Prometer Conjugation in Spanish
prometer means "to promise" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for making promises — to friends, family, children and anyone who needs your word, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of prometer 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. Prometer is a regular -er 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 prometo ayudar siempre. — "I promise to help always.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: prometer
- English: to promise
- Verb type: Regular -er verb
- Gerund: prometiendo
- Past participle: prometido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + prometido)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of prometer with all six persons. The gerund is prometiendo and the past participle is prometido.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prometo |
| tú | prometes |
| él/ella/Ud. | promete |
| nosotros/as | prometemos |
| vosotros/as | prometéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometen |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prometí |
| tú | prometiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | prometió |
| nosotros/as | prometimos |
| vosotros/as | prometisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometieron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prometía |
| tú | prometías |
| él/ella/Ud. | prometía |
| nosotros/as | prometíamos |
| vosotros/as | prometíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prometeré |
| tú | prometerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | prometerá |
| nosotros/as | prometeremos |
| vosotros/as | prometeréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prometería |
| tú | prometerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | prometería |
| nosotros/as | prometeríamos |
| vosotros/as | prometeríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he prometido |
| tú | has prometido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha prometido |
| nosotros/as | hemos prometido |
| vosotros/as | habéis prometido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han prometido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había prometido |
| tú | habías prometido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había prometido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos prometido |
| vosotros/as | habíais prometido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían prometido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré prometido |
| tú | habrás prometido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá prometido |
| nosotros/as | habremos prometido |
| vosotros/as | habréis prometido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán prometido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría prometido |
| tú | habrías prometido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría prometido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos prometido |
| vosotros/as | habríais prometido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían prometido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prometa |
| tú | prometas |
| él/ella/Ud. | prometa |
| nosotros/as | prometamos |
| vosotros/as | prometáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prometiera |
| tú | prometieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | prometiera |
| nosotros/as | prometiéramos |
| vosotros/as | prometierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | promete |
| él/ella/Ud. | prometa |
| nosotros/as | prometamos |
| vosotros/as | prometed |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | prometas |
| él/ella/Ud. | prometa |
| nosotros/as | prometamos |
| vosotros/as | prometáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | prometiendo |
| Past participle | prometido |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with prometer, 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.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Yo prometo ayudar.
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.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Ayer yo prometí ayudar.
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 prometía ayudar.
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 prometeré ayudar.
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 prometería ayudar 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 prometido ayudar.
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 prometido ayudar 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 prometido ayudar.
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 prometido ayudar 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.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Espero que él prometa ayudar.
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.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: Si él prometiera ayudar, 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.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: ¡Promete ayudar!
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.
This tense is regular for this verb — the endings follow the standard pattern for its verb class.
Example: No prometas ayudar.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with prometer, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo prometo ayudar siempre. — "I promise to help always."
- ¿Tú prometes ayudar mañana? — "Do you promise to help tomorrow?"
- Ayer prometí ayudar a mi hermano. — "Yesterday I promised to help my brother."
- Ella prometía ayudar cada semana. — "She used to promise to help every week."
- Mañana prometeré ayudar sin falta. — "Tomorrow I will promise to help without fail."
- Yo prometería ayudar si pudiera. — "I would promise to help if I could."
- Ya he prometido ayudar a mi madre. — "I have already promised to help my mother."
- Espero que prometa ayudar pronto. — "I hope he promises to help soon."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with prometer — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo prometí ayudar — learners often write prometi without the accent. → Right: Yo prometí ayudar.. The preterite yo form is prometí, with an accent on the final i. Prometer is regular, so the accent is the only spelling point.
- Wrong: *Te prometo que ayudo — after prometer que, the second verb takes the future or the present, not a bare present for a future promise; Te prometo que ayudaré is clearer. → Right: Te prometo que prometeré.. After prometer que, use the future for a promise about tomorrow: Te prometo que ayudaré. The present (ayudo) can sound like a statement about now.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú prometes ayudar. → Right: Espero que tú prometas ayudar.. After espero que, use the subjunctive prometas, not the indicative prometes.
- Wrong: *Yo he prometido ayudar — learners sometimes write he prometo instead of the participle. → Right: Yo he prometido ayudar.. The perfect tenses use the participle prometido after haber: he prometido, not he prometo.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on prometer. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of prometer in the present indicative?
- a) promete
- b) prometemos
- c) prometes
- d) prometo
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of prometer in the preterite (past)?
- a) prometió
- b) prometiste
- c) prometí
- d) prometimos
What is the nosotros/as form of prometer in the imperfect (past)?
- a) prometía
- b) prometíamos
- c) prometías
- d) prometía
What is the tú form of prometer in the future?
- a) prometeremos
- b) prometerá
- c) prometerás
- d) prometeré
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of prometer in the conditional?
- a) prometería
- b) prometerían
- c) prometería
- d) prometerías
What is the yo form of prometer in the present subjunctive?
- a) prometa
- b) prometamos
- c) prometa
- d) prometas
What is the gerund of prometer?
- a) prometer
- b) prometido
- c) promete
- d) prometiendo
What is the past participle of prometer?
- a) he prometido
- b) prometo
- c) prometiendo
- d) prometido
What does prometer mean in English?
- a) to promise
- b) to get angry
- c) to amuse, to entertain
- d) to visit
The form prometí belongs to which tense?
- a) Future
- b) Imperfect
- c) Present
- d) Preterite
Answer key
- prometo — The yo form in the present indicative is prometo — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prometió — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is prometió — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prometíamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is prometíamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prometerás — The tú form in the future is prometerás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prometerían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is prometerían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prometa — The yo form in the present subjunctive is prometa — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- prometiendo — The gerund is prometiendo — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy prometiendo). The past participle is prometido.
- prometido — The past participle is prometido — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he prometido).
- to promise — prometer means "to promise".
- Preterite — prometí is the yo form of the preterite of prometer — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is prometía.
Frequently asked questions
Is prometer regular?
Yes, prometer is a completely regular -er verb: prometo, prometes, promete, prometemos, prometéis, prometen. The preterite is prometí, prometiste, prometió, and the participle is prometido.
How do you use prometer with another verb?
Use prometer + infinitive when you promise to do something yourself: Prometo ayudar. Or prometer que + future when you promise a fact: Te prometo que ayudaré mañana. Both are correct and common.
What is the difference between prometer and jurar?
Prometer means to promise, while jurar means to swear, often formally or in court: Juro decir la verdad. Prometer is the everyday word; jurar is stronger and more solemn.
How do you say "I promise" in Spanish?
Te lo prometo or simply Prometo. To make it stronger, add por: Te prometo por mi vida que lo haré. The pronoun te tells you who receives the promise.
Related pages
- Prometer in the present tense — the present tense of prometer in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Prometer examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with prometer and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Cumplir conjugation — another verb in the same family as prometer.
- Decir conjugation — another verb in the same family as prometer.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise prometer with this tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise prometer with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.