Probar Conjugation in Spanish
probar means "to try, to taste" 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 trying and tasting — food, clothes, new things and new ideas, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of probar 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. Probar is a stem-changing (o → ue) -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 pruebo la comida antes de servirla. — "I taste the food before serving it.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: probar
- English: to try, to taste
- Verb type: Stem-changing (o → ue) -ar verb
- Gerund: probando
- Past participle: probado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + probado)
- Stem change: o → ue in the present, the present subjunctive and related forms (see the notes below).
Full conjugation table
Every tense of probar with all six persons. The gerund is probando and the past participle is probado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pruebo |
| tú | pruebas |
| él/ella/Ud. | prueba |
| nosotros/as | probamos |
| vosotros/as | probáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prueban |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | probé |
| tú | probaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | probó |
| nosotros/as | probamos |
| vosotros/as | probasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | probaron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | probaba |
| tú | probabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | probaba |
| nosotros/as | probábamos |
| vosotros/as | probabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | probaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | probaré |
| tú | probarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | probará |
| nosotros/as | probaremos |
| vosotros/as | probaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | probarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | probaría |
| tú | probarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | probaría |
| nosotros/as | probaríamos |
| vosotros/as | probaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | probarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he probado |
| tú | has probado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha probado |
| nosotros/as | hemos probado |
| vosotros/as | habéis probado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han probado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había probado |
| tú | habías probado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había probado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos probado |
| vosotros/as | habíais probado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían probado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré probado |
| tú | habrás probado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá probado |
| nosotros/as | habremos probado |
| vosotros/as | habréis probado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán probado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría probado |
| tú | habrías probado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría probado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos probado |
| vosotros/as | habríais probado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían probado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pruebe |
| tú | pruebes |
| él/ella/Ud. | pruebe |
| nosotros/as | probemos |
| vosotros/as | probéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prueben |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | probara |
| tú | probaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | probara |
| nosotros/as | probáramos |
| vosotros/as | probarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | probaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | prueba |
| él/ella/Ud. | pruebe |
| nosotros/as | probemos |
| vosotros/as | probad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prueben |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | pruebes |
| él/ella/Ud. | pruebe |
| nosotros/as | probemos |
| vosotros/as | probéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prueben |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | probando |
| Past participle | probado |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with probar, 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.
probar is irregular in this tense, so memorise the forms in the table above instead of applying the regular endings.
Example: Yo pruebo la comida.
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.
Stem change o → ue applies in this tense — the stem vowel changes in the forms shown above, while nosotros and vosotros usually keep the regular stem.
Example: Ayer yo probé la comida.
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 probaba la comida.
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 probaré la comida.
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 probaría la comida 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 probado la comida.
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 probado la comida 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 probado la comida.
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 probado la comida 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.
probar is irregular in this tense, so memorise the forms in the table above instead of applying the regular endings.
Example: Espero que él pruebe la comida.
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.
Stem change o → ue applies in this tense — the stem vowel changes in the forms shown above, while nosotros and vosotros usually keep the regular stem.
Example: Si él probara la comida, 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.
probar is irregular in this tense, so memorise the forms in the table above instead of applying the regular endings.
Example: ¡Prueba la comida!
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.
probar is irregular in this tense, so memorise the forms in the table above instead of applying the regular endings.
Example: No pruebes la comida.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with probar, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo pruebo la comida antes de servirla. — "I taste the food before serving it."
- ¿Tú pruebas la comida de este restaurante? — "Have you tried the food at this restaurant?"
- Ayer probé la comida típica del pueblo. — "Yesterday I tried the typical food of the village."
- Ella probaba la comida de cada puesto. — "She used to taste the food at every stall."
- Mañana probaré la comida nueva del menú. — "Tomorrow I will try the new food on the menu."
- Yo probaría la comida si tuviera hambre. — "I would taste the food if I were hungry."
- Ya he probado la comida de aquí. — "I have already tried the food here."
- Espero que pruebe la comida. — "I hope he tries the food."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with probar — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo probo la comida. → Right: Yo pruebo la comida.. Probar is stem-changing (o → ue): pruebo, pruebas, prueba, prueban — never probo. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the o: probamos, probáis.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú probas la comida. → Right: Espero que tú pruebes la comida.. After espero que, use the subjunctive pruebes, which keeps the ue stem change: pruebe, pruebes, pruebe. The indicative pruebas is wrong after espero que.
- Wrong: *Probé la comida — learners often write probe without the accent. → Right: Yo probé la comida.. The preterite yo form is probé, with an accent on the final e. The preterite is otherwise regular for probar: probaste, probó, probamos.
- Wrong: *Intento la comida antes de servirla. → Right: Yo pruebo la comida antes de servirla.. For tasting food, use probar, not intentar. Intentar means to attempt something difficult (intentar aprobar un examen); probar means to try something out, including tasting food or trying on clothes.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on probar. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of probar in the present indicative?
- a) prueba
- b) pruebas
- c) probamos
- d) pruebo
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of probar in the preterite (past)?
- a) probó
- b) probamos
- c) probé
- d) probaste
What is the nosotros/as form of probar in the imperfect (past)?
- a) probaba
- b) probaba
- c) probábamos
- d) probabas
What is the tú form of probar in the future?
- a) probarás
- b) probará
- c) probaremos
- d) probaré
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of probar in the conditional?
- a) probarían
- b) probaría
- c) probarías
- d) probaría
What is the yo form of probar in the present subjunctive?
- a) pruebe
- b) pruebe
- c) probemos
- d) pruebes
What is the gerund of probar?
- a) probando
- b) prueba
- c) probar
- d) probado
What is the past participle of probar?
- a) probado
- b) he probado
- c) pruebo
- d) probando
What does probar mean in English?
- a) to get worse
- b) to relax
- c) to try, to taste
- d) to smile
The form probé belongs to which tense?
- a) Preterite
- b) Imperfect
- c) Present
- d) Future
Answer key
- pruebo — The yo form in the present indicative is pruebo — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- probó — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is probó — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- probábamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is probábamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- probarás — The tú form in the future is probarás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- probarían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is probarían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- pruebe — The yo form in the present subjunctive is pruebe — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- probando — The gerund is probando — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy probando). The past participle is probado.
- probado — The past participle is probado — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he probado).
- to try, to taste — probar means "to try, to taste".
- Preterite — probé is the yo form of the preterite of probar — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is probaba.
Frequently asked questions
Is probar regular?
No. Probar is a stem-changing verb (o → ue): pruebo, pruebas, prueba, probamos, probáis, prueban. The preterite (probé, probaste, probó) is regular, and so is the participle probado. Only the present and the present subjunctive change the stem.
What is the difference between probar and intentar?
Probar means to try something out — to taste food, to try on clothes, to test a method. Intentar means to attempt something, to make an effort: Intenté aprobar el examen. For food and clothes, always use probar.
How do you say "to try on clothes" in Spanish?
Probarse ropa — the reflexive form: Me pruebo el vestido means "I try on the dress". Without the pronoun, probar la ropa means to taste or test it, which sounds odd for clothes.
Does probar take a preposition?
No. Probar takes a direct object: probar la comida, probar un coche. With the reflexive form for clothes, use probarse + the item: Me pruebo los zapatos.
Related pages
- Probar in the present tense — the present tense of probar in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Probar examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with probar and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where probar sits among the irregular verbs, grouped by pattern.
- Oler conjugation — another verb in the same family as probar.
- Comer conjugation — another verb in the same family as probar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise probar with this tool.
- Stem Change Finder — practise probar with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.