Introduction

redactar means “to draft, to write” in English, and it is a verb you will meet again and again once you start reading and speaking Spanish. It is used whenever you need to talk about the report — at home, at work, and in everyday conversation — which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of redactar in every tense and mood, with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. redactar is a regular -ar 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 redacto el informe todos los días.” — “I draft the report.” Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts
Infinitive redactar
English to draft, to write
Verb type Regular -ar verb
Gerund redactando
Past participle redactado
Auxiliary verb haber

Full conjugation tables

Gerund: redactando · Past participle: redactado

Present Indicative

Person Form
yo redacto
tú redactas
él/ella/Ud. redacta
nosotros/as redactamos
vosotros/as redactáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. redactan

The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For redactar, the yo form is redacto, as in “Yo redacto el informe.” — “I draft the report.”

Preterite

Person Form
yo redacté
tú redactaste
él/ella/Ud. redactó
nosotros/as redactamos
vosotros/as redactasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. redactaron

The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. For redactar, the yo form is redacté, as in “Yo redacté el informe.” — “I drafted the report.”

Imperfect

Person Form
yo redactaba
tú redactabas
él/ella/Ud. redactaba
nosotros/as redactábamos
vosotros/as redactabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. redactaban

The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. For redactar, the yo form is redactaba, as in “Yo redactaba el informe.” — “I used to draft the report.”

Future

Person Form
yo redactaré
tú redactarás
él/ella/Ud. redactará
nosotros/as redactaremos
vosotros/as redactaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. redactarán

The future tense states what will happen. It is also used for predictions and promises. For redactar, the yo form is redactaré, as in “Yo redactaré el informe.” — “I will draft the report.”

Conditional

Person Form
yo redactaría
tú redactarías
él/ella/Ud. redactaría
nosotros/as redactaríamos
vosotros/as redactaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. redactarían

The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. For redactar, the yo form is redactaría, as in “Yo redactaría el informe.” — “I would draft the report.”

Present Perfect

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

The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. For redactar, the yo form is he redactado, as in “Yo he redactado el informe.” — “I have drafted the report.”

Pluperfect

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

The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event. For redactar, the yo form is había redactado, as in “Yo había redactado el informe.” — “I had drafted the report.”

Future Perfect

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

The future perfect describes something that will already be finished by a future moment. For redactar, the yo form is habré redactado, as in “Yo habré redactado el informe.” — “I will have drafted the report.”

Conditional Perfect

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

The conditional perfect describes what would have happened under different conditions. For redactar, the yo form is habría redactado, as in “Yo habría redactado el informe.” — “I would have drafted the report.”

Present Subjunctive

Person Form
yo redacte
tú redactes
él/ella/Ud. redacte
nosotros/as redactemos
vosotros/as redactéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. redacten

The present subjunctive is used after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and influence. For redactar, the yo form is redacte, as in “Espero que yo redacte el informe.” — “I hope that I draft the report.”

Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo redactara
tú redactaras
él/ella/Ud. redactara
nosotros/as redactáramos
vosotros/as redactarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. redactaran

The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past versions of subjunctive clauses, and after "si" in hypothetical sentences. For redactar, the yo form is redactara, as in “Si yo redactara el informe, ...” — “If I drafted the report, ...”

The -se variant of this tense follows the same pattern with -se instead of -ra: redactara becomes redactase, and the same change applies to every person. Both variants mean the same thing; -ra is more common in everyday speech.

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú redacta
Ud. redacte
nosotros/as redactemos
vosotros/as redactad
Uds. redacten

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú redactes
Ud. redacte
nosotros/as redactemos
vosotros/as redactéis
Uds. redacten

The imperative is for orders, requests and advice. The affirmative tú form is redacta, as in “¡Redacta el informe” — “Draft the report” For the negative imperative, Spanish uses the subjunctive forms: no redactes. Note that the affirmative and negative forms differ, so check the table above before you give an order with redactar.

Example sentences

Here are ten sentences with redactar, covering different tenses and persons. Read each one out loud, then read the translation, and notice how the verb form changes while the meaning stays the same.

