Vaciar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb vaciar means to empty, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Vaciar means to empty something: vaciar la bolsa, vaciar el depósito. The present has a written accent on the í: vacío, vacías, vacía, vacían. Like every Spanish verb, vaciar 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 Yo vacío la bolsa de la compra — "I empty the shopping bag". 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: vaciar
  • English: to empty
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: vaciando
  • Past participle: vaciado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + vaciado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for vaciar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for vaciar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vacío | | tú | vacías | | él/ella/Ud. | vacía | | nosotros/as | vaciamos | | vosotros/as | vaciáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacían |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vacié | | tú | vaciaste | | él/ella/Ud. | vació | | nosotros/as | vaciamos | | vosotros/as | vaciasteis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vaciaron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vaciaba | | tú | vaciabas | | él/ella/Ud. | vaciaba | | nosotros/as | vaciábamos | | vosotros/as | vaciabais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vaciaban |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vaciaré | | tú | vaciarás | | él/ella/Ud. | vaciará | | nosotros/as | vaciaremos | | vosotros/as | vaciaréis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vaciarán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vaciaría | | tú | vaciarías | | él/ella/Ud. | vaciaría | | nosotros/as | vaciaríamos | | vosotros/as | vaciaríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vaciarían |

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vacíe | | tú | vacíes | | él/ella/Ud. | vacíe | | nosotros/as | vaciemos | | vosotros/as | vaciéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacíen |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vaciara | | tú | vaciaras | | él/ella/Ud. | vaciara | | nosotros/as | vaciáramos | | vosotros/as | vaciarais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vaciaran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | vacía | | él/ella/Ud. | vacíe | | nosotros/as | vaciemos | | vosotros/as | vaciad | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacíen |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | vacíes | | él/ella/Ud. | vacíe | | nosotros/as | vaciemos | | vosotros/as | vaciéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacíen |

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund vaciando with estar for the progressive: está vaciando
Past participle vaciado with haber for the perfect tenses: he vaciado

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 vaciar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo vacío la bolsa de la compra — "I empty the shopping bag".

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 vaciar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo vacié el depósito del coche — "Yesterday, I emptied the car tank".

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 vaciar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo vaciaba la papelera cada tarde — "As a child, I used to empty the wastepaper basket every evening".

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 vaciar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo vaciaré la piscina en invierno — "Tomorrow, I will empty the swimming pool in winter".

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 vaciar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo vaciaría la bolsa de la compra si pudiera — "I would empty the shopping bag if I could".

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 vaciar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he vaciado el depósito del coche — "Today, I have emptied the car tank".

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 vaciar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había vaciado la papelera cada tarde antes de salir — "I already had emptied the wastepaper basket every evening before leaving".

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 vaciar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré vaciado la piscina en invierno — "By tomorrow, I will have emptied the swimming pool in winter".

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 vaciar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría vaciado la bolsa de la compra con más tiempo — "I would have emptied the shopping bag with more time".

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 vaciar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él vacíe el depósito del coche — "I hope he empties the car tank".

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past. The -ra forms are 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 vaciar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo vaciara la papelera cada tarde, todo cambiaría — "If I emptied the wastepaper basket every evening, everything would change".

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 vaciar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Vacía la piscina en invierno. — "Empty the swimming pool in winter.".

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 vaciar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No vacíes la bolsa de la compra. — "Do not empty the shopping bag.".

