Proceder Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb proceder means to proceed, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Proceder means to proceed, and it is used for continuing with a plan, a trial or a process: proceder con la reunión, proceder a la votación. It is also used for origin: proceder de España means to come from Spain. It is a formal, regular -er verb. Like every Spanish verb, proceder 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 procedo con la reunión sin más retraso, and in the preterite you say procedí de una familia humilde. 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: proceder
  • English: to proceed
  • Verb type: regular -er verb
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: procediendo
  • Past participle: procedido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + procedido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for proceder, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Proceder de is to come from: procedo de España. Proceder a is to move on to the next step.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for proceder. 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 procedo
tú procedes
él/ella/Ud. procede
nosotros/as procedemos
vosotros/as procedéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. proceden

Preterite

Person Form
yo procedí
tú procediste
él/ella/Ud. procedió
nosotros/as procedimos
vosotros/as procedisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. procedieron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo procedía
tú procedías
él/ella/Ud. procedía
nosotros/as procedíamos
vosotros/as procedíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. procedían

Future

Person Form
yo procederé
tú procederás
él/ella/Ud. procederá
nosotros/as procederemos
vosotros/as procederéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. procederán

Conditional

Person Form
yo procedería
tú procederías
él/ella/Ud. procedería
nosotros/as procederíamos
vosotros/as procederíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. procederían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he procedido
tú has procedido
él/ella/Ud. ha procedido
nosotros/as hemos procedido
vosotros/as habéis procedido
ellos/ellas/Uds. han procedido

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había procedido
tú habías procedido
él/ella/Ud. había procedido
nosotros/as habíamos procedido
vosotros/as habíais procedido
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían procedido

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré procedido
tú habrás procedido
él/ella/Ud. habrá procedido
nosotros/as habremos procedido
vosotros/as habréis procedido
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán procedido

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría procedido
tú habrías procedido
él/ella/Ud. habría procedido
nosotros/as habríamos procedido
vosotros/as habríais procedido
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían procedido

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo proceda
tú procedas
él/ella/Ud. proceda
nosotros/as procedamos
vosotros/as procedáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. procedan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo procediera
tú procedieras
él/ella/Ud. procediera
nosotros/as procediéramos
vosotros/as procedierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. procedieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú procede
él/ella/Ud. proceda
nosotros/as procedamos
vosotros/as proceded
ellos/ellas/Uds. procedan

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú procedas
él/ella/Ud. proceda
nosotros/as procedamos
vosotros/as procedáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. procedan

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund procediendo with estar for the progressive: estoy procediendo
Past participle procedido with haber for the perfect tenses: he procedido

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 proceder, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Procedo con la reunión sin más retraso. 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 proceder, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, procedí a la votación ahora mismo. 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 proceder, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, procedía de una familia humilde. 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 proceder, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, procederé con cuidado en el trabajo. 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 proceder, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Procedería con la reunión sin más retraso 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 proceder, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he procedido a la votación ahora mismo. 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 proceder, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había procedido de una familia humilde 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 proceder, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré procedido con cuidado en el trabajo. 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 proceder, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría procedido con la reunión sin más retraso 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 proceder, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él proceda a la votación ahora mismo. 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 proceder, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él procediera de una familia humilde, 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 proceder, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Procede con cuidado en el trabajo! 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 proceder, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No procedas con la reunión sin más retraso. 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 proceder, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Procedo con la reunión sin más retraso. — I proceed with the meeting without more delay.
  2. Procede a la votación ahora mismo. — He/she proceeds to the vote right now.
  3. Ayer, procedí de una familia humilde. — Yesterday, I proceeded from a humble family.
  4. Antes, nosotros procedíamos con cuidado en el trabajo. — Before, we used to proceed carefully at work.
  5. Mañana, tú procederás con la reunión sin más retraso. — Tomorrow, you will proceed with the meeting without more delay.
  6. Yo procedería a la votación ahora mismo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would proceed to the vote right now if I had more time.
  7. Él ha procedido de una familia humilde. — He has proceeded from a humble family.
  8. Espero que él proceda con cuidado en el trabajo. — I hope he proceeds carefully at work.
  9. Yo ya había procedido con la reunión sin más retraso antes de salir. — I had already proceeded with the meeting without more delay before leaving.
  10. Ellos procedían a la votación ahora mismo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to proceed to the vote right now when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo procede con la reunión sin más retraso. — Right: Yo procedo con la reunión sin más retraso. — The person matters: procede is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is procedo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo procedo a la votación ahora mismo. — Right: Ayer yo procedí a la votación ahora mismo. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: procedo is happening now, while procedí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating proceder and continuar as identical in every context. — Right: Proceder means to proceed, while continuar means to continue. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: proceder fits sentences such as Procedo con la reunión sin más retraso, while continuar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy procedido a la votación ahora mismo. — Right: Yo he procedido a la votación ahora mismo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he procedido, has procedido, ha procedido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo procedí de una familia humilde todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo procedía de una familia humilde todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (procedía), not the preterite. The preterite (procedí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on proceder. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con la reunión sin más retraso. (present tense) A. procedo B. procedes C. procede D. procedemos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a la votación ahora mismo. (preterite) A. procedí B. procediste C. procedimos D. procedió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ de una familia humilde. (imperfect) A. procedías B. procedo C. procedíamos D. procedía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con cuidado en el trabajo. (future) A. procederemos B. procederás C. procederé D. procederá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con la reunión sin más retraso si pudiera. (conditional) A. procedería B. procederías C. procederíamos D. procedo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a la votación ahora mismo. (present subjunctive) A. procedas B. procedamos C. procedo D. proceda

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de una familia humilde, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. procediéramos B. procedo C. procediera D. procedieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con cuidado en el trabajo. (present perfect) A. ha procedido B. hemos procedido C. he procedido D. has procedido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ con la reunión sin más retraso! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. procede B. proceda C. procedamos D. proceded

  10. Which is the gerund of proceder, used with estar for the progressive? A. procedido B. procedo C. procedí D. procediendo

Answer key

  1. procedo — The yo present tense of proceder is procedo.
  2. procedió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of proceder is procedió.
  3. procedíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of proceder is procedíamos.
  4. procederás — The tú future of proceder is procederás.
  5. procedería — The yo conditional of proceder is procedería.
  6. proceda — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of proceder is proceda.
  7. procediera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of proceder is procediera.
  8. hemos procedido — The nosotros/as present perfect of proceder is hemos procedido.
  9. procede — The affirmative tú imperative of proceder is procede.
  10. procediendo — The gerund of proceder is procediendo: estoy procediendo. The participle procedido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does proceder mean in English?

Proceder means to proceed. It is used in everyday situations such as Procedo con la reunión sin más retraso. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is proceder regular or irregular?

Proceder is a fully regular -er 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 procedo in the present and procedí in the preterite.

What is the difference between proceder and continuar?

Proceder means to proceed, while continuar means to continue. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use proceder when you mean to proceed, as in Procedo con la reunión sin más retraso, and use continuar for to continue. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I proceed” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo procedí a la votación ahora mismo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo procedía de una familia humilde. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he procedido a la votación ahora mismo.

How do I practise proceder?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the proceder examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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