  1. “Yo redacto el informe cada día.” — “I draft the report.”
  2. “Él redacta el informe todos los días.” — “He drafts the report.”
  3. “Yo redacté el informe ayer.” — “I drafted the report.”
  4. “Él redactó el informe ayer.” — “He drafted the report.”
  5. “Yo redactaba el informe cuando era joven.” — “I used to draft the report.”
  6. “Nosotros redactaremos el informe mañana.” — “We will draft the report.”
  7. “Si pudiera, yo redactaría el informe.” — “If I could, i would draft the report.”
  8. “Yo he redactado el informe hoy.” — “I have drafted the report.”
  9. “Espero que yo redacte el informe.” — “I hope that I draft the report.”
  10. “estoy redactando el informe ahora mismo.” — “I am drafting the report.”

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is redacté, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — redacte — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of redactar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For redactar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: redactamos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he redactado el informe. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy redactado is not the present perfect of redactar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing redactar with reducir

redactar and reducir look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of redactar — draft — the sentence needs redactar; if it needs the meaning of reducir, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo redacte el informe. Using the indicative — Espero que yo redacto — is one of the most frequent learner errors with redactar. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of redactar in the present?

  • A. redactas
  • B. redacta
  • C. redactamos
  • D. redacto

2. What is the tu form of redactar in the preterite?

  • A. redactamos
  • B. redactaste
  • C. redacté
  • D. redactó

3. What is the el form of redactar in the imperfect?

  • A. redactabas
  • B. redactábamos
  • C. redactabais
  • D. redactaba

4. What is the nosotros form of redactar in the future?

  • A. redactará
  • B. redactaremos
  • C. redactaré
  • D. redactarás

5. What is the vosotros form of redactar in the present perfect?

  • A. he redactado
  • B. has redactado
  • C. ha redactado
  • D. habéis redactado

6. What is the ellos form of redactar in the present subjunctive?

  • A. redacte
  • B. redacten
  • C. redacte
  • D. redactes

7. What is the yo form of redactar in the preterite?

  • A. redactaste
  • B. redactó
  • C. redactamos
  • D. redacté

8. What is the tu form of redactar in the imperfect?

  • A. redactábamos
  • B. redactabas
  • C. redactaba
  • D. redactaba

9. What is the el form of redactar in the future?

  • A. redactaré
  • B. redactarás
  • C. redactaremos
  • D. redactará

10. What is the nosotros form of redactar in the conditional?

  • A. redactaría
  • B. redactaríamos
  • C. redactaría
  • D. redactarías

Answer key

  1. redacto — The present table gives yo = redacto.
  2. redactaste — The preterite table gives tu = redactaste.
  3. redactaba — The imperfect table gives el = redactaba.
  4. redactaremos — The future table gives nosotros = redactaremos.
  5. habéis redactado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis redactado.
  6. redacten — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = redacten.
  7. redacté — The preterite table gives yo = redacté.
  8. redactabas — The imperfect table gives tu = redactabas.
  9. redactará — The future table gives el = redactará.
  10. redactaríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = redactaríamos.

Frequently asked questions

Is redactar regular or irregular?

redactar is a regular -ar verb. It follows the regular patterns for its ending in every tense. The tables on this page show the correct form for every person, so use them rather than guessing.

What is the past participle of redactar?

The past participle of redactar is redactado. You use it with haber in the perfect tenses — he redactado, había redactado, habré redactado — and after estar in passive-style descriptions. It is the regular participle for its verb class. Learn it together with the gerund redactando and you have the two non-finite forms covered.

What is the gerund of redactar?

The gerund of redactar is redactando. You use it with estar to describe an action in progress, as in estoy redactando, and after verbs such as seguir and ir. Keep it distinct from the past participle redactado, which belongs with haber, not with estar.

What is the yo form of redactar in the present?

The yo form is redacto — “Yo redacto el informe.” means “I draft the report.” That is the form you will use most often when you talk about yourself. For other persons, use the present table above: tú redactas, él redacta, nosotros redactamos, ellos redactan.

What is the difference between redactar and reducir?

redactar means “to draft, to write”, while reducir means “to reduce”. They share letters and sometimes a root, but they are different verbs. If your sentence means “to draft, to write”, use redactar; if it is about the meaning of reducir, use reducir instead. Checking the English meaning first prevents most mix-ups.

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