Tallar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb tallar means to carve, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Tallar means to carve, to cut wood or stone into a shape. It is used for sculptors, woodworkers and traditional crafts, and it is a fully regular verb. Like every Spanish verb, tallar 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 tallo la madera con un cuchillo, and in the preterite you say tallé el tronco del árbol caído. 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: tallar
- English: to carve
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: tallando
- Past participle: tallado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + tallado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for tallar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Tallar is fully regular: tallo, talla. It usually means carving by cutting away material, especially wood or stone.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for tallar. 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 | tallo |
| tú | tallas |
| él/ella/Ud. | talla |
| nosotros/as | tallamos |
| vosotros/as | talláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tallan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tallé |
| tú | tallaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | talló |
| nosotros/as | tallamos |
| vosotros/as | tallasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tallaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tallaba |
| tú | tallabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | tallaba |
| nosotros/as | tallábamos |
| vosotros/as | tallabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tallaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tallaré |
| tú | tallarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | tallará |
| nosotros/as | tallaremos |
| vosotros/as | tallaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tallarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tallaría |
| tú | tallarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | tallaría |
| nosotros/as | tallaríamos |
| vosotros/as | tallaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tallarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he tallado |
| tú | has tallado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha tallado |
| nosotros/as | hemos tallado |
| vosotros/as | habéis tallado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han tallado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había tallado |
| tú | habías tallado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había tallado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos tallado |
| vosotros/as | habíais tallado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían tallado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré tallado |
| tú | habrás tallado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá tallado |
| nosotros/as | habremos tallado |
| vosotros/as | habréis tallado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán tallado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría tallado |
| tú | habrías tallado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría tallado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos tallado |
| vosotros/as | habríais tallado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían tallado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | talle |
| tú | talles |
| él/ella/Ud. | talle |
| nosotros/as | tallemos |
| vosotros/as | talléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tallen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tallara |
| tú | tallaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | tallara |
| nosotros/as | talláramos |
| vosotros/as | tallarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tallaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | talla |
| él/ella/Ud. | talle |
| nosotros/as | tallemos |
| vosotros/as | tallad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tallen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | talles |
| él/ella/Ud. | talle |
| nosotros/as | tallemos |
| vosotros/as | talléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tallen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | tallando | with estar for the progressive: estoy tallando |
| Past participle | tallado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he tallado |
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 tallar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Tallo la madera con un cuchillo. 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 tallar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, tallé una figura en piedra. 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 tallar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, tallaba el tronco del árbol caído. 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 tallar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, tallaré el jamón en lonchas finas. 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 tallar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Tallaría la madera con un cuchillo 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 tallar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he tallado una figura en piedra. 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 tallar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había tallado el tronco del árbol caído 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 tallar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré tallado el jamón en lonchas finas. 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 tallar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría tallado la madera con un cuchillo 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 tallar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él talle una figura en piedra. 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 tallar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él tallara el tronco del árbol caído, 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 tallar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Talla el jamón en lonchas finas! 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 tallar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No talles la madera con un cuchillo. 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 tallar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Tallo la madera con un cuchillo. — I carve the wood with a knife.
- Talla una figura en piedra. — He/she carves a figure in stone.
- Ayer, tallé el tronco del árbol caído. — Yesterday, I carved the trunk of the fallen tree.
- Antes, nosotros tallábamos el jamón en lonchas finas. — Before, we used to carve the ham in thin slices.
- Mañana, tú tallarás la madera con un cuchillo. — Tomorrow, you will carve the wood with a knife.
- Yo tallaría una figura en piedra si tuviera más tiempo. — I would carve a figure in stone if I had more time.
- Él ha tallado el tronco del árbol caído. — He has carved the trunk of the fallen tree.
- Espero que él talle el jamón en lonchas finas. — I hope he carves the ham in thin slices.
- Yo ya había tallado la madera con un cuchillo antes de salir. — I had already carved the wood with a knife before leaving.
- Ellos tallaban una figura en piedra cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to carve a figure in stone when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo talla la madera con un cuchillo. — Right: Yo tallo la madera con un cuchillo. — The person matters: talla is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is tallo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo tallo una figura en piedra. — Right: Ayer yo tallé una figura en piedra. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: tallo is happening now, while tallé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating tallar and esculpir as identical in every context. — Right: Tallar means to carve, while esculpir means to sculpt. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: tallar fits sentences such as Tallo la madera con un cuchillo, while esculpir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy tallado una figura en piedra. — Right: Yo he tallado una figura en piedra. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he tallado, has tallado, ha tallado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo tallé el tronco del árbol caído todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo tallaba el tronco del árbol caído todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (tallaba), not the preterite. The preterite (tallé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on tallar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la madera con un cuchillo. (present tense) A. tallo B. tallas C. talla D. tallamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ una figura en piedra. (preterite) A. tallé B. tallaste C. tallaron D. talló
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el tronco del árbol caído. (imperfect) A. tallabas B. tallaban C. tallábamos D. tallaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el jamón en lonchas finas. (future) A. tallaremos B. tallarás C. tallaré D. tallará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la madera con un cuchillo si pudiera. (conditional) A. tallaría B. tallarías C. tallarían D. tallo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una figura en piedra. (present subjunctive) A. talles B. tallemos C. tallo D. talle
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el tronco del árbol caído, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. talláramos B. tallo C. tallara D. tallaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el jamón en lonchas finas. (present perfect) A. han tallado B. hemos tallado C. he tallado D. has tallado
Complete the command: ¡___ la madera con un cuchillo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. talla B. talle C. tallemos D. tallad
Which is the gerund of tallar, used with estar for the progressive? A. tallado B. tallo C. tallé D. tallando
Answer key
- tallo — The first-person present of tallar is tallo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- talló — The third-person preterite of tallar is talló, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- tallábamos — The nosotros imperfect of tallar is tallábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- tallarás — The second-person future of tallar is tallarás.
- tallaría — The first-person conditional of tallar is tallaría, the form for what would happen.
- talle — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of tallar is talle.
- tallara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of tallar is tallara.
- hemos tallado — The nosotros present perfect of tallar is hemos tallado: hemos + tallado.
- talla — The affirmative tú imperative of tallar is talla.
- tallando — The gerund of tallar is tallando: estoy tallando. The participle tallado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does tallar mean in English?
Tallar means to carve. It is used in everyday situations such as Tallo la madera con un cuchillo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is tallar regular or irregular?
Tallar 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 tallo in the present and tallé in the preterite.
What is the difference between tallar and esculpir?
Tallar means to carve, while esculpir means to sculpt. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use tallar when you mean to carve, as in Tallo la madera con un cuchillo, and use esculpir for to sculpt. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I carve” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo tallé una figura en piedra. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo tallaba el tronco del árbol caído. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he tallado una figura en piedra.
How do I practise tallar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the tallar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Tallar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for tallar.
- Tallar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for tallar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Decorar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with tallar.
- Modelar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with tallar.
- Forjar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with tallar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.