Permitir Conjugation in Spanish
permitir means "to allow, to permit" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for talking about permission — what is allowed, what a teacher, a parent or a rule allows you to do, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of permitir in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. Permitir is a regular -ir verb verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: El profesor permite la entrada a los alumnos con carné. — "The teacher allows entry to students with a card.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: permitir
- English: to allow, to permit
- Verb type: Regular -ir verb
- Gerund: permitiendo
- Past participle: permitido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + permitido)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of permitir with all six persons. The gerund is permitiendo and the past participle is permitido.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | permito |
| tú | permites |
| él/ella/Ud. | permite |
| nosotros/as | permitimos |
| vosotros/as | permitís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | permiten |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | permití |
| tú | permitiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | permitió |
| nosotros/as | permitimos |
| vosotros/as | permitisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | permitieron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | permitía |
| tú | permitías |
| él/ella/Ud. | permitía |
| nosotros/as | permitíamos |
| vosotros/as | permitíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | permitían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | permitiré |
| tú | permitirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | permitirá |
| nosotros/as | permitiremos |
| vosotros/as | permitiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | permitirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | permitiría |
| tú | permitirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | permitiría |
| nosotros/as | permitiríamos |
| vosotros/as | permitiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | permitirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he permitido |
| tú | has permitido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha permitido |
| nosotros/as | hemos permitido |
| vosotros/as | habéis permitido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han permitido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había permitido |
| tú | habías permitido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había permitido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos permitido |
| vosotros/as | habíais permitido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían permitido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré permitido |
| tú | habrás permitido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá permitido |
| nosotros/as | habremos permitido |
| vosotros/as | habréis permitido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán permitido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría permitido |
| tú | habrías permitido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría permitido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos permitido |
| vosotros/as | habríais permitido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían permitido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | permita |
| tú | permitas |
| él/ella/Ud. | permita |
| nosotros/as | permitamos |
| vosotros/as | permitáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | permitan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | permitiera |
| tú | permitieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | permitiera |
| nosotros/as | permitiéramos |
| vosotros/as | permitierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | permitieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | permite |
| él/ella/Ud. | permita |
| nosotros/as | permitamos |
| vosotros/as | permitid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | permitan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | permitas |
| él/ella/Ud. | permita |
| nosotros/as | permitamos |
| vosotros/as | permitáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | permitan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | permitiendo |
| Past participle | permitido |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with permitir, with one example sentence. The example forms are taken from the tables above.
Present indicative
The present tense talks about what happens now, habits, routines and general truths. It is the first tense every learner needs, because it covers daily life: what you do, what you like, where you live. For most verbs the present is also the base for the present subjunctive, so learning it well pays off twice.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo permito la entrada.
Preterite (past)
The preterite talks about finished actions in the past — things that started and ended at a specific moment. Use it for events, for what happened yesterday, last year, or at a particular time. It answers the question "what happened?" and it is the tense of stories told as a sequence of events.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Ayer yo permití la entrada.
Imperfect (past)
The imperfect talks about the past as background: habits, repeated actions, descriptions, and things that were in progress when something else happened. Use it for "used to", for setting a scene, and for age, time and weather in the past. It answers "what was going on?" rather than "what happened?".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: En aquella época, yo permitía la entrada.
Future
The future tense talks about what will happen: plans, predictions and promises. In everyday speech Spanish speakers often use "ir a + infinitive" instead, but the future tense is essential for formal writing, for promises, and for guessing about the present ("¿Dónde estará?").
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Mañana yo permitiré la entrada.
Conditional
The conditional talks about what would happen: hypothetical situations, polite requests, and advice. It pairs with the imperfect subjunctive in "if" sentences ("Si pudiera, lo haría"). It is also the polite way to ask for things and to soften opinions.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo permitiría la entrada si pudiera.
Present perfect
The present perfect (haber + past participle) talks about the recent past and about experience: what you have done, what has just happened, what you have never tried. It connects the past to the present moment, so it often appears with "hoy", "esta semana", "ya" and "todavía no".
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya he permitido la entrada.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect (había + past participle) talks about the past before the past: what had already happened when something else happened. Use it to order two past events — the pluperfect one comes first in time. It appears constantly in stories and explanations.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo ya había permitido la entrada antes.
Future perfect
The future perfect (habré + past participle) talks about something that will already be finished by a future moment: "Para mañana ya habré terminado". It is also used to guess about the past: "¿Dónde habrá ido?". It is less common in speech but regular in writing.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Para mañana yo ya habré permitido la entrada.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect (habría + past participle) talks about what would have happened: the past of the conditional. It appears in "if" sentences about a past that did not happen ("Si hubiera sabido, habría venido") and in polite regrets and reproaches.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo habría permitido la entrada si hubiera podido.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is the mood of wishes, doubts, emotions and influence: what you want, hope, doubt or demand. It appears after "quiero que", "espero que", "es posible que", "ojalá" and after verbs of emotion and doubt. It never stands alone — a trigger in the main clause calls for it.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Espero que él permita la entrada.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive is the past of the subjunctive: it follows past-tense triggers ("Quería que vinieras") and it is the tense of "if" clauses about unlikely or impossible situations ("Si tuviera dinero, viajaría"). The -ra forms shown here are the standard ones; -se forms exist too but -ra is far more common in speech.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Si él permitiera la entrada, sería perfecto.
