Preservar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb preservar means to preserve, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Preservar means to preserve, and it is used for nature, traditions, food and health: preservar el medio ambiente, preservar las costumbres. It is a formal verb, common in news and essays, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, preservar 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 preservo el medio ambiente, and in the preterite you say preservé la comida en la nevera. 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: preservar
- English: to preserve
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: preservando
- Past participle: preservado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + preservado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for preservar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Preservar is fully regular: preservé, preservaba, preservaré.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for preservar. 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 | preservo |
| tú | preservas |
| él/ella/Ud. | preserva |
| nosotros/as | preservamos |
| vosotros/as | preserváis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | preservan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | preservé |
| tú | preservaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | preservó |
| nosotros/as | preservamos |
| vosotros/as | preservasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | preservaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | preservaba |
| tú | preservabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | preservaba |
| nosotros/as | preservábamos |
| vosotros/as | preservabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | preservaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | preservaré |
| tú | preservarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | preservará |
| nosotros/as | preservaremos |
| vosotros/as | preservaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | preservarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | preservaría |
| tú | preservarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | preservaría |
| nosotros/as | preservaríamos |
| vosotros/as | preservaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | preservarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he preservado |
| tú | has preservado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha preservado |
| nosotros/as | hemos preservado |
| vosotros/as | habéis preservado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han preservado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había preservado |
| tú | habías preservado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había preservado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos preservado |
| vosotros/as | habíais preservado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían preservado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré preservado |
| tú | habrás preservado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá preservado |
| nosotros/as | habremos preservado |
| vosotros/as | habréis preservado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán preservado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría preservado |
| tú | habrías preservado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría preservado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos preservado |
| vosotros/as | habríais preservado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían preservado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | preserve |
| tú | preserves |
| él/ella/Ud. | preserve |
| nosotros/as | preservemos |
| vosotros/as | preservéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | preserven |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | preservara |
| tú | preservaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | preservara |
| nosotros/as | preserváramos |
| vosotros/as | preservarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | preservaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | preserva |
| él/ella/Ud. | preserve |
| nosotros/as | preservemos |
| vosotros/as | preservad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | preserven |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | preserves |
| él/ella/Ud. | preserve |
| nosotros/as | preservemos |
| vosotros/as | preservéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | preserven |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | preservando | with estar for the progressive: estoy preservando |
| Past participle | preservado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he preservado |
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 preservar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Preservo el medio ambiente. 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 preservar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, preservé las costumbres del pueblo. 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 preservar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, preservaba la comida en la nevera. 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 preservar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, preservaré la salud con ejercicio. 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 preservar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Preservaría el medio ambiente 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 preservar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he preservado las costumbres del pueblo. 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 preservar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había preservado la comida en la nevera 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 preservar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré preservado la salud con ejercicio. 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 preservar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría preservado el medio ambiente 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 preservar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él preserve las costumbres del pueblo. 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 preservar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él preservara la comida en la nevera, 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 preservar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Preserva la salud con ejercicio! 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 preservar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No preserves el medio ambiente. 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 preservar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Preservo el medio ambiente. — I preserve the environment.
- Preserva las costumbres del pueblo. — He/she preserves the village traditions.
- Ayer, preservé la comida en la nevera. — Yesterday, I preserved food in the fridge.
- Antes, nosotros preservábamos la salud con ejercicio. — Before, we used to preserve health with exercise.
- Mañana, tú preservarás el medio ambiente. — Tomorrow, you will preserve the environment.
- Yo preservaría las costumbres del pueblo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would preserve the village traditions if I had more time.
- Él ha preservado la comida en la nevera. — He has preserved food in the fridge.
- Espero que él preserve la salud con ejercicio. — I hope he preserves health with exercise.
- Yo ya había preservado el medio ambiente antes de salir. — I had already preserved the environment before leaving.
- Ellos preservaban las costumbres del pueblo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to preserve the village traditions when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo preserva el medio ambiente. — Right: Yo preservo el medio ambiente. — The person matters: preserva is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is preservo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo preservo las costumbres del pueblo. — Right: Ayer yo preservé las costumbres del pueblo. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: preservo is happening now, while preservé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating preservar and conservar as identical in every context. — Right: Preservar means to preserve, while conservar means to conserve, to keep. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: preservar fits sentences such as Preservo el medio ambiente, while conservar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy preservado las costumbres del pueblo. — Right: Yo he preservado las costumbres del pueblo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he preservado, has preservado, ha preservado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo preservé la comida en la nevera todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo preservaba la comida en la nevera todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (preservaba), not the preterite. The preterite (preservé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on preservar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el medio ambiente. (present tense) A. preservo B. preservas C. preserva D. preservamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ las costumbres del pueblo. (preterite) A. preservé B. preservaste C. preservamos D. preservó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la comida en la nevera. (imperfect) A. preservabas B. preservo C. preservábamos D. preservaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la salud con ejercicio. (future) A. preservaremos B. preservarás C. preservaré D. preservará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el medio ambiente si pudiera. (conditional) A. preservaría B. preservarías C. preservaríamos D. preservo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ las costumbres del pueblo. (present subjunctive) A. preserves B. preservemos C. preservo D. preserve
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la comida en la nevera, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. preserváramos B. preservo C. preservara D. preservaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la salud con ejercicio. (present perfect) A. ha preservado B. hemos preservado C. he preservado D. has preservado
Complete the command: ¡___ el medio ambiente! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. preserva B. preserve C. preservemos D. preservad
Which is the gerund of preservar, used with estar for the progressive? A. preservado B. preservo C. preservé D. preservando
Answer key
- preservo — The yo present tense of preservar is preservo.
- preservó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of preservar is preservó.
- preservábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of preservar is preservábamos.
- preservarás — The tú future of preservar is preservarás.
- preservaría — The yo conditional of preservar is preservaría.
- preserve — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of preservar is preserve.
- preservara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of preservar is preservara.
- hemos preservado — The nosotros/as present perfect of preservar is hemos preservado.
- preserva — The affirmative tú imperative of preservar is preserva.
- preservando — The gerund of preservar is preservando: estoy preservando. The participle preservado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does preservar mean in English?
Preservar means to preserve. It is used in everyday situations such as Preservo el medio ambiente. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is preservar regular or irregular?
Preservar 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 preservo in the present and preservé in the preterite.
What is the difference between preservar and conservar?
Preservar means to preserve, while conservar means to conserve, to keep. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use preservar when you mean to preserve, as in Preservo el medio ambiente, and use conservar for to conserve, to keep. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I preserve” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo preservé las costumbres del pueblo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo preservaba la comida en la nevera. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he preservado las costumbres del pueblo.
How do I practise preservar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the preservar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Preservar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for preservar.
- Preservar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for preservar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Presionar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with preservar.
- Precisar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with preservar.
- Irritar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with preservar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.