmuraréis
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en voz baja, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. murmurabas B. murmurara C. murmuro D. murmurad
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en voz baja. (present perfect) A. murmurara B. han murmurado C. hemos murmurado D. habremos murmurado
Complete the command: No ___ en voz baja. (negative imperative, tú) A. murmuréis B. murmures C. murmuren D. murmuremos
Which is the gerund of murmurar, used with estar for the progressive? A. murmuro B. murmurado C. murmurando D. murmuraba
Answer key
- murmuro — The yo present tense of murmurar is murmuro.
- murmuró — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of murmurar is murmuró.
- murmurábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of murmurar is murmurábamos.
- murmurarás — The tú future of murmurar is murmurarás.
- murmuraría — The yo conditional of murmurar is murmuraría.
- murmure — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of murmurar is murmure.
- murmurara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of murmurar is murmurara.
- hemos murmurado — The nosotros/as present perfect of murmurar is hemos murmurado.
- murmures — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: murmures.
- murmurando — The gerund of murmurar is murmurando: estoy murmurando. The participle murmurado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does murmurar mean in English?
Murmurar means to murmur. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo murmuro en voz baja. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is murmurar regular?
Yes. Murmurar is a regular -ar verb: murmuro, murmuras, murmura. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the gerund and the past participle of murmurar?
The gerund is murmurando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy murmurando. The past participle is murmurado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he murmurado.
How do I say “I murmur” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo murmuré algo en el oído. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo murmuraba durante la clase. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he murmurado en voz baja.
How do I practise murmurar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the murmurar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Murmurar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for murmurar.
- Murmurar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for murmurar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Balbucear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with murmurar.
- Tartamudear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with murmurar.
- Cotillear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with murmurar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.