Programar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb programar means to program — it also means to schedule, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Programar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of programar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo programo una aplicación — "I program an app" — and in the preterite you say Yo programé el ordenador — "I programed the computer". 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: programar
- English: to program, to schedule
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: programando
- Past participle: programado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + programado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for programar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for programar. 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.
Gerund: programando · Past participle: programado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | programo |
| tú | programas |
| él/ella/Ud. | programa |
| nosotros/as | programamos |
| vosotros/as | programáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | programan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | programé |
| tú | programaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | programó |
| nosotros/as | programamos |
| vosotros/as | programasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | programaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | programaba |
| tú | programabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | programaba |
| nosotros/as | programábamos |
| vosotros/as | programabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | programaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | programaré |
| tú | programarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | programará |
| nosotros/as | programaremos |
| vosotros/as | programaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | programarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | programaría |
| tú | programarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | programaría |
| nosotros/as | programaríamos |
| vosotros/as | programaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | programarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he programado |
| tú | has programado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha programado |
| nosotros/as | hemos programado |
| vosotros/as | habéis programado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han programado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había programado |
| tú | habías programado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había programado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos programado |
| vosotros/as | habíais programado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían programado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré programado |
| tú | habrás programado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá programado |
| nosotros/as | habremos programado |
| vosotros/as | habréis programado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán programado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría programado |
| tú | habrías programado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría programado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos programado |
| vosotros/as | habríais programado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían programado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | programe |
| tú | programes |
| él/ella/Ud. | programe |
| nosotros/as | programemos |
| vosotros/as | programéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | programen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | programara |
| tú | programaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | programara |
| nosotros/as | programáramos |
| vosotros/as | programarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | programaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | programa |
| él/ella/Ud. | programe |
| nosotros/as | programemos |
| vosotros/as | programad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | programen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | programes |
| él/ella/Ud. | programe |
| nosotros/as | programemos |
| vosotros/as | programéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | programen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | programando | with estar for the progressive: estoy programando |
| Past participle | programado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he programado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For programar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo programo el ordenador — "I program the computer". Learn the present indicative 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 in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For programar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo programé una reunión — "I programed a meeting". 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 words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For programar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo programaba una aplicación — "I used to program an app". 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. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For programar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo programaré el ordenador — "I will program the computer". 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 in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For programar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo programaría una reunión — "I would program a meeting". 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. It connects the past with the present moment. For programar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he programado una aplicación — "I have programed an app". 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. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For programar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había programado el ordenador — "I had programed the computer". 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, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For programar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré programado una reunión — "I will have programed a meeting". 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. It looks back at a past that never happened. For programar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría programado una aplicación — "I would have programed an app". 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. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For programar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él programe el ordenador — "I hope he programs the computer". 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 programar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo programara una reunión, todo cambiaría — "If I programed a meeting, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) 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. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For programar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Programe una aplicación — "Let him program an app". Learn the imperative (affirmative) 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. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For programar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No programes el ordenador — "Don't program the computer". Learn the imperative (negative) 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 programar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo programo una reunión — "I program a meeting"
- Él programa una aplicación — "He programs an app"
- Yo programé el ordenador — "I programed the computer"
- Yo programaba una reunión — "I used to program a meeting"
- Tú programarás una aplicación — "You will program an app"
- Yo programaría el ordenador — "I would program the computer"
- Él ha programado una reunión — "He has programed a meeting"
- Espero que él programe una aplicación — "I hope he programs an app"
- Yo había programado el ordenador — "I had programed the computer"
- Ellos programaban una reunión — "They used to program a meeting"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos programa una aplicación — Right: Ellos programan una aplicación — Ellos needs the ellos form programan. The singular programa belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo programo — Right: Ayer, yo programé — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to programé.
- Wrong: De niño, yo programé todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo programaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (programaba), not the preterite. The preterite (programé) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy programado el ordenador. — Right: Yo he programado el ordenador. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he programado, has programado, ha programado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él programa una aplicación. — Right: Espero que él programe una aplicación. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: programe. The indicative programa is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on programar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una aplicación. (present tense) A. programe B. habrías programado C. programo D. programaréis
Complete the sentence: Él ___ una aplicación. (preterite) A. programabais B. programó C. programará D. hemos programado
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una aplicación. (imperfect) A. programaréis B. programen C. programábamos D. programarías
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ una aplicación. (future) A. programarás B. programasteis C. programaras D. programe
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una aplicación. (conditional) A. programabas B. programéis C. programaría D. han programado
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una aplicación. (present subjunctive) A. habríais programado B. programasteis C. programad D. programe
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una aplicación, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. programe B. habían programado C. programara D. habíais programado
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una aplicación. (present perfect) A. habréis programado B. hemos programado C. programaríais D. habremos programado
Complete the command: No ___ una aplicación. (negative imperative, tú) A. programemos B. programe C. programéis D. programes
Which is the gerund of programar, used with estar for the progressive? A. programando B. programaré C. programé D. programado
Answer key
- programo — The yo present tense of programar is programo.
- programó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of programar is programó.
- programábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of programar is programábamos.
- programarás — The tú future of programar is programarás.
- programaría — The yo conditional of programar is programaría.
- programe — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of programar is programe.
- programara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of programar is programara.
- hemos programado — The nosotros/as present perfect of programar is hemos programado.
- programes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: programes.
- programando — The gerund of programar is programando: estoy programando. The participle programado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does programar mean in English?
Programar means to program, to schedule. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo programo una aplicación. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is programar regular?
Yes. Programar is a regular -ar verb: programo, programas, programa. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the gerund and the past participle of programar?
The gerund is programando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy programando. The past participle is programado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he programado.
How do I say “I program” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo programé el ordenador. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo programaba una reunión. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he programado una aplicación.
How do I practise programar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the programar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Programar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for programar.
- Programar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for programar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Formatear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with programar.
- Pegarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with programar.
- Peinar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with programar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.