Sumergir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb sumergir means to submerge, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Sumergir means to submerge or to plunge, and it is used for putting something under water and for being absorbed in a book or a task: sumergir el pan en la sopa, sumergirse en un libro. It is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so yo sumerjo and the subjunctive sumerja. Like every Spanish verb, sumergir 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 sumerjo el pan en la sopa, and in the preterite you say sumergí en un libro toda la tarde. 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: sumergir
- English: to submerge
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: sumergiendo
- Past participle: sumergido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + sumergido)
- Pattern to learn: this verb is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is sumerjo and the present subjunctive is sumerja.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for sumergir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Sumergir is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so yo sumerjo and the subjunctive sumerja.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for sumergir. 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 | sumerjo |
| tú | sumerges |
| él/ella/Ud. | sumerge |
| nosotros/as | sumergimos |
| vosotros/as | sumergís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sumergen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sumergí |
| tú | sumergiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | sumergió |
| nosotros/as | sumergimos |
| vosotros/as | sumergisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sumergieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sumergía |
| tú | sumergías |
| él/ella/Ud. | sumergía |
| nosotros/as | sumergíamos |
| vosotros/as | sumergíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sumergían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sumergiré |
| tú | sumergirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | sumergirá |
| nosotros/as | sumergiremos |
| vosotros/as | sumergiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sumergirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sumergiría |
| tú | sumergirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | sumergiría |
| nosotros/as | sumergiríamos |
| vosotros/as | sumergiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sumergirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he sumergido |
| tú | has sumergido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha sumergido |
| nosotros/as | hemos sumergido |
| vosotros/as | habéis sumergido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han sumergido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había sumergido |
| tú | habías sumergido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había sumergido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos sumergido |
| vosotros/as | habíais sumergido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían sumergido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré sumergido |
| tú | habrás sumergido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá sumergido |
| nosotros/as | habremos sumergido |
| vosotros/as | habréis sumergido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán sumergido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría sumergido |
| tú | habrías sumergido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría sumergido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos sumergido |
| vosotros/as | habríais sumergido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían sumergido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sumerja |
| tú | sumerjas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sumerja |
| nosotros/as | sumerjamos |
| vosotros/as | sumergáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sumerjan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sumergiera |
| tú | sumergieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | sumergiera |
| nosotros/as | sumergiéramos |
| vosotros/as | sumergierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sumergieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | sumerge |
| él/ella/Ud. | sumerja |
| nosotros/as | sumerjamos |
| vosotros/as | sumergid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sumerjan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | sumerjas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sumerja |
| nosotros/as | sumerjamos |
| vosotros/as | sumergáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sumerjan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | sumergiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy sumergiendo |
| Past participle | sumergido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he sumergido |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the pattern here: this verb is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is sumerjo and the present subjunctive is sumerja. For sumergir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Sumerjo el pan en la sopa. 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 here: this verb is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is sumerjo and the present subjunctive is sumerja. For sumergir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, sumergí las manos en el agua. 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 sumergir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, sumergía en un libro toda la tarde. 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 sumergir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, sumergiré el barco en el mar. 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 sumergir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Sumergiría el pan en la sopa 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 sumergir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he sumergido las manos en el agua. 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 sumergir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había sumergido en un libro toda la tarde 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 sumergir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré sumergido el barco en el mar. 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 sumergir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría sumergido el pan en la sopa 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: this verb is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is sumerjo and the present subjunctive is sumerja. For sumergir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él sumerja las manos en el agua. 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 sumergir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él sumergiera en un libro toda la tarde, 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: this verb is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is sumerjo and the present subjunctive is sumerja. For sumergir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Sumerge el barco en el mar! 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: this verb is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is sumerjo and the present subjunctive is sumerja. For sumergir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No sumerjas el pan en la sopa. 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 sumergir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Sumerjo el pan en la sopa. — I submerge bread in the soup.
- Sumerge las manos en el agua. — He/she submerges my hands in the water.
- Ayer, sumergí en un libro toda la tarde. — Yesterday, I submerged in a book all afternoon.
- Antes, nosotros sumergíamos el barco en el mar. — Before, we used to submerge the boat in the sea.
