Provenir Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb provenir means to come from, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Provenir means to come from, and it is used for the origin of a word, a tradition, a product or a family. It follows the pattern of venir, with the present provengo, the preterite provine and the future provendré, and it is always used with de. Like every Spanish verb, provenir 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 provengo de una familia de músicos, and in the preterite you say provine de la tradición del pueblo. 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: provenir
  • English: to come from
  • Verb type: irregular verb, stem-changing (e → ie)
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: proviniendo
  • Past participle: provenido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + provenido)
  • Stem change: e → ie in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for provenir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Provenir always takes de, and it follows venir: the present is provengo, the preterite is provine.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for provenir. 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 provengo
tú provienes
él/ella/Ud. proviene
nosotros/as provenimos
vosotros/as provenís
ellos/ellas/Uds. provienen

Preterite

Person Form
yo provine
tú proviniste
él/ella/Ud. provino
nosotros/as provinimos
vosotros/as provinisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. provinieron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo provenía
tú provenías
él/ella/Ud. provenía
nosotros/as proveníamos
vosotros/as proveníais
ellos/ellas/Uds. provenían

Future

Person Form
yo provendré
tú provendrás
él/ella/Ud. provendrá
nosotros/as provendremos
vosotros/as provendréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. provendrán

Conditional

Person Form
yo provendría
tú provendrías
él/ella/Ud. provendría
nosotros/as provendríamos
vosotros/as provendríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. provendrían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo provenga
tú provengas
él/ella/Ud. provenga
nosotros/as provengamos
vosotros/as provengáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. provengan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo proviniera
tú provinieras
él/ella/Ud. proviniera
nosotros/as proviniéramos
vosotros/as provinierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. provinieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú provén
él/ella/Ud. provenga
nosotros/as provengamos
vosotros/as provenid
ellos/ellas/Uds. provengan

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú provengas
él/ella/Ud. provenga
nosotros/as provengamos
vosotros/as provengáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. provengan

Gerund and past participle

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

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of venir, with changes in the present, the preterite (the -vin- stem), the future and conditional, and the subjunctive. Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For provenir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Provengo de una familia de músicos. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of venir, with changes in the present, the preterite (the -vin- stem), the future and conditional, and the subjunctive. Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For provenir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, provine del latín directamente. 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 provenir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, provenía de la tradición del pueblo. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of venir, with changes in the present, the preterite (the -vin- stem), the future and conditional, and the subjunctive. Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For provenir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, provendré de una región del norte. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of venir, with changes in the present, the preterite (the -vin- stem), the future and conditional, and the subjunctive. Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For provenir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Provendría de una familia de músicos 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 provenir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he provenido del latín directamente. 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 provenir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había provenido de la tradición del pueblo 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 provenir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré provenido de una región del norte. 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 provenir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría provenido de una familia de músicos 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of venir, with changes in the present, the preterite (the -vin- stem), the future and conditional, and the subjunctive. Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For provenir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él provenga del latín directamente. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of venir, with changes in the present, the preterite (the -vin- stem), the future and conditional, and the subjunctive. Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For provenir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él proviniera de la tradición del pueblo, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of venir, with changes in the present, the preterite (the -vin- stem), the future and conditional, and the subjunctive. Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For provenir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Provén de una región del norte! 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: it follows the pattern of venir, with changes in the present, the preterite (the -vin- stem), the future and conditional, and the subjunctive. Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For provenir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No provengas de una familia de músicos. 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 provenir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Provengo de una familia de músicos. — I come from from a family of musicians.
  2. Proviene del latín directamente. — He/she comes from directly from Latin.
  3. Ayer, provine de la tradición del pueblo. — Yesterday, I came from from the village tradition.
  4. Antes, nosotros proveníamos de una región del norte. — Before, we used to come from from a region in the north.
  5. Mañana, tú provendrás de una familia de músicos. — Tomorrow, you will come from from a family of musicians.
  6. Yo provendría del latín directamente si tuviera más tiempo. — I would come from directly from Latin if I had more time.
  7. Él ha provenido de la tradición del pueblo. — He has come from from the village tradition.
  8. Espero que él provenga de una región del norte. — I hope he comes from from a region in the north.
  9. Yo ya había provenido de una familia de músicos antes de salir. — I had already come from from a family of musicians before leaving.
  10. Ellos provenían del latín directamente cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to come from directly from Latin when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo proviene de una familia de músicos. — Right: Yo provengo de una familia de músicos. — The person matters: proviene is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is provengo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Yo proveno del latín directamente. — Right: Yo provengo del latín directamente. — Provenir is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural. The nosotros form keeps the original stem.
  3. Wrong: Treating provenir and venir as identical in every context. — Right: Provenir means to come from, while venir means to come. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: provenir fits sentences such as Provengo de una familia de músicos, while venir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy provenido del latín directamente. — Right: Yo he provenido del latín directamente. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he provenido, has provenido, ha provenido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo provine de la tradición del pueblo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo provenía de la tradición del pueblo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (provenía), not the preterite. The preterite (provine) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de una familia de músicos. (present tense) A. provengo B. provienes C. proviene D. provenimos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ del latín directamente. (preterite) A. provine B. proviniste C. provinieron D. provino

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ de la tradición del pueblo. (imperfect) A. provenías B. provenían C. proveníamos D. provenía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de una región del norte. (future) A. provendremos B. provendrás C. provendré D. provendrá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de una familia de músicos si pudiera. (conditional) A. provendría B. provendrías C. provendrían D. provengo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ del latín directamente. (present subjunctive) A. provengas B. provengamos C. provengo D. provenga

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de la tradición del pueblo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. proviniéramos B. provengo C. proviniera D. provinieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de una región del norte. (present perfect) A. han provenido B. hemos provenido C. he provenido D. has provenido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ de una familia de músicos! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. provén B. provenga C. provengamos D. provenid

  10. Which is the gerund of provenir, used with estar for the progressive? A. provenido B. provengo C. provine D. proviniendo

Answer key

  1. provengo — The first-person present of provenir is provengo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. provino — The third-person preterite of provenir is provino, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. proveníamos — The nosotros imperfect of provenir is proveníamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. provendrás — The second-person future of provenir is provendrás.
  5. provendría — The first-person conditional of provenir is provendría, the form for what would happen.
  6. provenga — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of provenir is provenga.
  7. proviniera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of provenir is proviniera.
  8. hemos provenido — The nosotros present perfect of provenir is hemos provenido: hemos + provenido.
  9. provén — The affirmative tú imperative of provenir is provén.
  10. proviniendo — The gerund of provenir is proviniendo: estoy proviniendo. The participle provenido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does provenir mean in English?

Provenir means to come from. It is used in everyday situations such as Provengo de una familia de músicos. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is provenir regular or irregular?

Provenir is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so it is not fully regular: the stem changes in the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. The preterite and the imperfect are regular. Check the tables above for the exact forms in each tense.

What is the difference between provenir and venir?

Provenir means to come from, while venir means to come. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use provenir when you mean to come from, as in Provengo de una familia de músicos, and use venir for to come. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I come from” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo provine del latín directamente. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo provenía de la tradición del pueblo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he provenido del latín directamente.

How do I practise provenir?

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

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