Transitar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb transitar means to pass through, to travel, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Transitar means to pass through or to travel along, and it is used for roads, streets and routes: transitar por la carretera, transitar por el centro. It takes por for the route. It is a fully regular -ar verb. Like every Spanish verb, transitar 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 transito por la carretera principal, and in the preterite you say transité con cuidado por el puente. 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: transitar
- English: to pass through, to travel
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: transitando
- Past participle: transitado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + transitado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for transitar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Transitar takes por: transito por la carretera. It is fully regular: transité, transitaba, transitaré.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for transitar. 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 | transito |
| tú | transitas |
| él/ella/Ud. | transita |
| nosotros/as | transitamos |
| vosotros/as | transitáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | transitan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | transité |
| tú | transitaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | transitó |
| nosotros/as | transitamos |
| vosotros/as | transitasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | transitaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | transitaba |
| tú | transitabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | transitaba |
| nosotros/as | transitábamos |
| vosotros/as | transitabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | transitaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | transitaré |
| tú | transitarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | transitará |
| nosotros/as | transitaremos |
| vosotros/as | transitaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | transitarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | transitaría |
| tú | transitarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | transitaría |
| nosotros/as | transitaríamos |
| vosotros/as | transitaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | transitarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he transitado |
| tú | has transitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha transitado |
| nosotros/as | hemos transitado |
| vosotros/as | habéis transitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han transitado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había transitado |
| tú | habías transitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había transitado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos transitado |
| vosotros/as | habíais transitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían transitado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré transitado |
| tú | habrás transitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá transitado |
| nosotros/as | habremos transitado |
| vosotros/as | habréis transitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán transitado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría transitado |
| tú | habrías transitado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría transitado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos transitado |
| vosotros/as | habríais transitado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían transitado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | transite |
| tú | transites |
| él/ella/Ud. | transite |
| nosotros/as | transitemos |
| vosotros/as | transitéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | transiten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | transitara |
| tú | transitaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | transitara |
| nosotros/as | transitáramos |
| vosotros/as | transitarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | transitaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | transita |
| él/ella/Ud. | transite |
| nosotros/as | transitemos |
| vosotros/as | transitad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | transiten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | transites |
| él/ella/Ud. | transite |
| nosotros/as | transitemos |
| vosotros/as | transitéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | transiten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | transitando | with estar for the progressive: estoy transitando |
| Past participle | transitado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he transitado |
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 transitar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Transito por la carretera principal. 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 transitar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, transité por el centro de la ciudad. 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 transitar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, transitaba con cuidado por el puente. 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 transitar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, transitaré por la calle mayor. 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 transitar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Transitaría por la carretera principal 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 transitar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he transitado por el centro de la ciudad. 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 transitar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había transitado con cuidado por el puente 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 transitar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré transitado por la calle mayor. 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 transitar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría transitado por la carretera principal 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 transitar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él transite por el centro de la ciudad. 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 transitar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él transitara con cuidado por el puente, 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 transitar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Transita por la calle mayor! 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 transitar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No transites por la carretera principal. 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 transitar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Transito por la carretera principal. — I travel along the main road.
- Transita por el centro de la ciudad. — He/she travels through the city centre.
- Ayer, transité con cuidado por el puente. — Yesterday, I travelled carefully over the bridge.
- Antes, nosotros transitábamos por la calle mayor. — Before, we used to travel along the main street.
- Mañana, tú transitarás por la carretera principal. — Tomorrow, you will travel along the main road.
- Yo transitaría por el centro de la ciudad si tuviera más tiempo. — I would travel through the city centre if I had more time.
- Él ha transitado con cuidado por el puente. — He has travelled carefully over the bridge.
- Espero que él transite por la calle mayor. — I hope he travels along the main street.
- Yo ya había transitado por la carretera principal antes de salir. — I had already travelled along the main road before leaving.
- Ellos transitaban por el centro de la ciudad cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to travel through the city centre when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo transita por la carretera principal. — Right: Yo transito por la carretera principal. — The person matters: transita is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is transito. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo transito por el centro de la ciudad. — Right: Ayer yo transité por el centro de la ciudad. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: transito is happening now, while transité is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating transitar and circular as identical in every context. — Right: Transitar means to pass through, to travel, while circular means to travel, to circulate. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: transitar fits sentences such as Transito por la carretera principal, while circular belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy transitado por el centro de la ciudad. — Right: Yo he transitado por el centro de la ciudad. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he transitado, has transitado, ha transitado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo transité con cuidado por el puente todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo transitaba con cuidado por el puente todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (transitaba), not the preterite. The preterite (transité) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on transitar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ por la carretera principal. (present tense) A. transito B. transitas C. transita D. transitamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ por el centro de la ciudad. (preterite) A. transité B. transitaste C. transitamos D. transitó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ con cuidado por el puente. (imperfect) A. transitabas B. transito C. transitábamos D. transitaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ por la calle mayor. (future) A. transitaremos B. transitarás C. transitaré D. transitará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ por la carretera principal si pudiera. (conditional) A. transitaría B. transitarías C. transitaríamos D. transito
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ por el centro de la ciudad. (present subjunctive) A. transites B. transitemos C. transito D. transite
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ con cuidado por el puente, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. transitáramos B. transito C. transitara D. transitaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ por la calle mayor. (present perfect) A. ha transitado B. hemos transitado C. he transitado D. has transitado
Complete the command: ¡___ por la carretera principal! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. transita B. transite C. transitemos D. transitad
Which is the gerund of transitar, used with estar for the progressive? A. transitado B. transito C. transité D. transitando
Answer key
- transito — The yo present tense of transitar is transito.
- transitó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of transitar is transitó.
- transitábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of transitar is transitábamos.
- transitarás — The tú future of transitar is transitarás.
- transitaría — The yo conditional of transitar is transitaría.
- transite — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of transitar is transite.
- transitara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of transitar is transitara.
- hemos transitado — The nosotros/as present perfect of transitar is hemos transitado.
- transita — The affirmative tú imperative of transitar is transita.
- transitando — The gerund of transitar is transitando: estoy transitando. The participle transitado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does transitar mean in English?
Transitar means to pass through, to travel. It is used in everyday situations such as Transito por la carretera principal. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is transitar regular or irregular?
Transitar 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 transito in the present and transité in the preterite.
What is the difference between transitar and circular?
Transitar means to pass through, to travel, while circular means to travel, to circulate. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use transitar when you mean to pass through, to travel, as in Transito por la carretera principal, and use circular for to travel, to circulate. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I pass through” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo transité por el centro de la ciudad. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo transitaba con cuidado por el puente. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he transitado por el centro de la ciudad.
How do I practise transitar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the transitar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Transitar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for transitar.
- Transitar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for transitar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Trasladar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with transitar.
- Torear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with transitar.
- Trotar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with transitar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.