Introduction
Usar means «to use». Usar means to use: a computer, a spoon, a dictionary, a tool. It is a regular -ar verb, extremely common, and it combines with almost any object noun, which makes it one of the most flexible verbs in the language. It 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 usar 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: «Yo uso el ordenador todos los días.» — I use the computer every day.
Quick facts
| Infinitive | usar |
| English | to use |
| Verb type | Regular -ar verb |
| Gerund | usando |
| Past participle | usado |
| Auxiliary verb | haber |
Full conjugation tables
Gerund: usando · Past participle: usado
Present Indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | uso |
| tú | usas |
| él/ella/Ud. | usa |
| nosotros/as | usamos |
| vosotros/as | usáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usan |
The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For usar, the yo form is uso, as in «Yo uso» in the examples below. Use the present for routines («todos los días») and for general truths.
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | usé |
| tú | usaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | usó |
| nosotros/as | usamos |
| vosotros/as | usasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usaron |
The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. «Ayer yo usé» is the classic use. Do not confuse it with the imperfect: the preterite moves the story forward, one finished event at a time.
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | usaba |
| tú | usabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | usaba |
| nosotros/as | usábamos |
| vosotros/as | usabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usaban |
The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. «De pequeño, yo usaba» shows the habitual use. It sets the scene while the preterite reports what happened inside it.
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | usaré |
| tú | usarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | usará |
| nosotros/as | usaremos |
| vosotros/as | usaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usarán |
The future tense states what will happen. For usar the future is built on the infinitive: «Mañana yo usaré». It is also used for predictions and promises, and in spoken Spanish it often alternates with ir a + infinitive.
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | usaría |
| tú | usarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | usaría |
| nosotros/as | usaríamos |
| vosotros/as | usaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usarían |
The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. «Si tuviera más tiempo, yo usaría» is the typical pattern. It shares its stem with the future and changes only the endings.
Present Perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he usado |
| tú | has usado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha usado |
| nosotros/as | hemos usado |
| vosotros/as | habéis usado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han usado |
The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. It is haber in the present plus the past participle: «Hoy yo he usado». In Spain it is used for anything that happened today; in Latin America the preterite is often preferred.
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había usado |
| tú | habías usado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había usado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos usado |
| vosotros/as | habíais usado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían usado |
The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event: «Cuando llegué, ya había usado». It is haber in the imperfect plus the past participle, and it is the tense for explaining what had already happened when something else took place.
Future Perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré usado |
| tú | habrás usado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá usado |
| nosotros/as | habremos usado |
| vosotros/as | habréis usado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán usado |
The future perfect looks back from a future point: by then, something will already have happened. «Para mañana, yo habré usado» is the pattern — haber in the future plus the past participle. It is less common in speech but regular in formal writing.
Conditional Perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría usado |
| tú | habrías usado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría usado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos usado |
| vosotros/as | habríais usado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían usado |
The conditional perfect expresses what would have happened: «Yo habría usado si hubiera podido». It is haber in the conditional plus the past participle, and it is the tense for regrets and missed chances.
Present Subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | use |
| tú | uses |
| él/ella/Ud. | use |
| nosotros/as | usemos |
| vosotros/as | uséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usen |
The present subjunctive appears after wishes, doubts, emotions and impersonal expressions: «Espero que él use». The trigger is in the main clause; the subjunctive is the mood of uncertainty, desire and influence. Learn the yo form first — most of the table follows from it.
Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra forms)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | usara |
| tú | usaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | usara |
| nosotros/as | usáramos |
| vosotros/as | usarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usaran |
The imperfect subjunctive is the past partner of the present subjunctive, used after past-tense triggers and in si-clauses: «Si él usara, todo sería distinto». The table above shows the -ra forms, the ones you will hear most often. There is also a less common -se set built on the same stem.
Imperative — Affirmative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | usa |
| él/ella/Ud. | use |
| nosotros/as | usemos |
| vosotros/as | usad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usen |
There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.
The affirmative imperative gives direct commands and instructions: «¡Usa!». There is no yo form — you cannot command yourself. The tú form is the one you will use with friends and family, and the usted form with people you address formally.
Imperative — Negative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | uses |
| él/ella/Ud. | use |
| nosotros/as | usemos |
| vosotros/as | uséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usen |
There is no yo form in the imperative — you cannot command yourself.
The negative imperative tells someone not to do something: «¡No uses!». Unlike the affirmative imperative, the negative forms come from the present subjunctive, which is why they look different. Never use the affirmative form after no.
Example sentences
- Yo uso el ordenador todos los días. — I use the computer every day.
- Mi hermana usa el ordenador mucho. — My sister uses the computer a lot.
- Ayer yo usé el ordenador por la tarde. — Yesterday I used the computer in the afternoon.
