Solicitar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb solicitar means to request, to apply for, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Solicitar means to request or to apply for, and it is the formal verb for asking for a job, a visa, a loan or permission: solicitar un empleo, solicitar un visado. It is a fully regular -ar verb, common in administration and work. Like every Spanish verb, solicitar 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 solicito un empleo en la empresa, and in the preterite you say solicité un préstamo en el banco. 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: solicitar
- English: to request, to apply for
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: solicitando
- Past participle: solicitado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + solicitado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for solicitar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Solicitar is fully regular: solicité, solicitaba, solicitaré. It is the formal way to say pedir.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for solicitar. 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 | solicito |
| tú | solicitas |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicita |
| nosotros/as | solicitamos |
| vosotros/as | solicitáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | solicitan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | solicité |
| tú | solicitaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicitó |
| nosotros/as | solicitamos |
| vosotros/as | solicitasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | solicitaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | solicitaba |
| tú | solicitabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicitaba |
| nosotros/as | solicitábamos |
| vosotros/as | solicitabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | solicitaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | solicitaré |
| tú | solicitarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicitará |
| nosotros/as | solicitaremos |
| vosotros/as | solicitaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | solicitarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | solicitaría |
| tú | solicitarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicitaría |
| nosotros/as | solicitaríamos |
| vosotros/as | solicitaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | solicitarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he solicitado |
| tú | has solicitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha solicitado |
| nosotros/as | hemos solicitado |
| vosotros/as | habéis solicitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han solicitado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había solicitado |
| tú | habías solicitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había solicitado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos solicitado |
| vosotros/as | habíais solicitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían solicitado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré solicitado |
| tú | habrás solicitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá solicitado |
| nosotros/as | habremos solicitado |
| vosotros/as | habréis solicitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán solicitado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría solicitado |
| tú | habrías solicitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría solicitado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos solicitado |
| vosotros/as | habríais solicitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían solicitado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | solicite |
| tú | solicites |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicite |
| nosotros/as | solicitemos |
| vosotros/as | solicitéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | soliciten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | solicitara |
| tú | solicitaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicitara |
| nosotros/as | solicitáramos |
| vosotros/as | solicitarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | solicitaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | solicita |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicite |
| nosotros/as | solicitemos |
| vosotros/as | solicitad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | soliciten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | solicites |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicite |
| nosotros/as | solicitemos |
| vosotros/as | solicitéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | soliciten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | solicitando | with estar for the progressive: estoy solicitando |
| Past participle | solicitado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he solicitado |
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 solicitar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Solicito un empleo en la empresa. 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 solicitar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, solicité un visado para viajar. 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 solicitar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, solicitaba un préstamo en el banco. 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 solicitar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, solicitaré permiso para salir antes. 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 solicitar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Solicitaría un empleo en la empresa 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 solicitar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he solicitado un visado para viajar. 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 solicitar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había solicitado un préstamo en el banco 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 solicitar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré solicitado permiso para salir antes. 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 solicitar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría solicitado un empleo en la empresa 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 solicitar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él solicite un visado para viajar. 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 solicitar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él solicitara un préstamo en el banco, 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 solicitar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Solicita permiso para salir antes! 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 solicitar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No solicites un empleo en la empresa. 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 solicitar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Solicito un empleo en la empresa. — I request a job at the company.
- Solicita un visado para viajar. — He/she requests a visa to travel.
- Ayer, solicité un préstamo en el banco. — Yesterday, I requested a loan at the bank.
- Antes, nosotros solicitábamos permiso para salir antes. — Before, we used to request permission to leave early.
- Mañana, tú solicitarás un empleo en la empresa. — Tomorrow, you will request a job at the company.
- Yo solicitaría un visado para viajar si tuviera más tiempo. — I would request a visa to travel if I had more time.
- Él ha solicitado un préstamo en el banco. — He has requested a loan at the bank.
- Espero que él solicite permiso para salir antes. — I hope he requests permission to leave early.
- Yo ya había solicitado un empleo en la empresa antes de salir. — I had already requested a job at the company before leaving.
- Ellos solicitaban un visado para viajar cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to request a visa to travel when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo solicita un empleo en la empresa. — Right: Yo solicito un empleo en la empresa. — The person matters: solicita is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is solicito. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo solicito un visado para viajar. — Right: Ayer yo solicité un visado para viajar. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: solicito is happening now, while solicité is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating solicitar and pedir as identical in every context. — Right: Solicitar means to request, to apply for, while pedir means to ask for. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: solicitar fits sentences such as Solicito un empleo en la empresa, while pedir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy solicitado un visado para viajar. — Right: Yo he solicitado un visado para viajar. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he solicitado, has solicitado, ha solicitado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo solicité un préstamo en el banco todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo solicitaba un préstamo en el banco todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (solicitaba), not the preterite. The preterite (solicité) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on solicitar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un empleo en la empresa. (present tense) A. solicito B. solicitas C. solicita D. solicitamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ un visado para viajar. (preterite) A. solicité B. solicitaste C. solicitamos D. solicitó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ un préstamo en el banco. (imperfect) A. solicitabas B. solicito C. solicitábamos D. solicitaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ permiso para salir antes. (future) A. solicitaremos B. solicitarás C. solicitaré D. solicitará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un empleo en la empresa si pudiera. (conditional) A. solicitaría B. solicitarías C. solicitaríamos D. solicito
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un visado para viajar. (present subjunctive) A. solicites B. solicitemos C. solicito D. solicite
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ un préstamo en el banco, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. solicitáramos B. solicito C. solicitara D. solicitaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ permiso para salir antes. (present perfect) A. ha solicitado B. hemos solicitado C. he solicitado D. has solicitado
Complete the command: ¡___ un empleo en la empresa! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. solicita B. solicite C. solicitemos D. solicitad
Which is the gerund of solicitar, used with estar for the progressive? A. solicitado B. solicito C. solicité D. solicitando
Answer key
- solicito — The yo present tense of solicitar is solicito.
- solicitó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of solicitar is solicitó.
- solicitábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of solicitar is solicitábamos.
- solicitarás — The tú future of solicitar is solicitarás.
- solicitaría — The yo conditional of solicitar is solicitaría.
- solicite — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of solicitar is solicite.
- solicitara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of solicitar is solicitara.
- hemos solicitado — The nosotros/as present perfect of solicitar is hemos solicitado.
- solicita — The affirmative tú imperative of solicitar is solicita.
- solicitando — The gerund of solicitar is solicitando: estoy solicitando. The participle solicitado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does solicitar mean in English?
Solicitar means to request, to apply for. It is used in everyday situations such as Solicito un empleo en la empresa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is solicitar regular or irregular?
Solicitar 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 solicito in the present and solicité in the preterite.
What is the difference between solicitar and pedir?
Solicitar means to request, to apply for, while pedir means to ask for. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use solicitar when you mean to request, to apply for, as in Solicito un empleo en la empresa, and use pedir for to ask for. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I request” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo solicité un visado para viajar. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo solicitaba un préstamo en el banco. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he solicitado un visado para viajar.
How do I practise solicitar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the solicitar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Solicitar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for solicitar.
- Solicitar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for solicitar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Sobrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with solicitar.
- Sobrepasar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with solicitar.
- Solucionar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with solicitar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.