- Mañana, tú sumergirás el pan en la sopa. — Tomorrow, you will submerge bread in the soup.
- Yo sumergiría las manos en el agua si tuviera más tiempo. — I would submerge my hands in the water if I had more time.
- Él ha sumergido en un libro toda la tarde. — He has submerged in a book all afternoon.
- Espero que él sumerja el barco en el mar. — I hope he submerges the boat in the sea.
- Yo ya había sumergido el pan en la sopa antes de salir. — I had already submerged bread in the soup before leaving.
- Ellos sumergían las manos en el agua cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to submerge my hands in the water when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo sumerge el pan en la sopa. — Right: Yo sumerjo el pan en la sopa. — The person matters: sumerge is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is sumerjo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo sumergo las manos en el agua. — Right: Yo sumerjo las manos en el agua. — Sumergir is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is sumerjo and the present subjunctive is sumerja. The form sumerjo follows that pattern, not the plain stem plus -o.
- Wrong: Treating sumergir and hundir as identical in every context. — Right: Sumergir means to submerge, while hundir means to sink. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: sumergir fits sentences such as Sumerjo el pan en la sopa, while hundir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy sumergido las manos en el agua. — Right: Yo he sumergido las manos en el agua. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he sumergido, has sumergido, ha sumergido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo sumergí en un libro toda la tarde todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo sumergía en un libro toda la tarde todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (sumergía), not the preterite. The preterite (sumergí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on sumergir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el pan en la sopa. (present tense) A. sumerjo B. sumerges C. sumerge D. sumergimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ las manos en el agua. (preterite) A. sumergí B. sumergiste C. sumergimos D. sumergió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en un libro toda la tarde. (imperfect) A. sumergías B. sumerjo C. sumergíamos D. sumergía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el barco en el mar. (future) A. sumergiremos B. sumergirás C. sumergiré D. sumergirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el pan en la sopa si pudiera. (conditional) A. sumergiría B. sumergirías C. sumergiríamos D. sumerjo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ las manos en el agua. (present subjunctive) A. sumerjas B. sumerjamos C. sumerjo D. sumerja
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en un libro toda la tarde, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. sumergiéramos B. sumerjo C. sumergiera D. sumergieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el barco en el mar. (present perfect) A. ha sumergido B. hemos sumergido C. he sumergido D. has sumergido
Complete the command: ¡___ el pan en la sopa! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. sumerge B. sumerja C. sumerjamos D. sumergid
Which is the gerund of sumergir, used with estar for the progressive? A. sumergido B. sumerjo C. sumergí D. sumergiendo
Answer key
- sumerjo — The yo present tense of sumergir is sumerjo.
- sumergió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of sumergir is sumergió.
- sumergíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of sumergir is sumergíamos.
- sumergirás — The tú future of sumergir is sumergirás.
- sumergiría — The yo conditional of sumergir is sumergiría.
- sumerja — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of sumergir is sumerja.
- sumergiera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of sumergir is sumergiera.
- hemos sumergido — The nosotros/as present perfect of sumergir is hemos sumergido.
- sumerge — The affirmative tú imperative of sumergir is sumerge.
- sumergiendo — The gerund of sumergir is sumergiendo: estoy sumergiendo. The participle sumergido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does sumergir mean in English?
Sumergir means to submerge. It is used in everyday situations such as Sumerjo el pan en la sopa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is sumergir regular or irregular?
Sumergir is a spelling-change verb: it is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is sumerjo and the present subjunctive is sumerja. The endings are regular, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page, including sumerjo in the present and sumergí in the preterite.
What is the difference between sumergir and hundir?
Sumergir means to submerge, while hundir means to sink. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use sumergir when you mean to submerge, as in Sumerjo el pan en la sopa, and use hundir for to sink. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I submerge” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo sumergí las manos en el agua. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo sumergía en un libro toda la tarde. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he sumergido las manos en el agua.
How do I practise sumergir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the sumergir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Sumergir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for sumergir.
- Sumergir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for sumergir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Sufrir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with sumergir.
- Surgir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with sumergir.
- Rugir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with sumergir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.