Tardar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb tardar means to take (time), to be late, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Tardar means to take time or to be late, and it is the verb for durations: tardar dos horas en llegar, tardar mucho. It takes en plus an infinitive for the activity, and it is fully regular. The construction tardar en is one of the most useful time expressions in Spanish. Like every Spanish verb, tardar 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 tardo dos horas en llegar, and in the preterite you say tardé una semana en terminar. 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: tardar
- English: to take (time), to be late
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: tardando
- Past participle: tardado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + tardado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for tardar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Tardar en plus an infinitive gives the duration: tardo dos horas en llegar. Tardar mucho is to take a long time.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for tardar. 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 | tardo |
| tú | tardas |
| él/ella/Ud. | tarda |
| nosotros/as | tardamos |
| vosotros/as | tardáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tardé |
| tú | tardaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | tardó |
| nosotros/as | tardamos |
| vosotros/as | tardasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tardaba |
| tú | tardabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | tardaba |
| nosotros/as | tardábamos |
| vosotros/as | tardabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tardaré |
| tú | tardarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | tardará |
| nosotros/as | tardaremos |
| vosotros/as | tardaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tardaría |
| tú | tardarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | tardaría |
| nosotros/as | tardaríamos |
| vosotros/as | tardaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he tardado |
| tú | has tardado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha tardado |
| nosotros/as | hemos tardado |
| vosotros/as | habéis tardado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han tardado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había tardado |
| tú | habías tardado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había tardado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos tardado |
| vosotros/as | habíais tardado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían tardado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré tardado |
| tú | habrás tardado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá tardado |
| nosotros/as | habremos tardado |
| vosotros/as | habréis tardado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán tardado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría tardado |
| tú | habrías tardado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría tardado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos tardado |
| vosotros/as | habríais tardado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían tardado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tarde |
| tú | tardes |
| él/ella/Ud. | tarde |
| nosotros/as | tardemos |
| vosotros/as | tardéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tarden |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tardara |
| tú | tardaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | tardara |
| nosotros/as | tardáramos |
| vosotros/as | tardarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | tarda |
| él/ella/Ud. | tarde |
| nosotros/as | tardemos |
| vosotros/as | tardad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tarden |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | tardes |
| él/ella/Ud. | tarde |
| nosotros/as | tardemos |
| vosotros/as | tardéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tarden |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | tardando | with estar for the progressive: estoy tardando |
| Past participle | tardado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he tardado |
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 tardar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Tardo dos horas en llegar. 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 tardar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, tardé mucho en vestirse. 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 tardar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, tardaba una semana en terminar. 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 tardar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, tardaré poco en cocinar. 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 tardar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Tardaría dos horas en llegar 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 tardar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he tardado mucho en vestirse. 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 tardar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había tardado una semana en terminar 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 tardar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré tardado poco en cocinar. 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 tardar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría tardado dos horas en llegar 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 tardar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él tarde mucho en vestirse. 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 tardar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él tardara una semana en terminar, 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 tardar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Tarda poco en cocinar! 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 tardar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No tardes dos horas en llegar. 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 tardar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Tardo dos horas en llegar. — I take two hours to arrive.
- Tarda mucho en vestirse. — He/she takes a long time to get dressed.
- Ayer, tardé una semana en terminar. — Yesterday, I took a week to finish.
- Antes, nosotros tardábamos poco en cocinar. — Before, we used to take a short time to cook.
- Mañana, tú tardarás dos horas en llegar. — Tomorrow, you will take two hours to arrive.
- Yo tardaría mucho en vestirse si tuviera más tiempo. — I would take a long time to get dressed if I had more time.
- Él ha tardado una semana en terminar. — He has taken a week to finish.
- Espero que él tarde poco en cocinar. — I hope he takes a short time to cook.
- Yo ya había tardado dos horas en llegar antes de salir. — I had already taken two hours to arrive before leaving.
- Ellos tardaban mucho en vestirse cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to take a long time to get dressed when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo tarda dos horas en llegar. — Right: Yo tardo dos horas en llegar. — The person matters: tarda is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is tardo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo tardo mucho en vestirse. — Right: Ayer yo tardé mucho en vestirse. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: tardo is happening now, while tardé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating tardar and demorar as identical in every context. — Right: Tardar means to take (time), to be late, while demorar means to delay. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: tardar fits sentences such as Tardo dos horas en llegar, while demorar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy tardado mucho en vestirse. — Right: Yo he tardado mucho en vestirse. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he tardado, has tardado, ha tardado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo tardé una semana en terminar todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo tardaba una semana en terminar todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (tardaba), not the preterite. The preterite (tardé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on tardar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ dos horas en llegar. (present tense) A. tardo B. tardas C. tarda D. tardamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ mucho en vestirse. (preterite) A. tardé B. tardaste C. tardamos D. tardó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ una semana en terminar. (imperfect) A. tardabas B. tardo C. tardábamos D. tardaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ poco en cocinar. (future) A. tardaremos B. tardarás C. tardaré D. tardará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ dos horas en llegar si pudiera. (conditional) A. tardaría B. tardarías C. tardaríamos D. tardo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ mucho en vestirse. (present subjunctive) A. tardes B. tardemos C. tardo D. tarde
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ una semana en terminar, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. tardáramos B. tardo C. tardara D. tardaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ poco en cocinar. (present perfect) A. ha tardado B. hemos tardado C. he tardado D. has tardado
Complete the command: ¡___ dos horas en llegar! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. tarda B. tarde C. tardemos D. tardad
Which is the gerund of tardar, used with estar for the progressive? A. tardado B. tardo C. tardé D. tardando
Answer key
- tardo — The yo present tense of tardar is tardo.
- tardó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of tardar is tardó.
- tardábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of tardar is tardábamos.
- tardarás — The tú future of tardar is tardarás.
- tardaría — The yo conditional of tardar is tardaría.
- tarde — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of tardar is tarde.
- tardara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of tardar is tardara.
- hemos tardado — The nosotros/as present perfect of tardar is hemos tardado.
- tarda — The affirmative tú imperative of tardar is tarda.
- tardando — The gerund of tardar is tardando: estoy tardando. The participle tardado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does tardar mean in English?
Tardar means to take (time), to be late. It is used in everyday situations such as Tardo dos horas en llegar. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is tardar regular or irregular?
Tardar 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 tardo in the present and tardé in the preterite.
What is the difference between tardar and demorar?
Tardar means to take (time), to be late, while demorar means to delay. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use tardar when you mean to take (time), to be late, as in Tardo dos horas en llegar, and use demorar for to delay. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I take (time)” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo tardé mucho en vestirse. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo tardaba una semana en terminar. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he tardado mucho en vestirse.
How do I practise tardar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the tardar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Tardar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for tardar.
- Tardar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for tardar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Testificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with tardar.
- Triunfar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with tardar.
- Tolerar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with tardar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.