- De pequeño, yo usaba el ordenador muchas veces. — As a child, I used to use the computer often.
- Mañana yo usaré el ordenador sin falta. — Tomorrow I will use the computer without fail.
- Si tuviera más tiempo, yo usaría el ordenador ahora mismo. — If I had more time, I would use the computer right now.
- Hoy yo he usado una cuchara dos veces. — Today I have used a spoon twice.
- Espero que él use el ordenador pronto. — I hope he uses the computer soon.
- ¡Usa una cuchara para la sopa! — Use a spoon for the soup!
- Ahora mismo estoy usando el ordenador. — Right now I am using the computer.
Common mistakes
1. Forgetting the accent in the preterite
Wrong: use
Right: usé
The yo preterite of usar carries a written accent: usé. Without it, use is the present subjunctive yo form, a completely different tense.
2. Using the imperfect for a finished event
Wrong: Ayer yo usaba el ordenador.
Right: Ayer yo usé el ordenador.
Yesterday's finished action needs the preterite, usé. The imperfect usaba describes what used to happen or what was going on, not a single completed event.
3. Confusing it with a similar verb
Wrong: *Uso a el ordenador.
Right: Uso el ordenador.
Usar takes a direct object with no preposition: usar el ordenador, usar una cuchara.
4. Using the indicative after a subjunctive trigger
Wrong: Espero que tú usas el ordenador.
Right: Espero que tú uses el ordenador.
After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: uses, not the indicative usas. Wishes, hopes and doubts all trigger this change.
5. Using the affirmative imperative after no
Wrong: No usa el ordenador.
Right: No uses el ordenador.
Negative commands use the subjunctive-based forms: no uses. The affirmative usa can never follow no.
Quiz
Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the yo form of usar in the present tense?
- (a) usa
- (b) usamos
- (c) usas
- (d) uso
2. What is the él/ella form of usar in the preterite?
- (a) usamos
- (b) usaste
- (c) usé
- (d) usó
3. What is the nosotros form of usar in the imperfect?
- (a) usaba
- (b) usabas
- (c) usábamos
4. What is the tú form of usar in the future tense?
- (a) usaremos
- (b) usará
- (c) usarás
- (d) usaré
5. What is the ellos form of usar in the conditional?
- (a) usaría
- (b) usarían
- (c) usarías
6. What is the yo form of usar in the present perfect?
- (a) ha usado
- (b) has usado
- (c) he usado
- (d) hemos usado
7. After «Espero que…», what is the tú form of usar?
- (a) use
- (b) usemos
- (c) uses
8. What is the nosotros form of usar in the imperfect subjunctive (-ra)?
- (a) usara
- (b) usáramos
- (c) usaras
9. What is the gerund of usar?
- (a) usado
- (b) usando
- (c) usar
- (d) uso
10. What is the past participle of usar?
- (a) usado
- (b) usando
- (c) usar
- (d) usé
Answer key
1. (d) uso — In the present, the yo form of usar is uso. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
2. (d) usó — In the preterite, the el form of usar is usó. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
3. (c) usábamos — In the imperfect, the nosotros form of usar is usábamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
4. (c) usarás — In the future, the tu form of usar is usarás. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
5. (b) usarían — In the conditional, the ellos form of usar is usarían. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
6. (c) he usado — In the present perfect, the yo form of usar is he usado. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
7. (c) uses — In the present subjunctive, the tu form of usar is uses. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
8. (b) usáramos — In the imperfect subjunctive, the nosotros form of usar is usáramos. The other options are the same tense but different persons.
9. (b) usando — The gerund of usar is usando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy usando».
10. (a) usado — The past participle of usar is usado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he usado».
Frequently asked questions
Is usar regular or irregular?
Yes, usar is a regular -ar verb. Every tense follows the standard -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can generate the whole table. The only thing to watch is choosing the right tense, not the forms themselves.
What are the gerund and past participle of usar?
The gerund is usando and the past participle is usado. Use the gerund with estar for actions in progress («Estoy usando») and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses («he usado»).
What is the difference between usar and utilizar?
Usar and utilizar are often confused. Utilizar is a slightly more formal synonym; usar is the everyday verb.
How do I say «I use» in Spanish?
Say «Yo uso». That is the yo form of the present tense, the form you need for talking about yourself right now.
Which tense do learners find hardest with usar?
Most learners struggle with choosing between the preterite and the imperfect, not with the forms themselves. Use the preterite (usé) for a single finished event and the imperfect (usaba) for habits and background. After that, the subjunctive is the next step.
Related links
- Practise this verb in one tense: usar-present-tense
- More examples and a quiz: usar-examples-and-quiz
- Browse all Spanish verbs: /spanish/
- Related verb: comprar
- Related verb: pagar
- Related verb: limpiar
- Conjugate any verb: verb-conjugator
- Test yourself: verb-quiz