Simular Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb simular means to simulate — it also means to pretend, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Simular is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of simular in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo simulo una enfermedad — "I simulate an illness" — and in the preterite you say Yo simulé una sonrisa — "I simulated a smile". 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: simular
- English: to simulate, to pretend
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: simulando
- Past participle: simulado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + simulado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for simular, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for simular. 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.
Gerund: simulando · Past participle: simulado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | simulo |
| tú | simulas |
| él/ella/Ud. | simula |
| nosotros/as | simulamos |
| vosotros/as | simuláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | simulan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | simulé |
| tú | simulaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | simuló |
| nosotros/as | simulamos |
| vosotros/as | simulasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | simularon |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | simulaba |
| tú | simulabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | simulaba |
| nosotros/as | simulábamos |
| vosotros/as | simulabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | simulaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | simularé |
| tú | simularás |
| él/ella/Ud. | simulará |
| nosotros/as | simularemos |
| vosotros/as | simularéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | simularán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | simularía |
| tú | simularías |
| él/ella/Ud. | simularía |
| nosotros/as | simularíamos |
| vosotros/as | simularíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | simularían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he simulado |
| tú | has simulado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha simulado |
| nosotros/as | hemos simulado |
| vosotros/as | habéis simulado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han simulado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había simulado |
| tú | habías simulado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había simulado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos simulado |
| vosotros/as | habíais simulado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían simulado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré simulado |
| tú | habrás simulado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá simulado |
| nosotros/as | habremos simulado |
| vosotros/as | habréis simulado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán simulado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría simulado |
| tú | habrías simulado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría simulado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos simulado |
| vosotros/as | habríais simulado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían simulado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | simule |
| tú | simules |
| él/ella/Ud. | simule |
| nosotros/as | simulemos |
| vosotros/as | simuléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | simulen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | simulara |
| tú | simularas |
| él/ella/Ud. | simulara |
| nosotros/as | simuláramos |
| vosotros/as | simularais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | simularan |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | simula |
| él/ella/Ud. | simule |
| nosotros/as | simulemos |
| vosotros/as | simulad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | simulen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | simules |
| él/ella/Ud. | simule |
| nosotros/as | simulemos |
| vosotros/as | simuléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | simulen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | simulando | with estar for the progressive: estoy simulando |
| Past participle | simulado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he simulado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For simular, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo simulo una sonrisa — "I simulate a smile". Learn the present indicative 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 in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For simular, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo simulé estar dormido — "I simulated being asleep". 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 words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For simular, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo simulaba una enfermedad — "I used to simulate an illness". 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. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For simular, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo simularé una sonrisa — "I will simulate a smile". 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 in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For simular, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo simularía estar dormido — "I would simulate being asleep". 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. It connects the past with the present moment. For simular, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he simulado una enfermedad — "I have simulated an illness". 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. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For simular, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había simulado una sonrisa — "I had simulated a smile". 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, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For simular, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré simulado estar dormido — "I will have simulated being asleep". 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. It looks back at a past that never happened. For simular, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría simulado una enfermedad — "I would have simulated an illness". 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. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For simular, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él simule una sonrisa — "I hope he simulates a smile". 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 simular, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo simulara estar dormido, todo cambiaría — "If I simulated being asleep, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) 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. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For simular, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Simule una enfermedad — "Let him simulate an illness". Learn the imperative (affirmative) 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. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For simular, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No simules una sonrisa — "Don't simulate a smile". Learn the imperative (negative) 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 simular, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo simulo estar dormido — "I simulate being asleep"
- Él simula una enfermedad — "He simulates an illness"
- Yo simulé una sonrisa — "I simulated a smile"
- Yo simulaba estar dormido — "I used to simulate being asleep"
- Tú simularás una enfermedad — "You will simulate an illness"
- Yo simularía una sonrisa — "I would simulate a smile"
- Él ha simulado estar dormido — "He has simulated being asleep"
- Espero que él simule una enfermedad — "I hope he simulates an illness"
- Yo había simulado una sonrisa — "I had simulated a smile"
- Ellos simulaban estar dormido — "They used to simulate being asleep"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos simula una enfermedad — Right: Ellos simulan una enfermedad — Ellos needs the ellos form simulan. The singular simula belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo simulo — Right: Ayer, yo simulé — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to simulé.
- Wrong: De niño, yo simulé todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo simulaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (simulaba), not the preterite. The preterite (simulé) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy simulado una sonrisa. — Right: Yo he simulado una sonrisa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he simulado, has simulado, ha simulado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él simula una enfermedad. — Right: Espero que él simule una enfermedad. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: simule. The indicative simula is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on simular. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una enfermedad. (present tense) A. simularíamos B. han simulado C. simulo D. simulamos
Complete the sentence: Él ___ una enfermedad. (preterite) A. simularon B. simulo C. simuléis D. simuló
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una enfermedad. (imperfect) A. simulará B. habríamos simulado C. simulábamos D. simules
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ una enfermedad. (future) A. simularía B. simularían C. simularás D. simuláramos
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una enfermedad. (conditional) A. simularé B. simulaban C. simularía D. simulabas
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una enfermedad. (present subjunctive) A. simularían B. simule C. habíamos simulado D. habrán simulado
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una enfermedad, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. habría simulado B. simulara C. simulasteis D. simuláis
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una enfermedad. (present perfect) A. simulo B. hemos simulado C. he simulado D. simulaste
Complete the command: No ___ una enfermedad. (negative imperative, tú) A. simulen B. simule C. simulemos D. simules
Which is the gerund of simular, used with estar for the progressive? A. simulando B. simularé C. simulaba D. simulé
Answer key
- simulo — The yo present tense of simular is simulo.
- simuló — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of simular is simuló.
- simulábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of simular is simulábamos.
- simularás — The tú future of simular is simularás.
- simularía — The yo conditional of simular is simularía.
- simule — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of simular is simule.
- simulara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of simular is simulara.
- hemos simulado — The nosotros/as present perfect of simular is hemos simulado.
- simules — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: simules.
- simulando — The gerund of simular is simulando: estoy simulando. The participle simulado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does simular mean in English?
Simular means to simulate, to pretend. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo simulo una enfermedad. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is simular regular?
Yes. Simular is a regular -ar verb: simulo, simulas, simula. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the gerund and the past participle of simular?
The gerund is simulando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy simulando. The past participle is simulado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he simulado.
How do I say “I simulate” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo simulé una sonrisa. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo simulaba estar dormido. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he simulado una enfermedad.
How do I practise simular?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the simular examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Simular in the present tense — the full present-tense table for simular.
- Simular examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for simular.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Socializar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with simular.
- Solemnizar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with simular.
- Valorar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with simular.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.