Imperative (affirmative)
Affirmative commands tell someone to do something: "¡Ven aquí!", "¡Siéntate!". The tú and vosotros forms are the ones you will use most, and they are also the ones that break the regular pattern most often — the tú affirmative command comes from the él/ella present form, not from the infinitive.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: ¡Permite la entrada!
Imperative (negative)
Negative commands tell someone not to do something: "¡No hables!", "¡No te vayas!". Unlike affirmative commands, negative commands always use the subjunctive forms, for every person. If you know the present subjunctive, you already know the negative imperative.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: No permitas la entrada.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with permitir, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- El profesor permite la entrada a los alumnos con carné. — "The teacher allows entry to students with a card."
- ¿Tú permites la entrada a los niños? — "Do you allow the children in?"
- Ayer no me permitió la entrada al concierto. — "Yesterday he did not allow me into the concert."
- Antes permitía la entrada gratis los domingos. — "It used to allow free entry on Sundays."
- Mañana permitiré la entrada a todos los invitados. — "Tomorrow I will allow entry to all the guests."
- Yo permitiría la entrada si tuviera la llave. — "I would allow entry if I had the key."
- El museo ya ha permitido la entrada a los visitantes. — "The museum has already allowed visitors in."
- Espero que permita la entrada a los estudiantes. — "I hope he allows the students in."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with permitir — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo permití la entrada — learners often write permiti without the accent. → Right: Yo permití la entrada.. The preterite yo form is permití, with an accent on the final i. Permitir is regular, so the accent is the only spelling point.
- Wrong: *El profesor permite que yo entro. → Right: El profesor permite que yo permita.. After permitir que, the second verb goes in the subjunctive: permite que yo entre, not entro.
- Wrong: *Me permite entrar — learners sometimes forget the object pronoun and say permite entrar when they mean "he allows me". → Right: Él me permite entrar.. Permitir usually needs an indirect object pronoun to say who is allowed: me permite, te permite, le permite. Without it the sentence feels incomplete.
- Wrong: *Si yo permitiría, entrarías. → Right: Si yo permitiera, entrarías.. The si-clause needs the imperfect subjunctive (permitiera), never the conditional. The conditional belongs in the result clause.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on permitir. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of permitir in the present indicative?
- a) permites
- b) permite
- c) permito
- d) permitimos
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of permitir in the preterite (past)?
- a) permitimos
- b) permití
- c) permitiste
- d) permitió
What is the nosotros/as form of permitir in the imperfect (past)?
- a) permitíamos
- b) permitía
- c) permitías
- d) permitía
What is the tú form of permitir in the future?
- a) permitirá
- b) permitiremos
- c) permitiré
- d) permitirás
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of permitir in the conditional?
- a) permitirían
- b) permitiría
- c) permitiría
- d) permitirías
What is the yo form of permitir in the present subjunctive?
- a) permita
- b) permita
- c) permitamos
- d) permitas
What is the gerund of permitir?
- a) permitido
- b) permitiendo
- c) permitir
- d) permite
What is the past participle of permitir?
- a) permito
- b) permitido
- c) he permitido
- d) permitiendo
What does permitir mean in English?
- a) to be glad
- b) to be quiet, to keep quiet
- c) to allow, to permit
- d) to get married
The form permití belongs to which tense?
- a) Present
- b) Imperfect
- c) Preterite
- d) Future
Answer key
- permito — The yo form in the present indicative is permito — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- permitió — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is permitió — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- permitíamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is permitíamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- permitirás — The tú form in the future is permitirás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- permitirían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is permitirían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- permita — The yo form in the present subjunctive is permita — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- permitiendo — The gerund is permitiendo — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy permitiendo). The past participle is permitido.
- permitido — The past participle is permitido — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he permitido).
- to allow, to permit — permitir means "to allow, to permit".
- Preterite — permití is the yo form of the preterite of permitir — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is permitía.
Frequently asked questions
Is permitir regular?
Yes, permitir is a regular -ir verb: permito, permites, permite, permitimos, permitís, permiten. The preterite is permití, permitiste, permitió, and the participle is permitido. There are no irregularities at all.
What is the difference between permitir and dejar?
Both can mean to allow, but permitir is more formal and often refers to official permission (El museo no permite fotos), while dejar is more everyday and personal (Mi madre me deja salir). Permitir also appears in rules and signs; dejar appears in conversation.
How do you use permitir with another verb?
Use permitir + infinitive when the subject is the same, or permitir que + subjunctive when it changes: Me permite entrar, but Permite que yo entre. The pronoun (me, te, le) tells you who receives the permission.
What is the past participle of permitir?
Permitido. The present perfect is he permitido, has permitido, ha permitido — for example: El director ha permitido la entrada a los periodistas.
Related pages
- Permitir in the present tense — the present tense of permitir in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Permitir examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with permitir and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Prohibir conjugation — another verb in the same family as permitir.
- Dejar conjugation — another verb in the same family as permitir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise permitir with this tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise permitir with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.