Oprimir Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb oprimir means to oppress, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Oprimir means to oppress or to press down on, and it covers oppressing a people and pressing a button or a chest: oprimir a un pueblo, oprimir el botón. It is a regular -ir verb, common in history and politics. Like every Spanish verb, oprimir 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 oprimo a un pueblo entero, and in the preterite you say oprimí el pecho con la mano. 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: oprimir
  • English: to oppress
  • Verb type: regular -ir verb
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: oprimiendo
  • Past participle: oprimido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + oprimido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for oprimir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Oprimir is regular: oprimí, oprimía, oprimiré.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for oprimir. 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 oprimo
tú oprimes
él/ella/Ud. oprime
nosotros/as oprimimos
vosotros/as oprimís
ellos/ellas/Uds. oprimen

Preterite

Person Form
yo oprimí
tú oprimiste
él/ella/Ud. oprimió
nosotros/as oprimimos
vosotros/as oprimisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. oprimieron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo oprimía
tú oprimías
él/ella/Ud. oprimía
nosotros/as oprimíamos
vosotros/as oprimíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. oprimían

Future

Person Form
yo oprimiré
tú oprimirás
él/ella/Ud. oprimirá
nosotros/as oprimiremos
vosotros/as oprimiréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. oprimirán

Conditional

Person Form
yo oprimiría
tú oprimirías
él/ella/Ud. oprimiría
nosotros/as oprimiríamos
vosotros/as oprimiríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. oprimirían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo oprima
tú oprimas
él/ella/Ud. oprima
nosotros/as oprimamos
vosotros/as oprimáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. opriman

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo oprimiera
tú oprimieras
él/ella/Ud. oprimiera
nosotros/as oprimiéramos
vosotros/as oprimierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. oprimieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú oprime
él/ella/Ud. oprima
nosotros/as oprimamos
vosotros/as oprimid
ellos/ellas/Uds. opriman

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú oprimas
él/ella/Ud. oprima
nosotros/as oprimamos
vosotros/as oprimáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. opriman

Gerund and past participle

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

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 oprimir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Oprimo a un pueblo entero. 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 oprimir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, oprimí el botón del timbre. 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 oprimir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, oprimía el pecho con la mano. 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 oprimir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, oprimiré a los trabajadores del campo. 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 oprimir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Oprimiría a un pueblo entero 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 oprimir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he oprimido el botón del timbre. 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 oprimir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había oprimido el pecho con la mano 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 oprimir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré oprimido a los trabajadores del campo. 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 oprimir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría oprimido a un pueblo entero 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 oprimir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él oprima el botón del timbre. 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 oprimir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él oprimiera el pecho con la mano, 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 oprimir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Oprime a los trabajadores del campo! 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 oprimir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No oprimas a un pueblo entero. 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 oprimir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Oprimo a un pueblo entero. — I oppress a whole people.
  2. Oprime el botón del timbre. — He/she oppresses the doorbell button.
  3. Ayer, oprimí el pecho con la mano. — Yesterday, I oppressed his chest with his hand.
  4. Antes, nosotros oprimíamos a los trabajadores del campo. — Before, we used to oppress the farm workers.
  5. Mañana, tú oprimirás a un pueblo entero. — Tomorrow, you will oppress a whole people.
  6. Yo oprimiría el botón del timbre si tuviera más tiempo. — I would oppress the doorbell button if I had more time.
  7. Él ha oprimido el pecho con la mano. — He has oppressed his chest with his hand.
  8. Espero que él oprima a los trabajadores del campo. — I hope he oppresses the farm workers.
  9. Yo ya había oprimido a un pueblo entero antes de salir. — I had already oppressed a whole people before leaving.
  10. Ellos oprimían el botón del timbre cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to oppress the doorbell button when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo oprime a un pueblo entero. — Right: Yo oprimo a un pueblo entero. — The person matters: oprime is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is oprimo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo oprimo el botón del timbre. — Right: Ayer yo oprimí el botón del timbre. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: oprimo is happening now, while oprimí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating oprimir and presionar as identical in every context. — Right: Oprimir means to oppress, while presionar means to press, to pressure. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: oprimir fits sentences such as Oprimo a un pueblo entero, while presionar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy oprimido el botón del timbre. — Right: Yo he oprimido el botón del timbre. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he oprimido, has oprimido, ha oprimido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo oprimí el pecho con la mano todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo oprimía el pecho con la mano todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (oprimía), not the preterite. The preterite (oprimí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a un pueblo entero. (present tense) A. oprimo B. oprimes C. oprime D. oprimimos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el botón del timbre. (preterite) A. oprimí B. oprimiste C. oprimimos D. oprimió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el pecho con la mano. (imperfect) A. oprimías B. oprimo C. oprimíamos D. oprimía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a los trabajadores del campo. (future) A. oprimiremos B. oprimirás C. oprimiré D. oprimirá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a un pueblo entero si pudiera. (conditional) A. oprimiría B. oprimirías C. oprimiríamos D. oprimo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el botón del timbre. (present subjunctive) A. oprimas B. oprimamos C. oprimo D. oprima

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el pecho con la mano, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. oprimiéramos B. oprimo C. oprimiera D. oprimieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a los trabajadores del campo. (present perfect) A. ha oprimido B. hemos oprimido C. he oprimido D. has oprimido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ a un pueblo entero! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. oprime B. oprima C. oprimamos D. oprimid

  10. Which is the gerund of oprimir, used with estar for the progressive? A. oprimido B. oprimo C. oprimí D. oprimiendo

Answer key

  1. oprimo — The yo present tense of oprimir is oprimo.
  2. oprimió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of oprimir is oprimió.
  3. oprimíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of oprimir is oprimíamos.
  4. oprimirás — The tú future of oprimir is oprimirás.
  5. oprimiría — The yo conditional of oprimir is oprimiría.
  6. oprima — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of oprimir is oprima.
  7. oprimiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of oprimir is oprimiera.
  8. hemos oprimido — The nosotros/as present perfect of oprimir is hemos oprimido.
  9. oprime — The affirmative tú imperative of oprimir is oprime.
  10. oprimiendo — The gerund of oprimir is oprimiendo: estoy oprimiendo. The participle oprimido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does oprimir mean in English?

Oprimir means to oppress. It is used in everyday situations such as Oprimo a un pueblo entero. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is oprimir regular or irregular?

Oprimir is a fully regular -ir 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 oprimo in the present and oprimí in the preterite.

What is the difference between oprimir and presionar?

Oprimir means to oppress, while presionar means to press, to pressure. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use oprimir when you mean to oppress, as in Oprimo a un pueblo entero, and use presionar for to press, to pressure. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I oppress” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo oprimí el botón del timbre. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo oprimía el pecho con la mano. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he oprimido el botón del timbre.

How do I practise oprimir?

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

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