Progresar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb progresar means to progress, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Progresar means to progress or to make progress, and it is used for studies, work, health and a country: progresar en español, progresar en el trabajo. It takes en for the area of progress, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, progresar 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 progreso mucho en español, and in the preterite you say progresé poco a poco en el curso. 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: progresar
- English: to progress
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: progresando
- Past participle: progresado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + progresado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for progresar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Progresar takes en: progreso en español. It is fully regular: progresé, progresaba, progresaré.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for progresar. 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 | progreso |
| tú | progresas |
| él/ella/Ud. | progresa |
| nosotros/as | progresamos |
| vosotros/as | progresáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | progresan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | progresé |
| tú | progresaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | progresó |
| nosotros/as | progresamos |
| vosotros/as | progresasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | progresaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | progresaba |
| tú | progresabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | progresaba |
| nosotros/as | progresábamos |
| vosotros/as | progresabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | progresaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | progresaré |
| tú | progresarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | progresará |
| nosotros/as | progresaremos |
| vosotros/as | progresaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | progresarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | progresaría |
| tú | progresarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | progresaría |
| nosotros/as | progresaríamos |
| vosotros/as | progresaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | progresarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he progresado |
| tú | has progresado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha progresado |
| nosotros/as | hemos progresado |
| vosotros/as | habéis progresado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han progresado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había progresado |
| tú | habías progresado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había progresado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos progresado |
| vosotros/as | habíais progresado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían progresado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré progresado |
| tú | habrás progresado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá progresado |
| nosotros/as | habremos progresado |
| vosotros/as | habréis progresado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán progresado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría progresado |
| tú | habrías progresado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría progresado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos progresado |
| vosotros/as | habríais progresado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían progresado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | progrese |
| tú | progreses |
| él/ella/Ud. | progrese |
| nosotros/as | progresemos |
| vosotros/as | progreséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | progresen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | progresara |
| tú | progresaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | progresara |
| nosotros/as | progresáramos |
| vosotros/as | progresarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | progresaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | progresa |
| él/ella/Ud. | progrese |
| nosotros/as | progresemos |
| vosotros/as | progresad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | progresen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | progreses |
| él/ella/Ud. | progrese |
| nosotros/as | progresemos |
| vosotros/as | progreséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | progresen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | progresando | with estar for the progressive: estoy progresando |
| Past participle | progresado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he progresado |
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 progresar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Progreso mucho en español. 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 progresar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, progresé en el trabajo este año. 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 progresar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, progresaba poco a poco en el curso. 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 progresar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, progresaré en la recuperación. 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 progresar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Progresaría mucho en español 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 progresar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he progresado en el trabajo este año. 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 progresar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había progresado poco a poco en el curso 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 progresar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré progresado en la recuperación. 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 progresar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría progresado mucho en español 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 progresar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él progrese en el trabajo este año. 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 progresar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él progresara poco a poco en el curso, 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 progresar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Progresa en la recuperación! 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 progresar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No progreses mucho en español. 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 progresar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Progreso mucho en español. — I progress a lot in Spanish.
- Progresa en el trabajo este año. — He/she progresses at work this year.
- Ayer, progresé poco a poco en el curso. — Yesterday, I progressed little by little in the course.
- Antes, nosotros progresábamos en la recuperación. — Before, we used to progress in recovery.
- Mañana, tú progresarás mucho en español. — Tomorrow, you will progress a lot in Spanish.
- Yo progresaría en el trabajo este año si tuviera más tiempo. — I would progress at work this year if I had more time.
- Él ha progresado poco a poco en el curso. — He has progressed little by little in the course.
- Espero que él progrese en la recuperación. — I hope he progresses in recovery.
- Yo ya había progresado mucho en español antes de salir. — I had already progressed a lot in Spanish before leaving.
- Ellos progresaban en el trabajo este año cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to progress at work this year when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo progresa mucho en español. — Right: Yo progreso mucho en español. — The person matters: progresa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is progreso. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo progreso en el trabajo este año. — Right: Ayer yo progresé en el trabajo este año. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: progreso is happening now, while progresé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating progresar and avanzar as identical in every context. — Right: Progresar means to progress, while avanzar means to advance. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: progresar fits sentences such as Progreso mucho en español, while avanzar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy progresado en el trabajo este año. — Right: Yo he progresado en el trabajo este año. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he progresado, has progresado, ha progresado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo progresé poco a poco en el curso todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo progresaba poco a poco en el curso todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (progresaba), not the preterite. The preterite (progresé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on progresar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mucho en español. (present tense) A. progreso B. progresas C. progresa D. progresamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en el trabajo este año. (preterite) A. progresé B. progresaste C. progresamos D. progresó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ poco a poco en el curso. (imperfect) A. progresabas B. progreso C. progresábamos D. progresaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en la recuperación. (future) A. progresaremos B. progresarás C. progresaré D. progresará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mucho en español si pudiera. (conditional) A. progresaría B. progresarías C. progresaríamos D. progreso
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en el trabajo este año. (present subjunctive) A. progreses B. progresemos C. progreso D. progrese
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ poco a poco en el curso, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. progresáramos B. progreso C. progresara D. progresaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en la recuperación. (present perfect) A. ha progresado B. hemos progresado C. he progresado D. has progresado
Complete the command: ¡___ mucho en español! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. progresa B. progrese C. progresemos D. progresad
Which is the gerund of progresar, used with estar for the progressive? A. progresado B. progreso C. progresé D. progresando
Answer key
- progreso — The yo present tense of progresar is progreso.
- progresó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of progresar is progresó.
- progresábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of progresar is progresábamos.
- progresarás — The tú future of progresar is progresarás.
- progresaría — The yo conditional of progresar is progresaría.
- progrese — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of progresar is progrese.
- progresara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of progresar is progresara.
- hemos progresado — The nosotros/as present perfect of progresar is hemos progresado.
- progresa — The affirmative tú imperative of progresar is progresa.
- progresando — The gerund of progresar is progresando: estoy progresando. The participle progresado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does progresar mean in English?
Progresar means to progress. It is used in everyday situations such as Progreso mucho en español. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is progresar regular or irregular?
Progresar is a fully regular -ar 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 progreso in the present and progresé in the preterite.
What is the difference between progresar and avanzar?
Progresar means to progress, while avanzar means to advance. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use progresar when you mean to progress, as in Progreso mucho en español, and use avanzar for to advance. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I progress” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo progresé en el trabajo este año. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo progresaba poco a poco en el curso. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he progresado en el trabajo este año.
How do I practise progresar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the progresar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Progresar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for progresar.
- Progresar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for progresar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Procurar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with progresar.
- Prolongar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with progresar.
- Pronosticar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with progresar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.