Tutear Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb tutear means to address as tú, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Tutear means to address someone as tú, using the informal form instead of the formal usted. It is a social verb: friends tutean each other, and people agree to tutearse when a relationship becomes close. The verb matters because choosing tú or usted is one of the first social decisions a Spanish learner has to make. Like every Spanish verb, tutear 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 tuteo a mis amigos desde el primer día, and in the preterite you say tuteé a mi profesor con su permiso. 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: tutear
  • English: to address as tú
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: tuteando
  • Past participle: tuteado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + tuteado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for tutear, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Tutear takes a person as its object: tuteo a mi amigo. To say two people use tú with each other, use the reflexive form tutearse.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for tutear. 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 tuteo
tú tuteas
él/ella/Ud. tutea
nosotros/as tuteamos
vosotros/as tuteáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. tutean

Preterite

Person Form
yo tuteé
tú tuteaste
él/ella/Ud. tuteó
nosotros/as tuteamos
vosotros/as tuteasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. tutearon

Imperfect

Person Form
yo tuteaba
tú tuteabas
él/ella/Ud. tuteaba
nosotros/as tuteábamos
vosotros/as tuteabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. tuteaban

Future

Person Form
yo tutearé
tú tutearás
él/ella/Ud. tuteará
nosotros/as tutearemos
vosotros/as tutearéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. tutearán

Conditional

Person Form
yo tutearía
tú tutearías
él/ella/Ud. tutearía
nosotros/as tutearíamos
vosotros/as tutearíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. tutearían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo tutee
tú tutees
él/ella/Ud. tutee
nosotros/as tuteemos
vosotros/as tuteéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. tuteen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo tuteara
tú tutearas
él/ella/Ud. tuteara
nosotros/as tuteáramos
vosotros/as tutearais
ellos/ellas/Uds. tutearan

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú tutea
él/ella/Ud. tutee
nosotros/as tuteemos
vosotros/as tutead
ellos/ellas/Uds. tuteen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú tutees
él/ella/Ud. tutee
nosotros/as tuteemos
vosotros/as tuteéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. tuteen

Gerund and past participle

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

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 tutear, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Tuteo a mis amigos desde el primer día. 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 tutear, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, tuteé a mis compañeros de trabajo. 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 tutear, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, tuteaba a mi profesor con su permiso. 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 tutear, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, tutearé a los clientes en la tienda. 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 tutear, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Tutearía a mis amigos desde el primer día 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 tutear, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he tuteado a mis compañeros de trabajo. 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 tutear, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había tuteado a mi profesor con su permiso 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 tutear, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré tuteado a los clientes en la tienda. 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 tutear, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría tuteado a mis amigos desde el primer día 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 tutear, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él tutee a mis compañeros de trabajo. 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 tutear, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él tuteara a mi profesor con su permiso, 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 tutear, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡tutea a los clientes en la tienda! 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 tutear, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No tutees a mis amigos desde el primer día. 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 tutear, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Tuteo a mis amigos desde el primer día. — I address my friends as tú from the first day.
  2. Tutea a mis compañeros de trabajo. — He/she addresses my work colleagues as tú.
  3. Ayer, tuteé a mi profesor con su permiso. — Yesterday, I addressed my teacher as tú, with his permission.
  4. Antes, nosotros tuteábamos a los clientes en la tienda. — Before, we used to address the customers in the shop as tú.
  5. Mañana, tú tutearás a mis amigos desde el primer día. — Tomorrow, you will address my friends as tú from the first day.
  6. Yo tutearía a mis compañeros de trabajo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would address my work colleagues as tú if I had more time.
  7. Él ha tuteado a mi profesor con su permiso. — He has addressed my teacher as tú, with his permission.
  8. Espero que él tutee a los clientes en la tienda. — I hope he addresses the customers in the shop as tú.
  9. Yo ya había tuteado a mis amigos desde el primer día antes de salir. — I had already addressed my friends as tú from the first day before leaving.
  10. Ellos tuteaban a mis compañeros de trabajo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to address my work colleagues as tú when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo tutea a mis amigos desde el primer día. — Right: Yo tuteo a mis amigos desde el primer día. — The person matters: tutea is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is tuteo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating tutear and tratar de usted as identical in every context. — Right: Tutear means to address as tú, while tratar de usted means to address someone formally as usted. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: tutear fits sentences such as Tuteo a mis amigos desde el primer día, while tratar de usted belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy tuteado a mis compañeros de trabajo. — Right: Yo he tuteado a mis compañeros de trabajo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he tuteado, has tuteado, ha tuteado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo tuteé a mi profesor con su permiso todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo tuteaba a mi profesor con su permiso todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (tuteaba), not the preterite. The preterite (tuteé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a mis amigos desde el primer día. (present tense) A. tuteo B. tuteas C. tutea D. tuteamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a mis compañeros de trabajo. (preterite) A. tuteé B. tuteaste C. tutearon D. tuteó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a mi profesor con su permiso. (imperfect) A. tuteabas B. tuteaban C. tuteábamos D. tuteaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a los clientes en la tienda. (future) A. tutearemos B. tutearás C. tutearé D. tuteará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a mis amigos desde el primer día si pudiera. (conditional) A. tutearía B. tutearías C. tutearían D. tuteo

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a mis compañeros de trabajo. (present subjunctive) A. tutees B. tuteemos C. tuteo D. tutee

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a mi profesor con su permiso, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. tuteáramos B. tuteo C. tuteara D. tutearas

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a los clientes en la tienda. (present perfect) A. han tuteado B. hemos tuteado C. he tuteado D. has tuteado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ a mis amigos desde el primer día! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. tutea B. tutee C. tuteemos D. tutead

  10. Which is the gerund of tutear, used with estar for the progressive? A. tuteado B. tuteo C. tuteé D. tuteando

Answer key

  1. tuteo — The first-person present of tutear is tuteo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. tuteó — The third-person preterite of tutear is tuteó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. tuteábamos — The nosotros imperfect of tutear is tuteábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. tutearás — The second-person future of tutear is tutearás.
  5. tutearía — The first-person conditional of tutear is tutearía, the form for what would happen.
  6. tutee — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of tutear is tutee.
  7. tuteara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of tutear is tuteara.
  8. hemos tuteado — The nosotros present perfect of tutear is hemos tuteado: hemos + tuteado.
  9. tutea — The affirmative tú imperative of tutear is tutea.
  10. tuteando — The gerund of tutear is tuteando: estoy tuteando. The participle tuteado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does tutear mean in English?

Tutear means to address as tú. It is used in everyday situations such as Tuteo a mis amigos desde el primer día. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is tutear regular or irregular?

Tutear 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 tuteo in the present and tuteé in the preterite.

What is the difference between tutear and tratar de usted?

Tutear means to address as tú, while tratar de usted means to address someone formally as usted. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use tutear when you mean to address as tú, as in Tuteo a mis amigos desde el primer día, and use tratar de usted for to address someone formally as usted. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I address as tú” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo tuteé a mis compañeros de trabajo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo tuteaba a mi profesor con su permiso. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he tuteado a mis compañeros de trabajo.

How do I practise tutear?

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

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