Platicar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb platicar means to chat, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Platicar is a spelling-changing -ar (c → qu before e) verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. It has a spelling change (c → qu before e), which keeps the pronunciation of the stem the same when the ending changes. On this page you will find the full conjugation of platicar 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 platico con sus amigos — "I chat with his friends" — and in the preterite you say Toda la tarde, yo platiqué — "All afternoon, I chated". 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: platicar
- English: to chat
- Verb type: spelling-changing -ar (c → qu before e) verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: platicando
- Past participle: platicado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + platicado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for platicar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for platicar. 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: platicando · Past participle: platicado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | platico |
| tú | platicas |
| él/ella/Ud. | platica |
| nosotros/as | platicamos |
| vosotros/as | platicáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | platican |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | platiqué |
| tú | platicaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | platicó |
| nosotros/as | platicamos |
| vosotros/as | platicasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | platicaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | platicaba |
| tú | platicabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | platicaba |
| nosotros/as | platicábamos |
| vosotros/as | platicabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | platicaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | platicaré |
| tú | platicarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | platicará |
| nosotros/as | platicaremos |
| vosotros/as | platicaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | platicarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | platicaría |
| tú | platicarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | platicaría |
| nosotros/as | platicaríamos |
| vosotros/as | platicaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | platicarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he platicado |
| tú | has platicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha platicado |
| nosotros/as | hemos platicado |
| vosotros/as | habéis platicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han platicado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había platicado |
| tú | habías platicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había platicado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos platicado |
| vosotros/as | habíais platicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían platicado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré platicado |
| tú | habrás platicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá platicado |
| nosotros/as | habremos platicado |
| vosotros/as | habréis platicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán platicado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría platicado |
| tú | habrías platicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría platicado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos platicado |
| vosotros/as | habríais platicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían platicado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | platique |
| tú | platiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | platique |
| nosotros/as | platiquemos |
| vosotros/as | platiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | platiquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | platicara |
| tú | platicaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | platicara |
| nosotros/as | platicáramos |
| vosotros/as | platicarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | platicaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | platica |
| él/ella/Ud. | platique |
| nosotros/as | platiquemos |
| vosotros/as | platicad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | platiquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | platiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | platique |
| nosotros/as | platiquemos |
| vosotros/as | platiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | platiquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | platicando | with estar for the progressive: estoy platicando |
| Past participle | platicado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he platicado |
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 platicar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Toda la tarde, yo platico — "All afternoon, I chat". 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 platicar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo platiqué de todo — "I chated about everything". 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. Spelling change in the preterite: the yo form is platiqué (c → qu before e), so the sound of the stem stays the same.
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 platicar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo platicaba con sus amigos — "I used to chat with his friends". 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 platicar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Toda la tarde, yo platicaré — "All afternoon, I will chat". 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 platicar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo platicaría de todo — "I would chat about everything". 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 platicar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he platicado con sus amigos — "I have chated with his friends". 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 platicar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Toda la tarde, yo había platicado — "All afternoon, I had chated". 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 platicar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré platicado de todo — "I will have chated about everything". 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 platicar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría platicado con sus amigos — "I would have chated with his friends". 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 platicar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él platique toda la tarde — "I hope he chats all afternoon". 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. The subjunctive keeps the spelling change: platique, platiques, platique all show c → qu before e, just like the preterite yo form.
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 platicar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo platicara de todo, todo cambiaría — "If I chated about everything, 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 platicar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Platique con sus amigos — "Let him chat with his friends". 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 platicar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No platiques toda la tarde — "Don't chat all afternoon". 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 platicar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo platico de todo — "I chat about everything"
- Él platica con sus amigos — "He chats with his friends"
- Toda la tarde, yo platiqué — "All afternoon, I chated"
- Yo platicaba de todo — "I used to chat about everything"
- Tú platicarás con sus amigos — "You will chat with his friends"
- Toda la tarde, yo platicaría — "All afternoon, I would chat"
- Él ha platicado de todo — "He has chated about everything"
- Espero que él platique con sus amigos — "I hope he chats with his friends"
- Toda la tarde, yo había platicado — "All afternoon, I had chated"
- Ellos platicaban de todo — "They used to chat about everything"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos platica con sus amigos — Right: Ellos platican con sus amigos — Ellos needs the ellos form platican. The singular platica belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo platico — Right: Ayer, yo platiqué — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to platiqué, with the spelling change c → qu before e.
- Wrong: De niño, yo platiqué todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo platicaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (platicaba), not the preterite. The preterite (platiqué) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy platicado toda la tarde. — Right: Yo he platicado toda la tarde. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he platicado, has platicado, ha platicado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él platica con sus amigos. — Right: Espero que él platique con sus amigos. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: platique. The indicative platica is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on platicar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con sus amigos. (present tense) A. platicara B. platico C. platica D. platiques
Complete the sentence: Él ___ con sus amigos. (preterite) A. habías platicado B. han platicado C. platicábamos D. platicó
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con sus amigos. (imperfect) A. platicara B. platicábamos C. platicarías D. habríais platicado
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ con sus amigos. (future) A. platicarás B. platiques C. platicó D. platique
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con sus amigos. (conditional) A. platicarás B. platicaríais C. platicarán D. platicaría
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con sus amigos. (present subjunctive) A. platique B. platicaran C. hemos platicado D. platicaras
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ con sus amigos, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. platicó B. platicara C. platicaríais D. platicasteis
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con sus amigos. (present perfect) A. hemos platicado B. platiquen C. habríamos platicado D. platica
Complete the command: No ___ con sus amigos. (negative imperative, tú) A. platique B. platiquen C. platiques D. platiquéis
Which is the gerund of platicar, used with estar for the progressive? A. platico B. platiqué C. platicaba D. platicando
Answer key
- platico — The yo present tense of platicar is platico.
- platicó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of platicar is platicó.
- platicábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of platicar is platicábamos.
- platicarás — The tú future of platicar is platicarás.
- platicaría — The yo conditional of platicar is platicaría.
- platique — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of platicar is platique.
- platicara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of platicar is platicara.
- hemos platicado — The nosotros/as present perfect of platicar is hemos platicado.
- platiques — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: platiques.
- platicando — The gerund of platicar is platicando: estoy platicando. The participle platicado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does platicar mean in English?
Platicar means to chat. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo platico con sus amigos. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is platicar regular?
Mostly. Platicar follows the regular -ar endings, but it has a spelling change (c → qu before e). The tables on this page show every form, so you can see exactly where the spelling changes.
What is the gerund and the past participle of platicar?
The gerund is platicando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy platicando. The past participle is platicado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he platicado.
How do I say “I chat” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Toda la tarde, yo platiqué. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo platicaba de todo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he platicado con sus amigos.
How do I practise platicar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the platicar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Platicar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for platicar.
- Platicar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for platicar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Quejarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with platicar.
- Quitar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with platicar.
- Quitarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with platicar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.