Significar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb significar means to mean, to signify, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Significar means to mean or to signify, and it is used for a word meaning something, an event meaning a lot to a family and a change meaning a new era. It is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is signifiqué. Like every Spanish verb, significar 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 significo mucho para la familia, and in the preterite you say signifiqué lo mismo en todos los idiomas. 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: significar
- English: to mean, to signify
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: significando
- Past participle: significado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + significado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for significar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is signifiqué and the subjunctive is signifique.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for significar. 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 | significo |
| tú | significas |
| él/ella/Ud. | significa |
| nosotros/as | significamos |
| vosotros/as | significáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | significan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | signifiqué |
| tú | significaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | significó |
| nosotros/as | significamos |
| vosotros/as | significasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | significaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | significaba |
| tú | significabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | significaba |
| nosotros/as | significábamos |
| vosotros/as | significabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | significaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | significaré |
| tú | significarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | significará |
| nosotros/as | significaremos |
| vosotros/as | significaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | significarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | significaría |
| tú | significarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | significaría |
| nosotros/as | significaríamos |
| vosotros/as | significaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | significarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he significado |
| tú | has significado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha significado |
| nosotros/as | hemos significado |
| vosotros/as | habéis significado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han significado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había significado |
| tú | habías significado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había significado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos significado |
| vosotros/as | habíais significado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían significado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré significado |
| tú | habrás significado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá significado |
| nosotros/as | habremos significado |
| vosotros/as | habréis significado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán significado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría significado |
| tú | habrías significado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría significado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos significado |
| vosotros/as | habríais significado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían significado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | signifique |
| tú | signifiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | signifique |
| nosotros/as | signifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | signifiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | signifiquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | significara |
| tú | significaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | significara |
| nosotros/as | significáramos |
| vosotros/as | significarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | significaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | significa |
| él/ella/Ud. | signifique |
| nosotros/as | signifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | significad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | signifiquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | signifiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | signifique |
| nosotros/as | signifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | signifiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | signifiquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | significando | with estar for the progressive: estoy significando |
| Past participle | significado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he significado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For significar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Significo mucho para la familia. 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. Note the spelling change in the first person: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is signifiqué. For significar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, signifiqué un cambio en la empresa. 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 significar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, significaba lo mismo en todos los idiomas. 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 significar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, significaré el fin de una era. 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 significar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Significaría mucho para la familia 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 significar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he significado un cambio en la empresa. 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 significar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había significado lo mismo en todos los idiomas 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 significar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré significado el fin de una era. 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 significar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría significado mucho para la familia 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For significar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él signifique un cambio en la empresa. 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 significar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él significara lo mismo en todos los idiomas, 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For significar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Significa el fin de una era! 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For significar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No signifiques mucho para la familia. 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 significar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Significo mucho para la familia. — I mean a lot to the family.
- Significa un cambio en la empresa. — He/she means a change in the company.
- Ayer, signifiqué lo mismo en todos los idiomas. — Yesterday, I meant the same thing in every language.
- Antes, nosotros significábamos el fin de una era. — Before, we used to mean the end of an era.
- Mañana, tú significarás mucho para la familia. — Tomorrow, you will mean a lot to the family.
- Yo significaría un cambio en la empresa si tuviera más tiempo. — I would mean a change in the company if I had more time.
- Él ha significado lo mismo en todos los idiomas. — He has meant the same thing in every language.
- Espero que él signifique el fin de una era. — I hope he means the end of an era.
- Yo ya había significado mucho para la familia antes de salir. — I had already meant a lot to the family before leaving.
- Ellos significaban un cambio en la empresa cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to mean a change in the company when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo significa mucho para la familia. — Right: Yo significo mucho para la familia. — The person matters: significa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is significo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo significé un cambio en la empresa. — Right: Yo signifiqué un cambio en la empresa. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is signifiqué, not significé. significar is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
- Wrong: Treating significar and querer as identical in every context. — Right: Significar means to mean, to signify, while querer means to mean, in the querer decir sense. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: significar fits sentences such as Significo mucho para la familia, while querer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy significado un cambio en la empresa. — Right: Yo he significado un cambio en la empresa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he significado, has significado, ha significado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo signifiqué lo mismo en todos los idiomas todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo significaba lo mismo en todos los idiomas todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (significaba), not the preterite. The preterite (signifiqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on significar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mucho para la familia. (present tense) A. significo B. significas C. significa D. significamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ un cambio en la empresa. (preterite) A. signifiqué B. significaste C. significaron D. significó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ lo mismo en todos los idiomas. (imperfect) A. significabas B. significaban C. significábamos D. significaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el fin de una era. (future) A. significaremos B. significarás C. significaré D. significará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mucho para la familia si pudiera. (conditional) A. significaría B. significarías C. significarían D. significo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un cambio en la empresa. (present subjunctive) A. signifiques B. signifiquemos C. significo D. signifique
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ lo mismo en todos los idiomas, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. significáramos B. significo C. significara D. significaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el fin de una era. (present perfect) A. han significado B. hemos significado C. he significado D. has significado
Complete the command: ¡___ mucho para la familia! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. significa B. signifique C. signifiquemos D. significad
Which is the gerund of significar, used with estar for the progressive? A. significado B. significo C. signifiqué D. significando
Answer key
- significo — The first-person present of significar is significo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- significó — The third-person preterite of significar is significó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- significábamos — The nosotros imperfect of significar is significábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- significarás — The second-person future of significar is significarás.
- significaría — The first-person conditional of significar is significaría, the form for what would happen.
- signifique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of significar is signifique.
- significara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of significar is significara.
- hemos significado — The nosotros present perfect of significar is hemos significado: hemos + significado.
- significa — The affirmative tú imperative of significar is significa.
- significando — The gerund of significar is significando: estoy significando. The participle significado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does significar mean in English?
Significar means to mean, to signify. It is used in everyday situations such as Significo mucho para la familia. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is significar regular or irregular?
Significar 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 significo in the present and signifiqué in the preterite.
What is the difference between significar and querer?
Significar means to mean, to signify, while querer means to mean, in the querer decir sense. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use significar when you mean to mean, to signify, as in Significo mucho para la familia, and use querer for to mean, in the querer decir sense. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I mean” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo signifiqué un cambio en la empresa. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo significaba lo mismo en todos los idiomas. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he significado un cambio en la empresa.
How do I practise significar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the significar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Significar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for significar.
- Significar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for significar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Identificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with significar.
- Verificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with significar.
- Clasificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with significar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.