Perfeccionar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb perfeccionar means to perfect, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Perfeccionar 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 perfeccionar 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 perfecciono su inglés — "I perfect his English" — and in the preterite you say Yo perfeccioné la técnica — "I perfected the technique". 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: perfeccionar
- English: to perfect
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: perfeccionando
- Past participle: perfeccionado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + perfeccionado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for perfeccionar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for perfeccionar. 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: perfeccionando · Past participle: perfeccionado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perfecciono |
| tú | perfeccionas |
| él/ella/Ud. | perfecciona |
| nosotros/as | perfeccionamos |
| vosotros/as | perfeccionáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perfeccionan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perfeccioné |
| tú | perfeccionaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | perfeccionó |
| nosotros/as | perfeccionamos |
| vosotros/as | perfeccionasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perfeccionaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perfeccionaba |
| tú | perfeccionabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | perfeccionaba |
| nosotros/as | perfeccionábamos |
| vosotros/as | perfeccionabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perfeccionaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perfeccionaré |
| tú | perfeccionarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | perfeccionará |
| nosotros/as | perfeccionaremos |
| vosotros/as | perfeccionaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perfeccionarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perfeccionaría |
| tú | perfeccionarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | perfeccionaría |
| nosotros/as | perfeccionaríamos |
| vosotros/as | perfeccionaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perfeccionarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he perfeccionado |
| tú | has perfeccionado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha perfeccionado |
| nosotros/as | hemos perfeccionado |
| vosotros/as | habéis perfeccionado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han perfeccionado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había perfeccionado |
| tú | habías perfeccionado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había perfeccionado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos perfeccionado |
| vosotros/as | habíais perfeccionado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían perfeccionado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré perfeccionado |
| tú | habrás perfeccionado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá perfeccionado |
| nosotros/as | habremos perfeccionado |
| vosotros/as | habréis perfeccionado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán perfeccionado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría perfeccionado |
| tú | habrías perfeccionado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría perfeccionado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos perfeccionado |
| vosotros/as | habríais perfeccionado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían perfeccionado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perfeccione |
| tú | perfecciones |
| él/ella/Ud. | perfeccione |
| nosotros/as | perfeccionemos |
| vosotros/as | perfeccionéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perfeccionen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perfeccionara |
| tú | perfeccionaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | perfeccionara |
| nosotros/as | perfeccionáramos |
| vosotros/as | perfeccionarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perfeccionaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | perfecciona |
| él/ella/Ud. | perfeccione |
| nosotros/as | perfeccionemos |
| vosotros/as | perfeccionad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perfeccionen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | perfecciones |
| él/ella/Ud. | perfeccione |
| nosotros/as | perfeccionemos |
| vosotros/as | perfeccionéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | perfeccionen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | perfeccionando | with estar for the progressive: estoy perfeccionando |
| Past participle | perfeccionado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he perfeccionado |
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 perfeccionar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo perfecciono la técnica — "I perfect the technique". 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 perfeccionar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo perfeccioné su español — "I perfected his Spanish". 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 perfeccionar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo perfeccionaba su inglés — "I used to perfect his English". 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 perfeccionar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo perfeccionaré la técnica — "I will perfect the technique". 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 perfeccionar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo perfeccionaría su español — "I would perfect his Spanish". 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 perfeccionar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he perfeccionado su inglés — "I have perfected his English". 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 perfeccionar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había perfeccionado la técnica — "I had perfected the technique". 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 perfeccionar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré perfeccionado su español — "I will have perfected his Spanish". 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 perfeccionar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría perfeccionado su inglés — "I would have perfected his English". 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 perfeccionar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él perfeccione la técnica — "I hope he perfects the technique". 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 perfeccionar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo perfeccionara su español, todo cambiaría — "If I perfected his Spanish, 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 perfeccionar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Perfeccione su inglés — "Let him perfect his English". 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 perfeccionar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No perfecciones la técnica — "Don't perfect the technique". 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 perfeccionar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo perfecciono su español — "I perfect his Spanish"
- Él perfecciona su inglés — "He perfects his English"
- Yo perfeccioné la técnica — "I perfected the technique"
- Yo perfeccionaba su español — "I used to perfect his Spanish"
- Tú perfeccionarás su inglés — "You will perfect his English"
- Yo perfeccionaría la técnica — "I would perfect the technique"
- Él ha perfeccionado su español — "He has perfected his Spanish"
- Espero que él perfeccione su inglés — "I hope he perfects his English"
- Yo había perfeccionado la técnica — "I had perfected the technique"
- Ellos perfeccionaban su español — "They used to perfect his Spanish"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos perfecciona su inglés — Right: Ellos perfeccionan su inglés — Ellos needs the ellos form perfeccionan. The singular perfecciona belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo perfecciono — Right: Ayer, yo perfeccioné — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to perfeccioné.
