Prolongar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb prolongar means to prolong, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Prolongar means to prolong or to extend, and it covers extending a deadline, a holiday, a meeting and a life: prolongar las vacaciones, prolongar el plazo. It is a spelling-change verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite is prolongué and the subjunctive prolongue. Like every Spanish verb, prolongar 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 prolongo las vacaciones una semana, and in the preterite you say prolongué la reunión hasta las seis. 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: prolongar
- English: to prolong
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: prolongando
- Past participle: prolongado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + prolongado)
- Pattern to learn: this verb is a -gar verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is prolongué and the present subjunctive is prolongue.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for prolongar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite is prolongué and the subjunctive prolongue.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for prolongar. 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 | prolongo |
| tú | prolongas |
| él/ella/Ud. | prolonga |
| nosotros/as | prolongamos |
| vosotros/as | prolongáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prolongan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prolongué |
| tú | prolongaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | prolongó |
| nosotros/as | prolongamos |
| vosotros/as | prolongasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prolongaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prolongaba |
| tú | prolongabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | prolongaba |
| nosotros/as | prolongábamos |
| vosotros/as | prolongabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prolongaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prolongaré |
| tú | prolongarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | prolongará |
| nosotros/as | prolongaremos |
| vosotros/as | prolongaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prolongarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prolongaría |
| tú | prolongarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | prolongaría |
| nosotros/as | prolongaríamos |
| vosotros/as | prolongaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prolongarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he prolongado |
| tú | has prolongado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha prolongado |
| nosotros/as | hemos prolongado |
| vosotros/as | habéis prolongado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han prolongado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había prolongado |
| tú | habías prolongado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había prolongado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos prolongado |
| vosotros/as | habíais prolongado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían prolongado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré prolongado |
| tú | habrás prolongado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá prolongado |
| nosotros/as | habremos prolongado |
| vosotros/as | habréis prolongado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán prolongado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría prolongado |
| tú | habrías prolongado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría prolongado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos prolongado |
| vosotros/as | habríais prolongado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían prolongado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prolongue |
| tú | prolongues |
| él/ella/Ud. | prolongue |
| nosotros/as | prolonguemos |
| vosotros/as | prolonguéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prolonguen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prolongara |
| tú | prolongaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | prolongara |
| nosotros/as | prolongáramos |
| vosotros/as | prolongarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prolongaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | prolonga |
| él/ella/Ud. | prolongue |
| nosotros/as | prolonguemos |
| vosotros/as | prolongad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prolonguen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | prolongues |
| él/ella/Ud. | prolongue |
| nosotros/as | prolonguemos |
| vosotros/as | prolonguéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prolonguen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | prolongando | with estar for the progressive: estoy prolongando |
| Past participle | prolongado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he prolongado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the pattern here: this verb is a -gar verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is prolongué and the present subjunctive is prolongue. For prolongar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Prolongo las vacaciones una semana. 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. Note the spelling change here: this verb is a -gar verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is prolongué and the present subjunctive is prolongue. For prolongar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, prolongué el plazo del proyecto. 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 prolongar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, prolongaba la reunión hasta las seis. 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 prolongar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, prolongaré la vida del enfermo. 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 prolongar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Prolongaría las vacaciones una semana 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 prolongar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he prolongado el plazo del proyecto. 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 prolongar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había prolongado la reunión hasta las seis 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 prolongar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré prolongado la vida del enfermo. 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 prolongar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría prolongado las vacaciones una semana 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. Note the spelling change here: this verb is a -gar verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is prolongué and the present subjunctive is prolongue. For prolongar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él prolongue el plazo del proyecto. 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 prolongar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él prolongara la reunión hasta las seis, 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. Note the spelling change here: this verb is a -gar verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is prolongué and the present subjunctive is prolongue. For prolongar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Prolonga la vida del enfermo! 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. Note the spelling change here: this verb is a -gar verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is prolongué and the present subjunctive is prolongue. For prolongar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No prolongues las vacaciones una semana. 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 prolongar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Prolongo las vacaciones una semana. — I prolong the holiday by a week.
- Prolonga el plazo del proyecto. — He/she prolongs the project deadline.
- Ayer, prolongué la reunión hasta las seis. — Yesterday, I prolonged the meeting until six.
