Subir Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb subir means to go up, to climb, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Subir means to go up or to climb, and it covers climbing stairs, climbing a mountain, getting into a car or a bus, and prices going up. It is a regular -ir verb and the opposite of bajar, and it appears constantly in travel and everyday directions. Like every Spanish verb, subir 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 subo las escaleras de dos en dos, and in the preterite you say subí al autobús en la esquina. 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: subir
  • English: to go up, to climb
  • Verb type: regular -ir verb
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: subiendo
  • Past participle: subido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + subido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for subir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Subir is a regular -ir verb: subí, subía, subiré. Subir al autobús is to get on the bus; subir las escaleras is to climb the stairs.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for subir. 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 subo
tú subes
él/ella/Ud. sube
nosotros/as subimos
vosotros/as subís
ellos/ellas/Uds. suben

Preterite

Person Form
yo subí
tú subiste
él/ella/Ud. subió
nosotros/as subimos
vosotros/as subisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. subieron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo subía
tú subías
él/ella/Ud. subía
nosotros/as subíamos
vosotros/as subíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. subían

Future

Person Form
yo subiré
tú subirás
él/ella/Ud. subirá
nosotros/as subiremos
vosotros/as subiréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. subirán

Conditional

Person Form
yo subiría
tú subirías
él/ella/Ud. subiría
nosotros/as subiríamos
vosotros/as subiríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. subirían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he subido
tú has subido
él/ella/Ud. ha subido
nosotros/as hemos subido
vosotros/as habéis subido
ellos/ellas/Uds. han subido

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había subido
tú habías subido
él/ella/Ud. había subido
nosotros/as habíamos subido
vosotros/as habíais subido
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían subido

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré subido
tú habrás subido
él/ella/Ud. habrá subido
nosotros/as habremos subido
vosotros/as habréis subido
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán subido

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría subido
tú habrías subido
él/ella/Ud. habría subido
nosotros/as habríamos subido
vosotros/as habríais subido
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían subido

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo suba
tú subas
él/ella/Ud. suba
nosotros/as subamos
vosotros/as subáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. suban

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo subiera
tú subieras
él/ella/Ud. subiera
nosotros/as subiéramos
vosotros/as subierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. subieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú sube
él/ella/Ud. suba
nosotros/as subamos
vosotros/as subid
ellos/ellas/Uds. suban

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú subas
él/ella/Ud. suba
nosotros/as subamos
vosotros/as subáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. suban

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund subiendo with estar for the progressive: estoy subiendo
Past participle subido with haber for the perfect tenses: he subido

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 subir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Subo las escaleras de dos en dos. 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 subir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, subí la montaña el domingo. 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 subir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, subía al autobús en la esquina. 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 subir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, subiré al tren con la maleta. 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 subir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Subiría las escaleras de dos en dos 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 subir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he subido la montaña el domingo. 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 subir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había subido al autobús en la esquina 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 subir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré subido al tren con la maleta. 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 subir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría subido las escaleras de dos en dos 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 subir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él suba la montaña el domingo. 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 subir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él subiera al autobús en la esquina, 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 subir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Sube al tren con la maleta! 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 subir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No subas las escaleras de dos en dos. 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 subir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Subo las escaleras de dos en dos. — I go up the stairs two at a time.
  2. Sube la montaña el domingo. — He/she goes up the mountain on Sundays.
  3. Ayer, subí al autobús en la esquina. — Yesterday, I went up on the bus at the corner.
  4. Antes, nosotros subíamos al tren con la maleta. — Before, we used to go up on the train with my suitcase.
  5. Mañana, tú subirás las escaleras de dos en dos. — Tomorrow, you will go up the stairs two at a time.
  6. Yo subiría la montaña el domingo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would go up the mountain on Sundays if I had more time.
  7. Él ha subido al autobús en la esquina. — He has gone up on the bus at the corner.
  8. Espero que él suba al tren con la maleta. — I hope he goes up on the train with my suitcase.
  9. Yo ya había subido las escaleras de dos en dos antes de salir. — I had already gone up the stairs two at a time before leaving.
  10. Ellos subían la montaña el domingo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to go up the mountain on Sundays when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo sube las escaleras de dos en dos. — Right: Yo subo las escaleras de dos en dos. — The person matters: sube is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is subo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Vosotros subis la montaña el domingo. — Right: Vosotros subís la montaña el domingo. — The vosotros present form carries a written accent: subís, not subis. The accent marks the stressed vowel.
  3. Wrong: Treating subir and bajar as identical in every context. — Right: Subir means to go up, to climb, while bajar means to go down, its opposite. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: subir fits sentences such as Subo las escaleras de dos en dos, while bajar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy subido la montaña el domingo. — Right: Yo he subido la montaña el domingo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he subido, has subido, ha subido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo subí al autobús en la esquina todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo subía al autobús en la esquina todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (subía), not the preterite. The preterite (subí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on subir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ las escaleras de dos en dos. (present tense) A. subo B. subes C. sube D. subimos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la montaña el domingo. (preterite) A. subí B. subiste C. subieron D. subió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ al autobús en la esquina. (imperfect) A. subías B. subían C. subíamos D. subía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ al tren con la maleta. (future) A. subiremos B. subirás C. subiré D. subirá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ las escaleras de dos en dos si pudiera. (conditional) A. subiría B. subirías C. subirían D. subo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la montaña el domingo. (present subjunctive) A. subas B. subamos C. subo D. suba

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ al autobús en la esquina, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. subiéramos B. subo C. subiera D. subieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ al tren con la maleta. (present perfect) A. han subido B. hemos subido C. he subido D. has subido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ las escaleras de dos en dos! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. sube B. suba C. subamos D. subid

  10. Which is the gerund of subir, used with estar for the progressive? A. subido B. subo C. subí D. subiendo

Answer key

  1. subo — The first-person present of subir is subo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. subió — The third-person preterite of subir is subió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. subíamos — The nosotros imperfect of subir is subíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. subirás — The second-person future of subir is subirás.
  5. subiría — The first-person conditional of subir is subiría, the form for what would happen.
  6. suba — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of subir is suba.
  7. subiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of subir is subiera.
  8. hemos subido — The nosotros present perfect of subir is hemos subido: hemos + subido.
  9. sube — The affirmative tú imperative of subir is sube.
  10. subiendo — The gerund of subir is subiendo: estoy subiendo. The participle subido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does subir mean in English?

Subir means to go up, to climb. It is used in everyday situations such as Subo las escaleras de dos en dos. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is subir regular or irregular?

Subir is a fully regular -ir 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 subo in the present and subí in the preterite.

What is the difference between subir and bajar?

Subir means to go up, to climb, while bajar means to go down, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use subir when you mean to go up, to climb, as in Subo las escaleras de dos en dos, and use bajar for to go down, its opposite. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I go up” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo subí la montaña el domingo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo subía al autobús en la esquina. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he subido la montaña el domingo.

How do I practise subir?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the subir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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