- Wrong: De niño, yo perfeccioné todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo perfeccionaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (perfeccionaba), not the preterite. The preterite (perfeccioné) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy perfeccionado la técnica. — Right: Yo he perfeccionado la técnica. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he perfeccionado, has perfeccionado, ha perfeccionado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él perfecciona su inglés. — Right: Espero que él perfeccione su inglés. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: perfeccione. The indicative perfecciona is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on perfeccionar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ su inglés. (present tense) A. habríais perfeccionado B. perfeccionas C. perfeccionábamos D. perfecciono
Complete the sentence: Él ___ su inglés. (preterite) A. perfeccionará B. perfeccionaba C. perfeccionó D. habías perfeccionado
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ su inglés. (imperfect) A. perfeccionábamos B. habrían perfeccionado C. perfeccionasteis D. han perfeccionado
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ su inglés. (future) A. había perfeccionado B. habrías perfeccionado C. hemos perfeccionado D. perfeccionarás
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ su inglés. (conditional) A. perfeccionaría B. perfeccionarás C. perfeccionáis D. habríais perfeccionado
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ su inglés. (present subjunctive) A. perfeccionas B. perfeccione C. habríais perfeccionado D. perfeccionaríamos
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ su inglés, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. he perfeccionado B. perfeccionara C. perfeccionaríais D. perfeccionas
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ su inglés. (present perfect) A. perfeccionan B. habremos perfeccionado C. habían perfeccionado D. hemos perfeccionado
Complete the command: No ___ su inglés. (negative imperative, tú) A. perfeccionéis B. perfecciones C. perfeccionen D. perfeccione
Which is the gerund of perfeccionar, used with estar for the progressive? A. perfeccionaba B. perfeccionado C. perfeccionando D. perfecciono
Answer key
- perfecciono — The yo present tense of perfeccionar is perfecciono.
- perfeccionó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of perfeccionar is perfeccionó.
- perfeccionábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of perfeccionar is perfeccionábamos.
- perfeccionarás — The tú future of perfeccionar is perfeccionarás.
- perfeccionaría — The yo conditional of perfeccionar is perfeccionaría.
- perfeccione — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of perfeccionar is perfeccione.
- perfeccionara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of perfeccionar is perfeccionara.
- hemos perfeccionado — The nosotros/as present perfect of perfeccionar is hemos perfeccionado.
- perfecciones — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: perfecciones.
- perfeccionando — The gerund of perfeccionar is perfeccionando: estoy perfeccionando. The participle perfeccionado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does perfeccionar mean in English?
Perfeccionar means to perfect. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo perfecciono su inglés. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is perfeccionar regular?
Yes. Perfeccionar is a regular -ar verb: perfecciono, perfeccionas, perfecciona. 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 perfeccionar?
The gerund is perfeccionando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy perfeccionando. The past participle is perfeccionado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he perfeccionado.
How do I say “I perfect” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo perfeccioné la técnica. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo perfeccionaba su español. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he perfeccionado su inglés.
How do I practise perfeccionar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the perfeccionar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Perfeccionar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for perfeccionar.
- Perfeccionar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for perfeccionar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Pesar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with perfeccionar.
- Pintarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with perfeccionar.
- Pisar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with perfeccionar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.