Untar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb untar means to spread (butter), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Untar is a regular -ar verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of untar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo unto mantequilla en el pan — "I spread butter on the bread" — and in the preterite you say Yo unté el pan con mantequilla — "I spread the bread with butter". 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: untar
- English: to spread (butter)
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: untando
- Past participle: untado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + untado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for untar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for untar. 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.
Gerund: untando · Past participle: untado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | unto |
| tú | untas |
| él/ella/Ud. | unta |
| nosotros/as | untamos |
| vosotros/as | untáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | untan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | unté |
| tú | untaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | untó |
| nosotros/as | untamos |
| vosotros/as | untasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | untaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | untaba |
| tú | untabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | untaba |
| nosotros/as | untábamos |
| vosotros/as | untabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | untaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | untaré |
| tú | untarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | untará |
| nosotros/as | untaremos |
| vosotros/as | untaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | untarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | untaría |
| tú | untarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | untaría |
| nosotros/as | untaríamos |
| vosotros/as | untaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | untarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he untado |
| tú | has untado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha untado |
| nosotros/as | hemos untado |
| vosotros/as | habéis untado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han untado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había untado |
| tú | habías untado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había untado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos untado |
| vosotros/as | habíais untado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían untado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré untado |
| tú | habrás untado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá untado |
| nosotros/as | habremos untado |
| vosotros/as | habréis untado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán untado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría untado |
| tú | habrías untado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría untado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos untado |
| vosotros/as | habríais untado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían untado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | unte |
| tú | untes |
| él/ella/Ud. | unte |
| nosotros/as | untemos |
| vosotros/as | untéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | unten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | untara |
| tú | untaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | untara |
| nosotros/as | untáramos |
| vosotros/as | untarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | untaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | unta |
| él/ella/Ud. | unte |
| nosotros/as | untemos |
| vosotros/as | untad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | unten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | untes |
| él/ella/Ud. | unte |
| nosotros/as | untemos |
| vosotros/as | untéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | unten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | untando | with estar for the progressive: estoy untando |
| Past participle | untado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he untado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For untar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo unto el pan con mantequilla — "I spread the bread with butter". Learn the present indicative 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 in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For untar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo unté queso en la tostada — "I spread cheese on the toast". 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 words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For untar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo untaba mantequilla en el pan — "I used to spread butter on the bread". 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. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For untar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo untaré el pan con mantequilla — "I will spread the bread with butter". 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 in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For untar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo untaría queso en la tostada — "I would spread cheese on the toast". 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. It connects the past with the present moment. For untar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he untado mantequilla en el pan — "I have spread butter on the bread". 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. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For untar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había untado el pan con mantequilla — "I had spread the bread with butter". 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, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For untar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré untado queso en la tostada — "I will have spread cheese on the toast". 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. It looks back at a past that never happened. For untar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría untado mantequilla en el pan — "I would have spread butter on the bread". 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. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For untar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él unte el pan con mantequilla — "I hope he spreads the bread with butter". 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 untar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo untara queso en la tostada, todo cambiaría — "If I spread cheese on the toast, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) 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. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For untar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Unte mantequilla en el pan — "Let him spread butter on the bread". Learn the imperative (affirmative) 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. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For untar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No untes el pan con mantequilla — "Don't spread the bread with butter". Learn the imperative (negative) 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 untar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo unto queso en la tostada — "I spread cheese on the toast"
- Él unta mantequilla en el pan — "He spreads butter on the bread"
- Yo unté el pan con mantequilla — "I spread the bread with butter"
- Yo untaba queso en la tostada — "I used to spread cheese on the toast"
- Tú untarás mantequilla en el pan — "You will spread butter on the bread"
- Yo untaría el pan con mantequilla — "I would spread the bread with butter"
- Él ha untado queso en la tostada — "He has spread cheese on the toast"
- Espero que él unte mantequilla en el pan — "I hope he spreads butter on the bread"
- Yo había untado el pan con mantequilla — "I had spread the bread with butter"
- Ellos untaban queso en la tostada — "They used to spread cheese on the toast"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos unta mantequilla en el pan — Right: Ellos untan mantequilla en el pan — Ellos needs the ellos form untan. The singular unta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo unto — Right: Ayer, yo unté — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to unté.
- Wrong: De niño, yo unté todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo untaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (untaba), not the preterite. The preterite (unté) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy untado el pan con mantequilla. — Right: Yo he untado el pan con mantequilla. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he untado, has untado, ha untado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él unta mantequilla en el pan. — Right: Espero que él unte mantequilla en el pan. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: unte. The indicative unta is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on untar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mantequilla en el pan. (present tense) A. habré untado B. unto C. han untado D. untaba
Complete the sentence: Él ___ mantequilla en el pan. (preterite) A. habrían untado B. untó C. untarais D. untabais
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ mantequilla en el pan. (imperfect) A. unta B. había untado C. untábamos D. untabas
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ mantequilla en el pan. (future) A. he untado B. untabas C. habría untado D. untarás
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ mantequilla en el pan. (conditional) A. untaría B. untasteis C. untad D. han untado
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ mantequilla en el pan. (present subjunctive) A. unte B. he untado C. habéis untado D. habríais untado
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ mantequilla en el pan, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. habíais untado B. untaran C. untara D. habré untado
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ mantequilla en el pan. (present perfect) A. unto B. habríais untado C. habías untado D. hemos untado
Complete the command: No ___ mantequilla en el pan. (negative imperative, tú) A. unten B. untemos C. untes D. unte
Which is the gerund of untar, used with estar for the progressive? A. untaré B. unté C. untaba D. untando
Answer key
- unto — The yo present tense of untar is unto.
- untó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of untar is untó.
- untábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of untar is untábamos.
- untarás — The tú future of untar is untarás.
- untaría — The yo conditional of untar is untaría.
- unte — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of untar is unte.
- untara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of untar is untara.
- hemos untado — The nosotros/as present perfect of untar is hemos untado.
- untes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: untes.
- untando — The gerund of untar is untando: estoy untando. The participle untado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does untar mean in English?
Untar means to spread (butter). It is used in everyday situations such as Yo unto mantequilla en el pan. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is untar regular?
Yes. Untar is a regular -ar verb: unto, untas, unta. The only thing to learn is the pattern of endings, which is the same for every regular -ar verb.
What is the gerund and the past participle of untar?
The gerund is untando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy untando. The past participle is untado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he untado.
How do I say “I spread” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo unté el pan con mantequilla. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo untaba queso en la tostada. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he untado mantequilla en el pan.
How do I practise untar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the untar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Untar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for untar.
- Untar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for untar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Rellenar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with untar.
- Deshuesar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with untar.
- Filetear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with untar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.