Ordenar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb ordenar means to tidy, to order, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Ordenar has two common meanings: to tidy or put in order, as in ordenar la habitación, and to order, as in ordenar una pizza or ordenar que alguien haga algo. The tidy sense is the everyday one, and the verb is fully regular, so context does the work. Like every Spanish verb, ordenar 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 ordeno la habitación antes de la visita, and in the preterite you say ordené la casa entera el sábado. 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: ordenar
  • English: to tidy, to order
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: ordenando
  • Past participle: ordenado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + ordenado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ordenar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Ordenar la habitación is tidying; ordenar una pizza is ordering food. The object tells you the meaning.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for ordenar. 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 ordeno
tú ordenas
él/ella/Ud. ordena
nosotros/as ordenamos
vosotros/as ordenáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. ordenan

Preterite

Person Form
yo ordené
tú ordenaste
él/ella/Ud. ordenó
nosotros/as ordenamos
vosotros/as ordenasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. ordenaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo ordenaba
tú ordenabas
él/ella/Ud. ordenaba
nosotros/as ordenábamos
vosotros/as ordenabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. ordenaban

Future

Person Form
yo ordenaré
tú ordenarás
él/ella/Ud. ordenará
nosotros/as ordenaremos
vosotros/as ordenaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. ordenarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo ordenaría
tú ordenarías
él/ella/Ud. ordenaría
nosotros/as ordenaríamos
vosotros/as ordenaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. ordenarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo ordene
tú ordenes
él/ella/Ud. ordene
nosotros/as ordenemos
vosotros/as ordenéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. ordenen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo ordenara
tú ordenaras
él/ella/Ud. ordenara
nosotros/as ordenáramos
vosotros/as ordenarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. ordenaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú ordena
él/ella/Ud. ordene
nosotros/as ordenemos
vosotros/as ordenad
ellos/ellas/Uds. ordenen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú ordenes
él/ella/Ud. ordene
nosotros/as ordenemos
vosotros/as ordenéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. ordenen

Gerund and past participle

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

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 ordenar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Ordeno la habitación antes de la visita. 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 ordenar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, ordené los libros en la estantería. 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 ordenar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, ordenaba la casa entera el sábado. 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 ordenar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, ordenaré los cajones de la cocina. 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 ordenar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Ordenaría la habitación antes de la visita 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 ordenar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he ordenado los libros en la estantería. 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 ordenar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había ordenado la casa entera el sábado 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 ordenar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré ordenado los cajones de la cocina. 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 ordenar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría ordenado la habitación antes de la visita 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 ordenar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él ordene los libros en la estantería. 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 ordenar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él ordenara la casa entera el sábado, 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 ordenar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Ordena los cajones de la cocina! 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 ordenar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No ordenes la habitación antes de la visita. 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 ordenar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Ordeno la habitación antes de la visita. — I tidy the bedroom before the visit.
  2. Ordena los libros en la estantería. — He/she tidies the books on the shelf.
  3. Ayer, ordené la casa entera el sábado. — Yesterday, I tidied the whole house on Saturdays.
  4. Antes, nosotros ordenábamos los cajones de la cocina. — Before, we used to tidy the kitchen drawers.
  5. Mañana, tú ordenarás la habitación antes de la visita. — Tomorrow, you will tidy the bedroom before the visit.
  6. Yo ordenaría los libros en la estantería si tuviera más tiempo. — I would tidy the books on the shelf if I had more time.
  7. Él ha ordenado la casa entera el sábado. — He has tidied the whole house on Saturdays.
  8. Espero que él ordene los cajones de la cocina. — I hope he tidies the kitchen drawers.
  9. Yo ya había ordenado la habitación antes de la visita antes de salir. — I had already tidied the bedroom before the visit before leaving.
  10. Ellos ordenaban los libros en la estantería cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to tidy the books on the shelf when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo ordena la habitación antes de la visita. — Right: Yo ordeno la habitación antes de la visita. — The person matters: ordena is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ordeno. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo ordeno los libros en la estantería. — Right: Ayer yo ordené los libros en la estantería. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: ordeno is happening now, while ordené is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating ordenar and limpiar as identical in every context. — Right: Ordenar means to tidy, to order, while limpiar means to clean, which is a different job. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: ordenar fits sentences such as Ordeno la habitación antes de la visita, while limpiar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy ordenado los libros en la estantería. — Right: Yo he ordenado los libros en la estantería. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he ordenado, has ordenado, ha ordenado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo ordené la casa entera el sábado todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo ordenaba la casa entera el sábado todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (ordenaba), not the preterite. The preterite (ordené) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la habitación antes de la visita. (present tense) A. ordeno B. ordenas C. ordena D. ordenamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ los libros en la estantería. (preterite) A. ordené B. ordenaste C. ordenaron D. ordenó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la casa entera el sábado. (imperfect) A. ordenabas B. ordenaban C. ordenábamos D. ordenaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ los cajones de la cocina. (future) A. ordenaremos B. ordenarás C. ordenaré D. ordenará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la habitación antes de la visita si pudiera. (conditional) A. ordenaría B. ordenarías C. ordenarían D. ordeno

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ los libros en la estantería. (present subjunctive) A. ordenes B. ordenemos C. ordeno D. ordene

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la casa entera el sábado, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. ordenáramos B. ordeno C. ordenara D. ordenaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ los cajones de la cocina. (present perfect) A. han ordenado B. hemos ordenado C. he ordenado D. has ordenado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ la habitación antes de la visita! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. ordena B. ordene C. ordenemos D. ordenad

  10. Which is the gerund of ordenar, used with estar for the progressive? A. ordenado B. ordeno C. ordené D. ordenando

Answer key

  1. ordeno — The first-person present of ordenar is ordeno. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. ordenó — The third-person preterite of ordenar is ordenó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. ordenábamos — The nosotros imperfect of ordenar is ordenábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. ordenarás — The second-person future of ordenar is ordenarás.
  5. ordenaría — The first-person conditional of ordenar is ordenaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. ordene — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of ordenar is ordene.
  7. ordenara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of ordenar is ordenara.
  8. hemos ordenado — The nosotros present perfect of ordenar is hemos ordenado: hemos + ordenado.
  9. ordena — The affirmative tú imperative of ordenar is ordena.
  10. ordenando — The gerund of ordenar is ordenando: estoy ordenando. The participle ordenado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does ordenar mean in English?

Ordenar means to tidy, to order. It is used in everyday situations such as Ordeno la habitación antes de la visita. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is ordenar regular or irregular?

Ordenar 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 ordeno in the present and ordené in the preterite.

What is the difference between ordenar and limpiar?

Ordenar means to tidy, to order, while limpiar means to clean, which is a different job. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use ordenar when you mean to tidy, to order, as in Ordeno la habitación antes de la visita, and use limpiar for to clean, which is a different job. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I tidy” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo ordené los libros en la estantería. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo ordenaba la casa entera el sábado. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he ordenado los libros en la estantería.

How do I practise ordenar?

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

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