Regalar Conjugation in Spanish
regalar means "to give (a gift)" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for talking about giving gifts — birthdays, Christmas, weddings and surprises, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of regalar 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. Regalar is a regular -ar 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 regalo un libro a mi madre cada año. — "I give a book to my mother every year.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: regalar
- English: to give (a gift)
- Verb type: Regular -ar verb
- Gerund: regalando
- Past participle: regalado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + regalado)
Full conjugation table
Every tense of regalar with all six persons. The gerund is regalando and the past participle is regalado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regalo |
| tú | regalas |
| él/ella/Ud. | regala |
| nosotros/as | regalamos |
| vosotros/as | regaláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalan |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regalé |
| tú | regalaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | regaló |
| nosotros/as | regalamos |
| vosotros/as | regalasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalaron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regalaba |
| tú | regalabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | regalaba |
| nosotros/as | regalábamos |
| vosotros/as | regalabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regalaré |
| tú | regalarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | regalará |
| nosotros/as | regalaremos |
| vosotros/as | regalaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regalaría |
| tú | regalarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | regalaría |
| nosotros/as | regalaríamos |
| vosotros/as | regalaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he regalado |
| tú | has regalado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha regalado |
| nosotros/as | hemos regalado |
| vosotros/as | habéis regalado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han regalado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había regalado |
| tú | habías regalado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había regalado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos regalado |
| vosotros/as | habíais regalado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían regalado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré regalado |
| tú | habrás regalado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá regalado |
| nosotros/as | habremos regalado |
| vosotros/as | habréis regalado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán regalado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría regalado |
| tú | habrías regalado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría regalado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos regalado |
| vosotros/as | habríais regalado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían regalado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regale |
| tú | regales |
| él/ella/Ud. | regale |
| nosotros/as | regalemos |
| vosotros/as | regaléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regalara |
| tú | regalaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | regalara |
| nosotros/as | regaláramos |
| vosotros/as | regalarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | regala |
| él/ella/Ud. | regale |
| nosotros/as | regalemos |
| vosotros/as | regalad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | regales |
| él/ella/Ud. | regale |
| nosotros/as | regalemos |
| vosotros/as | regaléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | regalando |
| Past participle | regalado |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with regalar, 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 regalo un libro a mi madre.
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 regalé un libro a mi madre.
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 regalaba un libro a mi madre.
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 regalaré un libro a mi madre.
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 regalaría un libro a mi madre 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 regalado un libro a mi madre.
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 regalado un libro a mi madre 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 regalado un libro a mi madre.
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 regalado un libro a mi madre 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 regale un libro a mi madre.
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 regalara un libro a mi madre, 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: ¡Regala un libro a mi madre!
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 regales un libro a mi madre.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with regalar, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo regalo un libro a mi madre cada año. — "I give a book to my mother every year."
- ¿Tú regalas un libro a mi madre? — "Will you give a book to my mother?"
- Ayer regalé un libro a mi madre por su cumpleaños. — "Yesterday I gave a book to my mother for her birthday."
- Ella regalaba un libro a mi madre cada Navidad. — "She used to give a book to my mother every Christmas."
- Mañana regalaré un libro a mi madre. — "Tomorrow I will give a book to my mother."
- Yo regalaría un libro a mi madre si tuviera dinero. — "I would give a book to my mother if I had money."
- Ya he regalado un libro a mi madre. — "I have already given a book to my mother."
- Espero que regale un libro a mi madre. — "I hope he gives a book to my mother."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with regalar — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo regalé un libro a mi madre — learners often write regale without the accent. → Right: Yo regalé un libro a mi madre.. The preterite yo form is regalé, with an accent on the final e. Regalar is regular, so the accent is the only spelling point.
- Wrong: *Le regalo un libro mi madre — the a before the person is often forgotten. → Right: Le regalo un libro a mi madre.. With regalar, the recipient takes the indirect object pronoun le and the preposition a: Le regalo un libro a mi madre. Both the pronoun and the a are needed.
- Wrong: *Espero que tú regalas un libro a mi madre. → Right: Espero que tú regales un libro a mi madre.. After espero que, use the subjunctive regales, not the indicative regalas.
- Wrong: *Yo he regalado un libro a mi madre — learners sometimes write he regalo instead of the participle. → Right: Yo he regalado un libro a mi madre.. The perfect tenses use the participle regalado after haber: he regalado, not he regalo.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on regalar. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of regalar in the present indicative?
- a) regalamos
- b) regala
- c) regalas
- d) regalo
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of regalar in the preterite (past)?
- a) regalamos
- b) regalé
- c) regaló
- d) regalaste
What is the nosotros/as form of regalar in the imperfect (past)?
- a) regalaba
- b) regalábamos
- c) regalaba
- d) regalabas
What is the tú form of regalar in the future?
- a) regalaremos
- b) regalaré
- c) regalarás
- d) regalará
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of regalar in the conditional?
- a) regalarías
- b) regalarían
- c) regalaría
- d) regalaría
What is the yo form of regalar in the present subjunctive?
- a) regale
- b) regalemos
- c) regales
- d) regale
What is the gerund of regalar?
- a) regalar
- b) regala
- c) regalando
- d) regalado
What is the past participle of regalar?
- a) regalado
- b) he regalado
- c) regalo
- d) regalando
What does regalar mean in English?
- a) to visit
- b) to give (a gift)
- c) to be quiet, to keep quiet
- d) to win, to earn
The form regalé belongs to which tense?
- a) Future
- b) Imperfect
- c) Present
- d) Preterite
Answer key
- regalo — The yo form in the present indicative is regalo — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- regaló — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is regaló — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- regalábamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is regalábamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- regalarás — The tú form in the future is regalarás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- regalarían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is regalarían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- regale — The yo form in the present subjunctive is regale — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- regalando — The gerund is regalando — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy regalando). The past participle is regalado.
- regalado — The past participle is regalado — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he regalado).
- to give (a gift) — regalar means "to give (a gift)".
- Preterite — regalé is the yo form of the preterite of regalar — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is regalaba.
Frequently asked questions
Is regalar regular?
Yes, regalar is a completely regular -ar verb: regalo, regalas, regala, regalamos, regaláis, regalan. The preterite is regalé, regalaste, regaló, and the participle is regalado.
What is the difference between regalar and dar?
Dar is the general verb for giving, while regalar specifically means to give as a gift. You give (das) a pen to someone who asks for it, but you give as a gift (regalas) a book for a birthday. Regalar always implies a present.
How do you say "to give a present" in Spanish?
Regalar — for example: Le regalé un libro a mi madre. If you want to name the occasion, add por: Le regalé un libro por su cumpleaños.
Does regalar need the pronoun le?
Yes, normally. The recipient is an indirect object, so use le (or te, me, nos): Te regalo un libro means "I give you a book as a present". The a + person phrase (a mi madre) usually follows to make it clear.
Related pages
- Regalar in the present tense — the present tense of regalar in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Regalar examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with regalar and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Dar conjugation — another verb in the same family as regalar.
- Prestar conjugation — another verb in the same family as regalar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise regalar with this tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — practise regalar with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.