Presidir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb presidir means to preside over, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Presidir means to preside over or to chair, and it is used for meetings, ceremonies and organisations: presidir la reunión, presidir el jurado. It is a formal, regular -ir verb. Like every Spanish verb, presidir 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 presido la reunión del lunes, and in the preterite you say presidí la ceremonia de entrega. 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: presidir
- English: to preside over
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: presidiendo
- Past participle: presidido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + presidido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for presidir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Presidir is regular: presidí, presidía, presidiré.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for presidir. 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 | presido |
| tú | presides |
| él/ella/Ud. | preside |
| nosotros/as | presidimos |
| vosotros/as | presidís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presiden |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presidí |
| tú | presidiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | presidió |
| nosotros/as | presidimos |
| vosotros/as | presidisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presidieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presidía |
| tú | presidías |
| él/ella/Ud. | presidía |
| nosotros/as | presidíamos |
| vosotros/as | presidíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presidían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presidiré |
| tú | presidirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | presidirá |
| nosotros/as | presidiremos |
| vosotros/as | presidiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presidirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presidiría |
| tú | presidirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | presidiría |
| nosotros/as | presidiríamos |
| vosotros/as | presidiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presidirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he presidido |
| tú | has presidido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha presidido |
| nosotros/as | hemos presidido |
| vosotros/as | habéis presidido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han presidido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había presidido |
| tú | habías presidido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había presidido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos presidido |
| vosotros/as | habíais presidido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían presidido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré presidido |
| tú | habrás presidido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá presidido |
| nosotros/as | habremos presidido |
| vosotros/as | habréis presidido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán presidido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría presidido |
| tú | habrías presidido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría presidido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos presidido |
| vosotros/as | habríais presidido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían presidido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presida |
| tú | presidas |
| él/ella/Ud. | presida |
| nosotros/as | presidamos |
| vosotros/as | presidáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presidan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presidiera |
| tú | presidieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | presidiera |
| nosotros/as | presidiéramos |
| vosotros/as | presidierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presidieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | preside |
| él/ella/Ud. | presida |
| nosotros/as | presidamos |
| vosotros/as | presidid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presidan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | presidas |
| él/ella/Ud. | presida |
| nosotros/as | presidamos |
| vosotros/as | presidáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presidan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | presidiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy presidiendo |
| Past participle | presidido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he presidido |
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 presidir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Presido la reunión del lunes. 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 presidir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, presidí el jurado del concurso. 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 presidir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, presidía la ceremonia de entrega. 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 presidir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, presidiré la mesa de debate. 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 presidir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Presidiría la reunión del lunes 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 presidir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he presidido el jurado del concurso. 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 presidir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había presidido la ceremonia de entrega 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 presidir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré presidido la mesa de debate. 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 presidir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría presidido la reunión del lunes 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 presidir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él presida el jurado del concurso. 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 presidir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él presidiera la ceremonia de entrega, 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 presidir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Preside la mesa de debate! 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 presidir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No presidas la reunión del lunes. 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 presidir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Presido la reunión del lunes. — I preside Monday's meeting.
- Preside el jurado del concurso. — He/she presides the competition jury.
- Ayer, presidí la ceremonia de entrega. — Yesterday, I presided the awards ceremony.
- Antes, nosotros presidíamos la mesa de debate. — Before, we used to preside the debate table.
- Mañana, tú presidirás la reunión del lunes. — Tomorrow, you will preside Monday's meeting.
- Yo presidiría el jurado del concurso si tuviera más tiempo. — I would preside the competition jury if I had more time.
- Él ha presidido la ceremonia de entrega. — He has presided the awards ceremony.
- Espero que él presida la mesa de debate. — I hope he presides the debate table.
- Yo ya había presidido la reunión del lunes antes de salir. — I had already presided Monday's meeting before leaving.
- Ellos presidían el jurado del concurso cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to preside the competition jury when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo preside la reunión del lunes. — Right: Yo presido la reunión del lunes. — The person matters: preside is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is presido. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo presido el jurado del concurso. — Right: Ayer yo presidí el jurado del concurso. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: presido is happening now, while presidí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating presidir and dirigir as identical in every context. — Right: Presidir means to preside over, while dirigir means to direct, to lead. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: presidir fits sentences such as Presido la reunión del lunes, while dirigir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy presidido el jurado del concurso. — Right: Yo he presidido el jurado del concurso. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he presidido, has presidido, ha presidido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo presidí la ceremonia de entrega todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo presidía la ceremonia de entrega todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (presidía), not the preterite. The preterite (presidí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on presidir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la reunión del lunes. (present tense) A. presido B. presides C. preside D. presidimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el jurado del concurso. (preterite) A. presidí B. presidiste C. presidimos D. presidió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la ceremonia de entrega. (imperfect) A. presidías B. presido C. presidíamos D. presidía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la mesa de debate. (future) A. presidiremos B. presidirás C. presidiré D. presidirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la reunión del lunes si pudiera. (conditional) A. presidiría B. presidirías C. presidiríamos D. presido
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el jurado del concurso. (present subjunctive) A. presidas B. presidamos C. presido D. presida
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la ceremonia de entrega, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. presidiéramos B. presido C. presidiera D. presidieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la mesa de debate. (present perfect) A. ha presidido B. hemos presidido C. he presidido D. has presidido
Complete the command: ¡___ la reunión del lunes! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. preside B. presida C. presidamos D. presidid
Which is the gerund of presidir, used with estar for the progressive? A. presidido B. presido C. presidí D. presidiendo
Answer key
- presido — The yo present tense of presidir is presido.
- presidió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of presidir is presidió.
- presidíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of presidir is presidíamos.
- presidirás — The tú future of presidir is presidirás.
- presidiría — The yo conditional of presidir is presidiría.
- presida — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of presidir is presida.
- presidiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of presidir is presidiera.
- hemos presidido — The nosotros/as present perfect of presidir is hemos presidido.
- preside — The affirmative tú imperative of presidir is preside.
- presidiendo — The gerund of presidir is presidiendo: estoy presidiendo. The participle presidido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does presidir mean in English?
Presidir means to preside over. It is used in everyday situations such as Presido la reunión del lunes. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is presidir regular or irregular?
Presidir is a fully regular -ir 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 presido in the present and presidí in the preterite.
What is the difference between presidir and dirigir?
Presidir means to preside over, while dirigir means to direct, to lead. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use presidir when you mean to preside over, as in Presido la reunión del lunes, and use dirigir for to direct, to lead. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I preside over” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo presidí el jurado del concurso. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo presidía la ceremonia de entrega. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he presidido el jurado del concurso.
How do I practise presidir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the presidir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Presidir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for presidir.
- Presidir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for presidir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Proseguir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with presidir.
- Afligir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with presidir.
- Asistir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with presidir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.