Regatear Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb regatear means to haggle, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Regatear means to haggle, and it is used for bargaining over a price in a market, a shop or a deal. It is fully regular, and it appears in shopping and market contexts, usually with el precio or por el precio. Like every Spanish verb, regatear 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 regateo el precio en el mercado, and in the preterite you say regateé con el vendedor toda la mañana. 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: regatear
- English: to haggle
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: regateando
- Past participle: regateado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + regateado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for regatear, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Regatear is fully regular: regateé, regateaba, regatearé. Regatear el precio is to haggle over the price.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for regatear. 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 | regateo |
| tú | regateas |
| él/ella/Ud. | regatea |
| nosotros/as | regateamos |
| vosotros/as | regateáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regatean |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regateé |
| tú | regateaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | regateó |
| nosotros/as | regateamos |
| vosotros/as | regateasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regatearon |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regateaba |
| tú | regateabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | regateaba |
| nosotros/as | regateábamos |
| vosotros/as | regateabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regateaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regatearé |
| tú | regatearás |
| él/ella/Ud. | regateará |
| nosotros/as | regatearemos |
| vosotros/as | regatearéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regatearán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regatearía |
| tú | regatearías |
| él/ella/Ud. | regatearía |
| nosotros/as | regatearíamos |
| vosotros/as | regatearíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regatearían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he regateado |
| tú | has regateado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha regateado |
| nosotros/as | hemos regateado |
| vosotros/as | habéis regateado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han regateado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había regateado |
| tú | habías regateado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había regateado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos regateado |
| vosotros/as | habíais regateado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían regateado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré regateado |
| tú | habrás regateado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá regateado |
| nosotros/as | habremos regateado |
| vosotros/as | habréis regateado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán regateado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría regateado |
| tú | habrías regateado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría regateado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos regateado |
| vosotros/as | habríais regateado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían regateado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regatee |
| tú | regatees |
| él/ella/Ud. | regatee |
| nosotros/as | regateemos |
| vosotros/as | regateéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regateen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regateara |
| tú | regatearas |
| él/ella/Ud. | regateara |
| nosotros/as | regateáramos |
| vosotros/as | regatearais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regatearan |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | regatea |
| él/ella/Ud. | regatee |
| nosotros/as | regateemos |
| vosotros/as | regatead |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regateen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | regatees |
| él/ella/Ud. | regatee |
| nosotros/as | regateemos |
| vosotros/as | regateéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regateen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | regateando | with estar for the progressive: estoy regateando |
| Past participle | regateado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he regateado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For regatear, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Regateo el precio en el mercado. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For regatear, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, regateé por un descuento en la tienda. 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 regatear, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, regateaba con el vendedor toda la mañana. 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 regatear, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, regatearé hasta conseguir un buen precio. 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 regatear, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Regatearía el precio en el mercado 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 regatear, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he regateado por un descuento en la tienda. 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 regatear, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había regateado con el vendedor toda la mañana 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 regatear, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré regateado hasta conseguir un buen precio. 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 regatear, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría regateado el precio en el mercado 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For regatear, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él regatee por un descuento en la tienda. 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 regatear, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él regateara con el vendedor toda la mañana, 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For regatear, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Regatea hasta conseguir un buen precio! 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For regatear, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No regatees el precio en el mercado. 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 regatear, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Regateo el precio en el mercado. — I haggle the price in the market.
- Regatea por un descuento en la tienda. — He/she haggles for a discount in the shop.
- Ayer, regateé con el vendedor toda la mañana. — Yesterday, I haggled with the seller all morning.
- Antes, nosotros regateábamos hasta conseguir un buen precio. — Before, we used to haggle until I get a good price.
- Mañana, tú regatearás el precio en el mercado. — Tomorrow, you will haggle the price in the market.
- Yo regatearía por un descuento en la tienda si tuviera más tiempo. — I would haggle for a discount in the shop if I had more time.
- Él ha regateado con el vendedor toda la mañana. — He has haggled with the seller all morning.
- Espero que él regatee hasta conseguir un buen precio. — I hope he haggles until I get a good price.
- Yo ya había regateado el precio en el mercado antes de salir. — I had already haggled the price in the market before leaving.
- Ellos regateaban por un descuento en la tienda cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to haggle for a discount in the shop when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo regatea el precio en el mercado. — Right: Yo regateo el precio en el mercado. — The person matters: regatea is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is regateo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo regateo por un descuento en la tienda. — Right: Ayer yo regateé por un descuento en la tienda. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: regateo is happening now, while regateé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating regatear and negociar as identical in every context. — Right: Regatear means to haggle, while negociar means to negotiate. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: regatear fits sentences such as Regateo el precio en el mercado, while negociar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy regateado por un descuento en la tienda. — Right: Yo he regateado por un descuento en la tienda. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he regateado, has regateado, ha regateado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo regateé con el vendedor toda la mañana todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo regateaba con el vendedor toda la mañana todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (regateaba), not the preterite. The preterite (regateé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on regatear. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el precio en el mercado. (present tense) A. regateo B. regateas C. regatea D. regateamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ por un descuento en la tienda. (preterite) A. regateé B. regateaste C. regatearon D. regateó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ con el vendedor toda la mañana. (imperfect) A. regateabas B. regateaban C. regateábamos D. regateaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ hasta conseguir un buen precio. (future) A. regatearemos B. regatearás C. regatearé D. regateará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el precio en el mercado si pudiera. (conditional) A. regatearía B. regatearías C. regatearían D. regateo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ por un descuento en la tienda. (present subjunctive) A. regatees B. regateemos C. regateo D. regatee
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ con el vendedor toda la mañana, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. regateáramos B. regateo C. regateara D. regatearas
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ hasta conseguir un buen precio. (present perfect) A. han regateado B. hemos regateado C. he regateado D. has regateado
Complete the command: ¡___ el precio en el mercado! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. regatea B. regatee C. regateemos D. regatead
Which is the gerund of regatear, used with estar for the progressive? A. regateado B. regateo C. regateé D. regateando
Answer key
- regateo — The first-person present of regatear is regateo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- regateó — The third-person preterite of regatear is regateó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- regateábamos — The nosotros imperfect of regatear is regateábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- regatearás — The second-person future of regatear is regatearás.
- regatearía — The first-person conditional of regatear is regatearía, the form for what would happen.
- regatee — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of regatear is regatee.
- regateara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of regatear is regateara.
- hemos regateado — The nosotros present perfect of regatear is hemos regateado: hemos + regateado.
- regatea — The affirmative tú imperative of regatear is regatea.
- regateando — The gerund of regatear is regateando: estoy regateando. The participle regateado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does regatear mean in English?
Regatear means to haggle. It is used in everyday situations such as Regateo el precio en el mercado. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is regatear regular or irregular?
Regatear is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including regateo in the present and regateé in the preterite.
What is the difference between regatear and negociar?
Regatear means to haggle, while negociar means to negotiate. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use regatear when you mean to haggle, as in Regateo el precio en el mercado, and use negociar for to negotiate. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I haggle” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo regateé por un descuento en la tienda. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo regateaba con el vendedor toda la mañana. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he regateado por un descuento en la tienda.
How do I practise regatear?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the regatear examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Regatear in the present tense — the full present-tense table for regatear.
- Regatear examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for regatear.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Aguardar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with regatear.
- Descargar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with regatear.
- Arrastrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with regatear.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.