Prestar Conjugation in Spanish
prestar means "to lend" 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 lending — money, books, a car, clothes or anything you hand over for a while, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of prestar 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. Prestar is a regular -ar 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: Yo presto mi coche a Juan los fines de semana. — "I lend my car to Juan on weekends.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: prestar
- English: to lend
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Gerund: prestando
- Past participle: prestado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + prestado)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of prestar with all six persons. The gerund is prestando and the past participle is prestado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presto |
| tú | prestas |
| él/ella/Ud. | presta |
| nosotros/as | prestamos |
| vosotros/as | prestáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prestan |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presté |
| tú | prestaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | prestó |
| nosotros/as | prestamos |
| vosotros/as | prestasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prestaron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prestaba |
| tú | prestabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | prestaba |
| nosotros/as | prestábamos |
| vosotros/as | prestabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prestaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prestaré |
| tú | prestarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | prestará |
| nosotros/as | prestaremos |
| vosotros/as | prestaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prestarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prestaría |
| tú | prestarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | prestaría |
| nosotros/as | prestaríamos |
| vosotros/as | prestaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prestarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he prestado |
| tú | has prestado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha prestado |
| nosotros/as | hemos prestado |
| vosotros/as | habéis prestado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han prestado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había prestado |
| tú | habías prestado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había prestado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos prestado |
| vosotros/as | habíais prestado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían prestado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré prestado |
| tú | habrás prestado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá prestado |
| nosotros/as | habremos prestado |
| vosotros/as | habréis prestado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán prestado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría prestado |
| tú | habrías prestado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría prestado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos prestado |
| vosotros/as | habríais prestado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían prestado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | preste |
| tú | prestes |
| él/ella/Ud. | preste |
| nosotros/as | prestemos |
| vosotros/as | prestéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prestara |
| tú | prestaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | prestara |
| nosotros/as | prestáramos |
| vosotros/as | prestarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prestaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | presta |
| él/ella/Ud. | preste |
| nosotros/as | prestemos |
| vosotros/as | prestad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | prestes |
| él/ella/Ud. | preste |
| nosotros/as | prestemos |
| vosotros/as | prestéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | prestando |
| Past participle | prestado |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with prestar, 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 presto mi coche a Juan.
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 presté mi coche a Juan.
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 prestaba mi coche a Juan.
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 prestaré mi coche a Juan.
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 prestaría mi coche a Juan 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 prestado mi coche a Juan.
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 prestado mi coche a Juan 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 prestado mi coche a Juan.
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 prestado mi coche a Juan 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 preste mi coche a Juan.
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 prestara mi coche a Juan, 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: ¡Presta mi coche a Juan!
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 prestes mi coche a Juan.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with prestar, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo presto mi coche a Juan los fines de semana. — "I lend my car to Juan on weekends."
- ¿Tú prestas mi coche a Juan? — "Will you lend my car to Juan?"
- Ayer presté mi coche a Juan para el viaje. — "Yesterday I lent my car to Juan for the trip."
- Ella prestaba mi coche a Juan cada mes. — "She used to lend my car to Juan every month."
- Mañana prestaré mi coche a Juan otra vez. — "Tomorrow I will lend my car to Juan again."
- Yo prestaría mi coche a Juan si me lo pidiera. — "I would lend my car to Juan if he asked me."
- Ya he prestado mi coche a Juan dos veces. — "I have already lent my car to Juan twice."
- Espero que preste mi coche a Juan. — "I hope he lends my car to Juan."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with prestar — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo presté mi coche a Juan — learners often write preste without the accent. → Right: Yo presté mi coche a Juan.. The preterite yo form is presté, with an accent on the final e. Prestar is regular, so the accent is the only spelling point.
- Wrong: *¿Me prestas mi coche? — the classic confusion: prestar means to lend, not to borrow. → Right: ¿Me prestas mi coche a Juan?. Prestar means to lend (to give), while pedir prestado means to borrow (to take). If you want to borrow, say ¿Me prestas tu coche? — you are asking the other person to lend.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú prestas mi coche a Juan. → Right: Espero que tú prestes mi coche a Juan.. After espero que, use the subjunctive prestes, not the indicative prestas.
- Wrong: *Yo he prestado mi coche a Juan — learners sometimes write he presto instead of the participle. → Right: Yo he prestado mi coche a Juan.. The perfect tenses use the participle prestado after haber: he prestado, not he presto.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on prestar. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of prestar in the present indicative?
- a) prestas
- b) presta
- c) prestamos
- d) presto
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of prestar in the preterite (past)?
- a) prestó
- b) prestamos
- c) prestaste
- d) presté
What is the nosotros/as form of prestar in the imperfect (past)?
- a) prestaba
- b) prestábamos
- c) prestaba
- d) prestabas
What is the tú form of prestar in the future?
- a) prestarás
- b) prestaremos
- c) prestaré
- d) prestará
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of prestar in the conditional?
- a) prestaría
- b) prestarían
- c) prestaría
- d) prestarías
What is the yo form of prestar in the present subjunctive?
- a) preste
- b) prestemos
- c) preste
- d) prestes
What is the gerund of prestar?
- a) presta
- b) prestando
- c) prestado
- d) prestar
What is the past participle of prestar?
- a) he prestado
- b) presto
- c) prestando
- d) prestado
What does prestar mean in English?
- a) to get tired
- b) to get sick
- c) to lend
- d) to lie
The form presté belongs to which tense?
- a) Present
- b) Future
- c) Imperfect
- d) Preterite
Answer key
- presto — The yo form in the present indicative is presto — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prestó — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is prestó — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prestábamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is prestábamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prestarás — The tú form in the future is prestarás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prestarían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is prestarían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- preste — The yo form in the present subjunctive is preste — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prestando — The gerund is prestando — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy prestando). The past participle is prestado.
- prestado — The past participle is prestado — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he prestado).
- to lend — prestar means "to lend".
- Preterite — presté is the yo form of the preterite of prestar — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is prestaba.
Frequently asked questions
Is prestar regular?
Yes, prestar is a completely regular -ar verb: presto, prestas, presta, prestamos, prestáis, prestan. The preterite is presté, prestaste, prestó, and the participle is prestado.
Does prestar mean to lend or to borrow?
To lend. Te presto mi coche means "I lend you my car". To borrow, say pedir prestado: Le pedí prestado el coche a Juan (I borrowed the car from Juan). English speakers often mix these up, so learn the pair together.
What is the difference between prestar and dejar?
Prestar means to lend something that will be returned (prestar un libro), while dejar can mean to lend casually (te dejo mi coche) or to leave something behind. Prestar is more precise for lending; dejar is more general.
How do you say "Can you lend me your pen?" in Spanish?
¿Me prestas tu bolígrafo? — literally "Do you lend me your pen?". The answer is often Claro, toma (Of course, here you are).
Related pages
- Prestar in the present tense — the present tense of prestar in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Prestar examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with prestar and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Regalar conjugation — another verb in the same family as prestar.
- Dar conjugation — another verb in the same family as prestar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise prestar with this tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise prestar with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.