Percibir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb percibir means to perceive, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Percibir means to perceive or to notice, and it is the formal verb for noticing with the senses and for receiving a salary or a pension: percibir un sonido, percibir un sueldo. It is a regular -ir verb. Like every Spanish verb, percibir 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 percibo un sonido en la oscuridad, and in the preterite you say percibí el peligro a tiempo. 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: percibir
- English: to perceive
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: percibiendo
- Past participle: percibido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + percibido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for percibir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Percibir is regular: percibí, percibía, percibiré. It also means to receive money: percibo un sueldo.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for percibir. 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 | percibo |
| tú | percibes |
| él/ella/Ud. | percibe |
| nosotros/as | percibimos |
| vosotros/as | percibís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perciben |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | percibí |
| tú | percibiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | percibió |
| nosotros/as | percibimos |
| vosotros/as | percibisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | percibieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | percibía |
| tú | percibías |
| él/ella/Ud. | percibía |
| nosotros/as | percibíamos |
| vosotros/as | percibíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | percibían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | percibiré |
| tú | percibirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | percibirá |
| nosotros/as | percibiremos |
| vosotros/as | percibiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | percibirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | percibiría |
| tú | percibirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | percibiría |
| nosotros/as | percibiríamos |
| vosotros/as | percibiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | percibirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he percibido |
| tú | has percibido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha percibido |
| nosotros/as | hemos percibido |
| vosotros/as | habéis percibido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han percibido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había percibido |
| tú | habías percibido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había percibido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos percibido |
| vosotros/as | habíais percibido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían percibido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré percibido |
| tú | habrás percibido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá percibido |
| nosotros/as | habremos percibido |
| vosotros/as | habréis percibido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán percibido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría percibido |
| tú | habrías percibido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría percibido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos percibido |
| vosotros/as | habríais percibido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían percibido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perciba |
| tú | percibas |
| él/ella/Ud. | perciba |
| nosotros/as | percibamos |
| vosotros/as | percibáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perciban |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | percibiera |
| tú | percibieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | percibiera |
| nosotros/as | percibiéramos |
| vosotros/as | percibierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | percibieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | percibe |
| él/ella/Ud. | perciba |
| nosotros/as | percibamos |
| vosotros/as | percibid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perciban |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | percibas |
| él/ella/Ud. | perciba |
| nosotros/as | percibamos |
| vosotros/as | percibáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perciban |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | percibiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy percibiendo |
| Past participle | percibido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he percibido |
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 percibir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Percibo un sonido en la oscuridad. 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 percibir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, percibí un sueldo cada mes. 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 percibir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, percibía el peligro a tiempo. 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 percibir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, percibiré un olor raro en 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 percibir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Percibiría un sonido en la oscuridad 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 percibir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he percibido un sueldo cada mes. 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 percibir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había percibido el peligro a tiempo 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 percibir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré percibido un olor raro en 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 percibir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría percibido un sonido en la oscuridad 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 percibir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él perciba un sueldo cada mes. 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 percibir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él percibiera el peligro a tiempo, 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 percibir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Percibe un olor raro en 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 percibir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No percibas un sonido en la oscuridad. 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 percibir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Percibo un sonido en la oscuridad. — I perceive a sound in the dark.
- Percibe un sueldo cada mes. — He/she perceives a salary every month.
- Ayer, percibí el peligro a tiempo. — Yesterday, I perceived danger in time.
- Antes, nosotros percibíamos un olor raro en la cocina. — Before, we used to perceive a strange smell in the kitchen.
- Mañana, tú percibirás un sonido en la oscuridad. — Tomorrow, you will perceive a sound in the dark.
- Yo percibiría un sueldo cada mes si tuviera más tiempo. — I would perceive a salary every month if I had more time.
- Él ha percibido el peligro a tiempo. — He has perceived danger in time.
- Espero que él perciba un olor raro en la cocina. — I hope he perceives a strange smell in the kitchen.
- Yo ya había percibido un sonido en la oscuridad antes de salir. — I had already perceived a sound in the dark before leaving.
- Ellos percibían un sueldo cada mes cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to perceive a salary every month when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo percibe un sonido en la oscuridad. — Right: Yo percibo un sonido en la oscuridad. — The person matters: percibe is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is percibo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo percibo un sueldo cada mes. — Right: Ayer yo percibí un sueldo cada mes. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: percibo is happening now, while percibí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating percibir and notar as identical in every context. — Right: Percibir means to perceive, while notar means to notice. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: percibir fits sentences such as Percibo un sonido en la oscuridad, while notar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy percibido un sueldo cada mes. — Right: Yo he percibido un sueldo cada mes. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he percibido, has percibido, ha percibido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo percibí el peligro a tiempo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo percibía el peligro a tiempo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (percibía), not the preterite. The preterite (percibí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on percibir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un sonido en la oscuridad. (present tense) A. percibo B. percibes C. percibe D. percibimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ un sueldo cada mes. (preterite) A. percibí B. percibiste C. percibimos D. percibió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el peligro a tiempo. (imperfect) A. percibías B. percibo C. percibíamos D. percibía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ un olor raro en la cocina. (future) A. percibiremos B. percibirás C. percibiré D. percibirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un sonido en la oscuridad si pudiera. (conditional) A. percibiría B. percibirías C. percibiríamos D. percibo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un sueldo cada mes. (present subjunctive) A. percibas B. percibamos C. percibo D. perciba
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el peligro a tiempo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. percibiéramos B. percibo C. percibiera D. percibieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ un olor raro en la cocina. (present perfect) A. ha percibido B. hemos percibido C. he percibido D. has percibido
Complete the command: ¡___ un sonido en la oscuridad! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. percibe B. perciba C. percibamos D. percibid
Which is the gerund of percibir, used with estar for the progressive? A. percibido B. percibo C. percibí D. percibiendo
Answer key
- percibo — The yo present tense of percibir is percibo.
- percibió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of percibir is percibió.
- percibíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of percibir is percibíamos.
- percibirás — The tú future of percibir is percibirás.
- percibiría — The yo conditional of percibir is percibiría.
- perciba — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of percibir is perciba.
- percibiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of percibir is percibiera.
- hemos percibido — The nosotros/as present perfect of percibir is hemos percibido.
- percibe — The affirmative tú imperative of percibir is percibe.
- percibiendo — The gerund of percibir is percibiendo: estoy percibiendo. The participle percibido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does percibir mean in English?
Percibir means to perceive. It is used in everyday situations such as Percibo un sonido en la oscuridad. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is percibir regular or irregular?
Percibir 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 percibo in the present and percibí in the preterite.
What is the difference between percibir and notar?
Percibir means to perceive, while notar means to notice. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use percibir when you mean to perceive, as in Percibo un sonido en la oscuridad, and use notar for to notice. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I perceive” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo percibí un sueldo cada mes. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo percibía el peligro a tiempo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he percibido un sueldo cada mes.
How do I practise percibir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the percibir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Percibir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for percibir.
- Percibir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for percibir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Oprimir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with percibir.
- Persistir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with percibir.
- Omitir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with percibir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.