Sujetar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb sujetar means to hold, to fasten, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Sujetar means to hold or to fasten, and it is used for holding something in place, fastening a belt or a seatbelt, and holding someone's arm. It is fully regular, and it is the careful, steady partner of agarrar. Like every Spanish verb, sujetar 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 sujeto el cinturón antes de salir, and in the preterite you say sujeté el papel con una pinza. 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: sujetar
  • English: to hold, to fasten
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: sujetando
  • Past participle: sujetado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + sujetado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sujetar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Sujetar is fully regular: sujeté, sujetaba, sujetaré. Sujetar el cinturón is to fasten the seatbelt.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for sujetar. 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 sujeto
tú sujetas
él/ella/Ud. sujeta
nosotros/as sujetamos
vosotros/as sujetáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. sujetan

Preterite

Person Form
yo sujeté
tú sujetaste
él/ella/Ud. sujetó
nosotros/as sujetamos
vosotros/as sujetasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. sujetaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo sujetaba
tú sujetabas
él/ella/Ud. sujetaba
nosotros/as sujetábamos
vosotros/as sujetabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. sujetaban

Future

Person Form
yo sujetaré
tú sujetarás
él/ella/Ud. sujetará
nosotros/as sujetaremos
vosotros/as sujetaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. sujetarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo sujetaría
tú sujetarías
él/ella/Ud. sujetaría
nosotros/as sujetaríamos
vosotros/as sujetaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. sujetarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo sujete
tú sujetes
él/ella/Ud. sujete
nosotros/as sujetemos
vosotros/as sujetéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. sujeten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo sujetara
tú sujetaras
él/ella/Ud. sujetara
nosotros/as sujetáramos
vosotros/as sujetarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. sujetaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú sujeta
él/ella/Ud. sujete
nosotros/as sujetemos
vosotros/as sujetad
ellos/ellas/Uds. sujeten

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú sujetes
él/ella/Ud. sujete
nosotros/as sujetemos
vosotros/as sujetéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. sujeten

Gerund and past participle

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

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 sujetar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Sujeto el cinturón antes de salir. 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 sujetar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, sujeté la puerta con la mano. 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 sujetar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, sujetaba el papel con una pinza. 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 sujetar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, sujetaré a su hijo de la mano. 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 sujetar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Sujetaría el cinturón antes de salir 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 sujetar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he sujetado la puerta con la mano. 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 sujetar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había sujetado el papel con una pinza 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 sujetar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré sujetado a su hijo de la mano. 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 sujetar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría sujetado el cinturón antes de salir 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 sujetar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él sujete la puerta con la mano. 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 sujetar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él sujetara el papel con una pinza, 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 sujetar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Sujeta a su hijo de la mano! 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 sujetar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No sujetes el cinturón antes de salir. 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 sujetar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Sujeto el cinturón antes de salir. — I hold the seatbelt before leaving.
  2. Sujeta la puerta con la mano. — He/she holds the door with my hand.
  3. Ayer, sujeté el papel con una pinza. — Yesterday, I held the paper with a clip.
  4. Antes, nosotros sujetábamos a su hijo de la mano. — Before, we used to hold his son by the hand.
  5. Mañana, tú sujetarás el cinturón antes de salir. — Tomorrow, you will hold the seatbelt before leaving.
  6. Yo sujetaría la puerta con la mano si tuviera más tiempo. — I would hold the door with my hand if I had more time.
  7. Él ha sujetado el papel con una pinza. — He has held the paper with a clip.
  8. Espero que él sujete a su hijo de la mano. — I hope he holds his son by the hand.
  9. Yo ya había sujetado el cinturón antes de salir antes de salir. — I had already held the seatbelt before leaving before leaving.
  10. Ellos sujetaban la puerta con la mano cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to hold the door with my hand when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo sujeta el cinturón antes de salir. — Right: Yo sujeto el cinturón antes de salir. — The person matters: sujeta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is sujeto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo sujeto la puerta con la mano. — Right: Ayer yo sujeté la puerta con la mano. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: sujeto is happening now, while sujeté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating sujetar and agarrar as identical in every context. — Right: Sujetar means to hold, to fasten, while agarrar means to grab. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: sujetar fits sentences such as Sujeto el cinturón antes de salir, while agarrar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy sujetado la puerta con la mano. — Right: Yo he sujetado la puerta con la mano. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sujetado, has sujetado, ha sujetado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo sujeté el papel con una pinza todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo sujetaba el papel con una pinza todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sujetaba), not the preterite. The preterite (sujeté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el cinturón antes de salir. (present tense) A. sujeto B. sujetas C. sujeta D. sujetamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la puerta con la mano. (preterite) A. sujeté B. sujetaste C. sujetaron D. sujetó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el papel con una pinza. (imperfect) A. sujetabas B. sujetaban C. sujetábamos D. sujetaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a su hijo de la mano. (future) A. sujetaremos B. sujetarás C. sujetaré D. sujetará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el cinturón antes de salir si pudiera. (conditional) A. sujetaría B. sujetarías C. sujetarían D. sujeto

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la puerta con la mano. (present subjunctive) A. sujetes B. sujetemos C. sujeto D. sujete

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el papel con una pinza, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. sujetáramos B. sujeto C. sujetara D. sujetaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a su hijo de la mano. (present perfect) A. han sujetado B. hemos sujetado C. he sujetado D. has sujetado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ el cinturón antes de salir! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. sujeta B. sujete C. sujetemos D. sujetad

  10. Which is the gerund of sujetar, used with estar for the progressive? A. sujetado B. sujeto C. sujeté D. sujetando

Answer key

  1. sujeto — The first-person present of sujetar is sujeto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. sujetó — The third-person preterite of sujetar is sujetó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. sujetábamos — The nosotros imperfect of sujetar is sujetábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. sujetarás — The second-person future of sujetar is sujetarás.
  5. sujetaría — The first-person conditional of sujetar is sujetaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. sujete — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of sujetar is sujete.
  7. sujetara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of sujetar is sujetara.
  8. hemos sujetado — The nosotros present perfect of sujetar is hemos sujetado: hemos + sujetado.
  9. sujeta — The affirmative tú imperative of sujetar is sujeta.
  10. sujetando — The gerund of sujetar is sujetando: estoy sujetando. The participle sujetado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does sujetar mean in English?

Sujetar means to hold, to fasten. It is used in everyday situations such as Sujeto el cinturón antes de salir. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is sujetar regular or irregular?

Sujetar 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 sujeto in the present and sujeté in the preterite.

What is the difference between sujetar and agarrar?

Sujetar means to hold, to fasten, while agarrar means to grab. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use sujetar when you mean to hold, to fasten, as in Sujeto el cinturón antes de salir, and use agarrar for to grab. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I hold” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo sujeté la puerta con la mano. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo sujetaba el papel con una pinza. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he sujetado la puerta con la mano.

How do I practise sujetar?

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

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