Tolerar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb tolerar means to tolerate, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Tolerar means to tolerate, and it is used for tolerating noise, heat, pain and other people's opinions: tolerar el ruido, tolerar las críticas. It is a fully regular -ar verb. Like every Spanish verb, tolerar 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 tolero el ruido de la obra, and in the preterite you say toleré las críticas en el trabajo. 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: tolerar
  • English: to tolerate
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: tolerando
  • Past participle: tolerado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + tolerado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for tolerar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Tolerar is fully regular: toleré, toleraba, toleraré.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for tolerar. 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 tolero
tú toleras
él/ella/Ud. tolera
nosotros/as toleramos
vosotros/as toleráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. toleran

Preterite

Person Form
yo toleré
tú toleraste
él/ella/Ud. toleró
nosotros/as toleramos
vosotros/as tolerasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. toleraron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo toleraba
tú tolerabas
él/ella/Ud. toleraba
nosotros/as tolerábamos
vosotros/as tolerabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. toleraban

Future

Person Form
yo toleraré
tú tolerarás
él/ella/Ud. tolerará
nosotros/as toleraremos
vosotros/as toleraréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. tolerarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo toleraría
tú tolerarías
él/ella/Ud. toleraría
nosotros/as toleraríamos
vosotros/as toleraríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. tolerarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo tolere
tú toleres
él/ella/Ud. tolere
nosotros/as toleremos
vosotros/as toleréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. toleren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo tolerara
tú toleraras
él/ella/Ud. tolerara
nosotros/as toleráramos
vosotros/as tolerarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. toleraran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú tolera
él/ella/Ud. tolere
nosotros/as toleremos
vosotros/as tolerad
ellos/ellas/Uds. toleren

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú toleres
él/ella/Ud. tolere
nosotros/as toleremos
vosotros/as toleréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. toleren

Gerund and past participle

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

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 tolerar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Tolero el ruido de la obra. 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 tolerar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, toleré el calor del verano. 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 tolerar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, toleraba las críticas en el trabajo. 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 tolerar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, toleraré a su vecino ruidoso. 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 tolerar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Toleraría el ruido de la obra 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 tolerar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he tolerado el calor del verano. 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 tolerar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había tolerado las críticas en el trabajo 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 tolerar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré tolerado a su vecino ruidoso. 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 tolerar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría tolerado el ruido de la obra 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 tolerar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él tolere el calor del verano. 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 tolerar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él tolerara las críticas en el trabajo, 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 tolerar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Tolera a su vecino ruidoso! 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 tolerar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No toleres el ruido de la obra. 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 tolerar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Tolero el ruido de la obra. — I tolerate the building-site noise.
  2. Tolera el calor del verano. — He/she tolerates the summer heat.
  3. Ayer, toleré las críticas en el trabajo. — Yesterday, I tolerated criticism at work.
  4. Antes, nosotros tolerábamos a su vecino ruidoso. — Before, we used to tolerate his noisy neighbour.
  5. Mañana, tú tolerarás el ruido de la obra. — Tomorrow, you will tolerate the building-site noise.
  6. Yo toleraría el calor del verano si tuviera más tiempo. — I would tolerate the summer heat if I had more time.
  7. Él ha tolerado las críticas en el trabajo. — He has tolerated criticism at work.
  8. Espero que él tolere a su vecino ruidoso. — I hope he tolerates his noisy neighbour.
  9. Yo ya había tolerado el ruido de la obra antes de salir. — I had already tolerated the building-site noise before leaving.
  10. Ellos toleraban el calor del verano cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to tolerate the summer heat when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo tolera el ruido de la obra. — Right: Yo tolero el ruido de la obra. — The person matters: tolera is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is tolero. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo tolero el calor del verano. — Right: Ayer yo toleré el calor del verano. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: tolero is happening now, while toleré is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating tolerar and soportar as identical in every context. — Right: Tolerar means to tolerate, while soportar means to put up with. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: tolerar fits sentences such as Tolero el ruido de la obra, while soportar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy tolerado el calor del verano. — Right: Yo he tolerado el calor del verano. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he tolerado, has tolerado, ha tolerado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo toleré las críticas en el trabajo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo toleraba las críticas en el trabajo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (toleraba), not the preterite. The preterite (toleré) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el ruido de la obra. (present tense) A. tolero B. toleras C. tolera D. toleramos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el calor del verano. (preterite) A. toleré B. toleraste C. toleramos D. toleró

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ las críticas en el trabajo. (imperfect) A. tolerabas B. tolero C. tolerábamos D. toleraba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a su vecino ruidoso. (future) A. toleraremos B. tolerarás C. toleraré D. tolerará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el ruido de la obra si pudiera. (conditional) A. toleraría B. tolerarías C. toleraríamos D. tolero

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el calor del verano. (present subjunctive) A. toleres B. toleremos C. tolero D. tolere

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ las críticas en el trabajo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. toleráramos B. tolero C. tolerara D. toleraras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a su vecino ruidoso. (present perfect) A. ha tolerado B. hemos tolerado C. he tolerado D. has tolerado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ el ruido de la obra! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. tolera B. tolere C. toleremos D. tolerad

  10. Which is the gerund of tolerar, used with estar for the progressive? A. tolerado B. tolero C. toleré D. tolerando

Answer key

  1. tolero — The yo present tense of tolerar is tolero.
  2. toleró — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of tolerar is toleró.
  3. tolerábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of tolerar is tolerábamos.
  4. tolerarás — The tú future of tolerar is tolerarás.
  5. toleraría — The yo conditional of tolerar is toleraría.
  6. tolere — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of tolerar is tolere.
  7. tolerara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of tolerar is tolerara.
  8. hemos tolerado — The nosotros/as present perfect of tolerar is hemos tolerado.
  9. tolera — The affirmative tú imperative of tolerar is tolera.
  10. tolerando — The gerund of tolerar is tolerando: estoy tolerando. The participle tolerado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does tolerar mean in English?

Tolerar means to tolerate. It is used in everyday situations such as Tolero el ruido de la obra. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is tolerar regular or irregular?

Tolerar 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 tolero in the present and toleré in the preterite.

What is the difference between tolerar and soportar?

Tolerar means to tolerate, while soportar means to put up with. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use tolerar when you mean to tolerate, as in Tolero el ruido de la obra, and use soportar for to put up with. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I tolerate” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo toleré el calor del verano. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo toleraba las críticas en el trabajo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he tolerado el calor del verano.

How do I practise tolerar?

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

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