- Antes, nosotros prolongábamos la vida del enfermo. — Before, we used to prolong the patient's life.
- Mañana, tú prolongarás las vacaciones una semana. — Tomorrow, you will prolong the holiday by a week.
- Yo prolongaría el plazo del proyecto si tuviera más tiempo. — I would prolong the project deadline if I had more time.
- Él ha prolongado la reunión hasta las seis. — He has prolonged the meeting until six.
- Espero que él prolongue la vida del enfermo. — I hope he prolongs the patient's life.
- Yo ya había prolongado las vacaciones una semana antes de salir. — I had already prolonged the holiday by a week before leaving.
- Ellos prolongaban el plazo del proyecto cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to prolong the project deadline when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo prolonga las vacaciones una semana. — Right: Yo prolongo las vacaciones una semana. — The person matters: prolonga is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is prolongo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Espero que yo prolonge las vacaciones una semana. — Right: Espero que yo prolongue las vacaciones una semana. — Spelling change: this verb is a -gar verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is prolongué and the present subjunctive is prolongue, so the present subjunctive is prolongue, never prolonge.
- Wrong: Treating prolongar and extender as identical in every context. — Right: Prolongar means to prolong, while extender means to extend. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: prolongar fits sentences such as Prolongo las vacaciones una semana, while extender belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy prolongado el plazo del proyecto. — Right: Yo he prolongado el plazo del proyecto. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he prolongado, has prolongado, ha prolongado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo prolongué la reunión hasta las seis todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo prolongaba la reunión hasta las seis todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (prolongaba), not the preterite. The preterite (prolongué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on prolongar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ las vacaciones una semana. (present tense) A. prolongo B. prolongas C. prolonga D. prolongamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el plazo del proyecto. (preterite) A. prolongué B. prolongaste C. prolongamos D. prolongó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la reunión hasta las seis. (imperfect) A. prolongabas B. prolongo C. prolongábamos D. prolongaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la vida del enfermo. (future) A. prolongaremos B. prolongarás C. prolongaré D. prolongará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ las vacaciones una semana si pudiera. (conditional) A. prolongaría B. prolongarías C. prolongaríamos D. prolongo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el plazo del proyecto. (present subjunctive) A. prolongues B. prolonguemos C. prolongo D. prolongue
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la reunión hasta las seis, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. prolongáramos B. prolongo C. prolongara D. prolongaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la vida del enfermo. (present perfect) A. ha prolongado B. hemos prolongado C. he prolongado D. has prolongado
Complete the command: ¡___ las vacaciones una semana! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. prolonga B. prolongue C. prolonguemos D. prolongad
Which is the gerund of prolongar, used with estar for the progressive? A. prolongado B. prolongo C. prolongué D. prolongando
Answer key
- prolongo — The yo present tense of prolongar is prolongo.
- prolongó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of prolongar is prolongó.
- prolongábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of prolongar is prolongábamos.
- prolongarás — The tú future of prolongar is prolongarás.
- prolongaría — The yo conditional of prolongar is prolongaría.
- prolongue — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of prolongar is prolongue.
- prolongara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of prolongar is prolongara.
- hemos prolongado — The nosotros/as present perfect of prolongar is hemos prolongado.
- prolonga — The affirmative tú imperative of prolongar is prolonga.
- prolongando — The gerund of prolongar is prolongando: estoy prolongando. The participle prolongado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does prolongar mean in English?
Prolongar means to prolong. It is used in everyday situations such as Prolongo las vacaciones una semana. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is prolongar regular or irregular?
Prolongar is a spelling-change verb: it is a -gar verb: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite first person is prolongué and the present subjunctive is prolongue. The endings are regular, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page, including prolongo in the present and prolongué in the preterite.
What is the difference between prolongar and extender?
Prolongar means to prolong, while extender means to extend. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use prolongar when you mean to prolong, as in Prolongo las vacaciones una semana, and use extender for to extend. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I prolong” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo prolongué el plazo del proyecto. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo prolongaba la reunión hasta las seis. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he prolongado el plazo del proyecto.
How do I practise prolongar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the prolongar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Prolongar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for prolongar.
- Prolongar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for prolongar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Progresar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with prolongar.
- Pronosticar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with prolongar.
- Procurar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with prolongar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.