Practicar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb practicar means to practise, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Practicar means to practise, and it is used for practising Spanish every day, practising the piano, practising sport and practising yoga. It is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is practiqué. Like every Spanish verb, practicar 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 practico español todos los días, and in the preterite you say practiqué deporte en el gimnasio. 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: practicar
- English: to practise
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: practicando
- Past participle: practicado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + practicado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for practicar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is practiqué and the subjunctive is practique.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for practicar. 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 | practico |
| tú | practicas |
| él/ella/Ud. | practica |
| nosotros/as | practicamos |
| vosotros/as | practicáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | practican |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | practiqué |
| tú | practicaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | practicó |
| nosotros/as | practicamos |
| vosotros/as | practicasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | practicaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | practicaba |
| tú | practicabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | practicaba |
| nosotros/as | practicábamos |
| vosotros/as | practicabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | practicaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | practicaré |
| tú | practicarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | practicará |
| nosotros/as | practicaremos |
| vosotros/as | practicaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | practicarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | practicaría |
| tú | practicarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | practicaría |
| nosotros/as | practicaríamos |
| vosotros/as | practicaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | practicarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he practicado |
| tú | has practicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha practicado |
| nosotros/as | hemos practicado |
| vosotros/as | habéis practicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han practicado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había practicado |
| tú | habías practicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había practicado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos practicado |
| vosotros/as | habíais practicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían practicado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré practicado |
| tú | habrás practicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá practicado |
| nosotros/as | habremos practicado |
| vosotros/as | habréis practicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán practicado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría practicado |
| tú | habrías practicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría practicado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos practicado |
| vosotros/as | habríais practicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían practicado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | practique |
| tú | practiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | practique |
| nosotros/as | practiquemos |
| vosotros/as | practiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | practiquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | practicara |
| tú | practicaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | practicara |
| nosotros/as | practicáramos |
| vosotros/as | practicarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | practicaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | practica |
| él/ella/Ud. | practique |
| nosotros/as | practiquemos |
| vosotros/as | practicad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | practiquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | practiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | practique |
| nosotros/as | practiquemos |
| vosotros/as | practiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | practiquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | practicando | with estar for the progressive: estoy practicando |
| Past participle | practicado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he practicado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For practicar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Practico español todos los días. 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. Note the spelling change in the first person: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is practiqué. For practicar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, practiqué el piano por las tardes. 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 practicar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, practicaba deporte en el gimnasio. 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 practicar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, practicaré yoga en casa por la mañana. 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 practicar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Practicaría español todos los días 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 practicar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he practicado el piano por las tardes. 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 practicar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había practicado deporte en el gimnasio 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 practicar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré practicado yoga en casa por la mañana. 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 practicar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría practicado español todos los días 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For practicar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él practique el piano por las tardes. 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 practicar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él practicara deporte en el gimnasio, 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For practicar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Practica yoga en casa por la mañana! 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For practicar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No practiques español todos los días. 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 practicar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Practico español todos los días. — I practise Spanish every day.
- Practica el piano por las tardes. — He/she practises the piano in the afternoons.
- Ayer, practiqué deporte en el gimnasio. — Yesterday, I practised sport at the gym.
- Antes, nosotros practicábamos yoga en casa por la mañana. — Before, we used to practise yoga at home in the morning.
- Mañana, tú practicarás español todos los días. — Tomorrow, you will practise Spanish every day.
- Yo practicaría el piano por las tardes si tuviera más tiempo. — I would practise the piano in the afternoons if I had more time.
- Él ha practicado deporte en el gimnasio. — He has practised sport at the gym.
- Espero que él practique yoga en casa por la mañana. — I hope he practises yoga at home in the morning.
- Yo ya había practicado español todos los días antes de salir. — I had already practised Spanish every day before leaving.
- Ellos practicaban el piano por las tardes cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to practise the piano in the afternoons when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo practica español todos los días. — Right: Yo practico español todos los días. — The person matters: practica is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is practico. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo practicé el piano por las tardes. — Right: Yo practiqué el piano por las tardes. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is practiqué, not practicé. practicar is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
- Wrong: Treating practicar and entrenar as identical in every context. — Right: Practicar means to practise, while entrenar means to train, the sport partner. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: practicar fits sentences such as Practico español todos los días, while entrenar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy practicado el piano por las tardes. — Right: Yo he practicado el piano por las tardes. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he practicado, has practicado, ha practicado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo practiqué deporte en el gimnasio todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo practicaba deporte en el gimnasio todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (practicaba), not the preterite. The preterite (practiqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on practicar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ español todos los días. (present tense) A. practico B. practicas C. practica D. practicamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el piano por las tardes. (preterite) A. practiqué B. practicaste C. practicaron D. practicó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ deporte en el gimnasio. (imperfect) A. practicabas B. practicaban C. practicábamos D. practicaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ yoga en casa por la mañana. (future) A. practicaremos B. practicarás C. practicaré D. practicará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ español todos los días si pudiera. (conditional) A. practicaría B. practicarías C. practicarían D. practico
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el piano por las tardes. (present subjunctive) A. practiques B. practiquemos C. practico D. practique
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ deporte en el gimnasio, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. practicáramos B. practico C. practicara D. practicaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ yoga en casa por la mañana. (present perfect) A. han practicado B. hemos practicado C. he practicado D. has practicado
Complete the command: ¡___ español todos los días! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. practica B. practique C. practiquemos D. practicad
Which is the gerund of practicar, used with estar for the progressive? A. practicado B. practico C. practiqué D. practicando
Answer key
- practico — The first-person present of practicar is practico. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- practicó — The third-person preterite of practicar is practicó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- practicábamos — The nosotros imperfect of practicar is practicábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- practicarás — The second-person future of practicar is practicarás.
- practicaría — The first-person conditional of practicar is practicaría, the form for what would happen.
- practique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of practicar is practique.
- practicara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of practicar is practicara.
- hemos practicado — The nosotros present perfect of practicar is hemos practicado: hemos + practicado.
- practica — The affirmative tú imperative of practicar is practica.
- practicando — The gerund of practicar is practicando: estoy practicando. The participle practicado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does practicar mean in English?
Practicar means to practise. It is used in everyday situations such as Practico español todos los días. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is practicar regular or irregular?
Practicar 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 practico in the present and practiqué in the preterite.
What is the difference between practicar and entrenar?
Practicar means to practise, while entrenar means to train, the sport partner. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use practicar when you mean to practise, as in Practico español todos los días, and use entrenar for to train, the sport partner. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I practise” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo practiqué el piano por las tardes. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo practicaba deporte en el gimnasio. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he practicado el piano por las tardes.
How do I practise practicar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the practicar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Practicar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for practicar.
- Practicar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for practicar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Criticar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with practicar.
- Fabricar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with practicar.
- Comunicar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with practicar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.