Suplicar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb suplicar means to beg, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Suplicar means to beg, and it is used for begging forgiveness, begging for help and begging a judge for mercy. It is stronger and more emotional than pedir, and it is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is supliqué. Like every Spanish verb, suplicar 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 suplico perdón de rodillas, and in the preterite you say supliqué al juez por clemencia. 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: suplicar
- English: to beg
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: suplicando
- Past participle: suplicado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + suplicado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for suplicar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is supliqué and the subjunctive is suplique, never suplicé or suplice.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for suplicar. 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 | suplico |
| tú | suplicas |
| él/ella/Ud. | suplica |
| nosotros/as | suplicamos |
| vosotros/as | suplicáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suplican |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | supliqué |
| tú | suplicaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | suplicó |
| nosotros/as | suplicamos |
| vosotros/as | suplicasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suplicaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suplicaba |
| tú | suplicabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | suplicaba |
| nosotros/as | suplicábamos |
| vosotros/as | suplicabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suplicaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suplicaré |
| tú | suplicarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | suplicará |
| nosotros/as | suplicaremos |
| vosotros/as | suplicaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suplicarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suplicaría |
| tú | suplicarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | suplicaría |
| nosotros/as | suplicaríamos |
| vosotros/as | suplicaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suplicarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he suplicado |
| tú | has suplicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha suplicado |
| nosotros/as | hemos suplicado |
| vosotros/as | habéis suplicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han suplicado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había suplicado |
| tú | habías suplicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había suplicado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos suplicado |
| vosotros/as | habíais suplicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían suplicado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré suplicado |
| tú | habrás suplicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá suplicado |
| nosotros/as | habremos suplicado |
| vosotros/as | habréis suplicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán suplicado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría suplicado |
| tú | habrías suplicado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría suplicado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos suplicado |
| vosotros/as | habríais suplicado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían suplicado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suplique |
| tú | supliques |
| él/ella/Ud. | suplique |
| nosotros/as | supliquemos |
| vosotros/as | supliquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | supliquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suplicara |
| tú | suplicaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | suplicara |
| nosotros/as | suplicáramos |
| vosotros/as | suplicarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suplicaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | suplica |
| él/ella/Ud. | suplique |
| nosotros/as | supliquemos |
| vosotros/as | suplicad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | supliquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | supliques |
| él/ella/Ud. | suplique |
| nosotros/as | supliquemos |
| vosotros/as | supliquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | supliquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | suplicando | with estar for the progressive: estoy suplicando |
| Past participle | suplicado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he suplicado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For suplicar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Suplico perdón de rodillas. 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 in the first person: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is supliqué. For suplicar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, supliqué ayuda a sus vecinos. 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 suplicar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, suplicaba al juez por clemencia. 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 suplicar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, suplicaré con lágrimas en los ojos. 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 suplicar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Suplicaría perdón de rodillas 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 suplicar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he suplicado ayuda a sus vecinos. 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 suplicar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había suplicado al juez por clemencia 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 suplicar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré suplicado con lágrimas en los ojos. 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 suplicar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría suplicado perdón de rodillas 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: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For suplicar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él suplique ayuda a sus vecinos. 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 suplicar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él suplicara al juez por clemencia, 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: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For suplicar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Suplica con lágrimas en los ojos! 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: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For suplicar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No supliques perdón de rodillas. 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 suplicar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Suplico perdón de rodillas. — I beg forgiveness on his knees.
- Suplica ayuda a sus vecinos. — He/she begs help from her neighbours.
- Ayer, supliqué al juez por clemencia. — Yesterday, I begged the judge for mercy.
- Antes, nosotros suplicábamos con lágrimas en los ojos. — Before, we used to beg with tears in his eyes.
- Mañana, tú suplicarás perdón de rodillas. — Tomorrow, you will beg forgiveness on his knees.
- Yo suplicaría ayuda a sus vecinos si tuviera más tiempo. — I would beg help from her neighbours if I had more time.
- Él ha suplicado al juez por clemencia. — He has begged the judge for mercy.
- Espero que él suplique con lágrimas en los ojos. — I hope he begs with tears in his eyes.
- Yo ya había suplicado perdón de rodillas antes de salir. — I had already begged forgiveness on his knees before leaving.
- Ellos suplicaban ayuda a sus vecinos cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to beg help from her neighbours when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo suplica perdón de rodillas. — Right: Yo suplico perdón de rodillas. — The person matters: suplica is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is suplico. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo suplicé ayuda a sus vecinos. — Right: Yo supliqué ayuda a sus vecinos. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is supliqué, not suplicé. suplicar is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
- Wrong: Treating suplicar and pedir as identical in every context. — Right: Suplicar means to beg, while pedir means to ask for, the plain verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: suplicar fits sentences such as Suplico perdón de rodillas, while pedir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy suplicado ayuda a sus vecinos. — Right: Yo he suplicado ayuda a sus vecinos. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he suplicado, has suplicado, ha suplicado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo supliqué al juez por clemencia todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo suplicaba al juez por clemencia todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (suplicaba), not the preterite. The preterite (supliqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on suplicar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ perdón de rodillas. (present tense) A. suplico B. suplicas C. suplica D. suplicamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ ayuda a sus vecinos. (preterite) A. supliqué B. suplicaste C. suplicaron D. suplicó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ al juez por clemencia. (imperfect) A. suplicabas B. suplicaban C. suplicábamos D. suplicaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con lágrimas en los ojos. (future) A. suplicaremos B. suplicarás C. suplicaré D. suplicará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ perdón de rodillas si pudiera. (conditional) A. suplicaría B. suplicarías C. suplicarían D. suplico
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ ayuda a sus vecinos. (present subjunctive) A. supliques B. supliquemos C. suplico D. suplique
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ al juez por clemencia, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. suplicáramos B. suplico C. suplicara D. suplicaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con lágrimas en los ojos. (present perfect) A. han suplicado B. hemos suplicado C. he suplicado D. has suplicado
Complete the command: ¡___ perdón de rodillas! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. suplica B. suplique C. supliquemos D. suplicad
Which is the gerund of suplicar, used with estar for the progressive? A. suplicado B. suplico C. supliqué D. suplicando
Answer key
- suplico — The first-person present of suplicar is suplico. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- suplicó — The third-person preterite of suplicar is suplicó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- suplicábamos — The nosotros imperfect of suplicar is suplicábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- suplicarás — The second-person future of suplicar is suplicarás.
- suplicaría — The first-person conditional of suplicar is suplicaría, the form for what would happen.
- suplique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of suplicar is suplique.
- suplicara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of suplicar is suplicara.
- hemos suplicado — The nosotros present perfect of suplicar is hemos suplicado: hemos + suplicado.
- suplica — The affirmative tú imperative of suplicar is suplica.
- suplicando — The gerund of suplicar is suplicando: estoy suplicando. The participle suplicado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does suplicar mean in English?
Suplicar means to beg. It is used in everyday situations such as Suplico perdón de rodillas. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is suplicar regular or irregular?
Suplicar 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 suplico in the present and supliqué in the preterite.
What is the difference between suplicar and pedir?
Suplicar means to beg, while pedir means to ask for, the plain verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use suplicar when you mean to beg, as in Suplico perdón de rodillas, and use pedir for to ask for, the plain verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I beg” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo supliqué ayuda a sus vecinos. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo suplicaba al juez por clemencia. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he suplicado ayuda a sus vecinos.
How do I practise suplicar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the suplicar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Suplicar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for suplicar.
- Suplicar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for suplicar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Aceptar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with suplicar.
- Mandar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with suplicar.
- Rechazar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with suplicar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.