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with vaciar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo vacío la bolsa de la compra — "I empty the shopping bag"
  2. Mi amigo vacía el depósito del coche — "My friend empties the car tank"
  3. Ayer, yo vacié la papelera cada tarde — "Yesterday, I emptied the wastepaper basket every evening"
  4. Antes, nosotros vaciábamos la piscina en invierno — "Before, we used to empty the swimming pool in winter"
  5. Mañana, tú vaciarás el armario para mudarse — "Tomorrow, you will empty the wardrobe before moving"
  6. Yo vaciaría la bolsa de la compra si tuviera más tiempo — "I would empty the shopping bag if I had more time"
  7. Él ha vaciado el depósito del coche — "He has emptied the car tank"
  8. Espero que él vacíe la papelera cada tarde — "I hope he empties the wastepaper basket every evening"
  9. Yo ya había vaciado la piscina en invierno antes de salir — "I already had emptied the swimming pool in winter before leaving"
  10. Ellos vaciaban el armario para mudarse cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to empty the wardrobe before moving when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Espero que él vacía el depósito del coche — Right: Espero que él vacíe el depósito del coche — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él vacíe el depósito del coche — not the indicative Espero que él vacía el depósito del coche.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo vacío la papelera cada tarde — Right: Ayer, yo vacié la papelera cada tarde — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo vacié la papelera cada tarde.
  3. Wrong: De niño, yo vacié la piscina en invierno todos los días — Right: De niño, yo vaciaba la piscina en invierno todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo vaciaba la piscina en invierno todos los días.
  4. Wrong: Yo vacío en la bolsa de la compra. — Right: Yo vacío la bolsa de la compra. — vaciar takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo vacío la bolsa de la compra.
  5. Wrong: Vosotros vaciais el armario para mudarse. — Right: Vosotros vaciáis el armario para mudarse. — The vosotros present form carries a written accent: vaciáis, not vaciais.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ la bolsa de la compra — "I empty the shopping bag" (present) A. vacía B. vaciamos C. vacío D. vacías

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el depósito del coche — "He emptied the car tank" (preterite) A. vaciaste B. vaciamos C. vació D. vacié

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ la papelera cada tarde — "We used to empty the wastepaper basket every evening" (imperfect) A. vaciabais B. vaciábamos C. vaciaba D. vaciabas

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ la piscina en invierno — "You will empty the swimming pool in winter" (future) A. vaciarás B. vaciaré C. vaciará D. vaciaremos

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el armario para mudarse — "I would empty the wardrobe before moving" (conditional) A. vaciaríamos B. vaciaríais C. vaciaría D. vaciarías

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ la bolsa de la compra — "I hope he empties the shopping bag" (present subjunctive) A. vaciéis B. vacíe C. vacíes D. vaciemos

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ el depósito del coche, todo cambiaría — "If I emptied the car tank, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. vaciáramos B. vaciarais C. vaciara D. vaciaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ la papelera cada tarde — "We have emptied the wastepaper basket every evening" (present perfect) A. ha vaciado B. hemos vaciado C. he vaciado D. has vaciado

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ la piscina en invierno. — "Do not empty the swimming pool in winter." (negative imperative) A. vacíes B. vacíe C. vaciemos D. vaciéis

  10. Which is the gerund of vaciar, used with estar for the progressive? A. vaciando B. vaciado C. vacío D. vacié

Answer key

  1. vacío — The present form for yo is vacío.
  2. vació — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is vació.
  3. vaciábamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is vaciábamos.
  4. vaciarás — The future form for tú is vaciarás.
  5. vaciaría — The conditional form for yo is vaciaría.
  6. vacíe — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is vacíe.
  7. vaciara — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is vaciara.
  8. hemos vaciado — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos vaciado.
  9. vacíes — The negative imperative form is vacíes.
  10. vaciando — The gerund of vaciar is vaciando: estoy vaciando. The participle vaciado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does vaciar mean in English?

vaciar means to empty. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo vacío la bolsa de la compra — "I empty the shopping bag". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is vaciar regular?

Yes. vaciar is a regular -ar verb, so once you know the endings for its class you can conjugate it in every tense. The only thing to watch is the written accent on some forms, such as vaciáis.

What is the gerund and the past participle of vaciar?

The gerund is vaciando and the past participle is vaciado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do I say "I empty" in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo vacié el depósito del coche — "Yesterday, I emptied the car tank". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo vaciaba la papelera cada tarde — "As a child, I used to empty the wastepaper basket every evening". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he vaciado el depósito del coche — "Today, I have emptied the car tank".

What is the difference between vaciar and desocupar?

Desocupar is to empty or vacate a place or a container. Vaciar is the everyday verb for emptying bags, tanks and baskets. Vaciar means to empty something: vaciar la bolsa, vaciar el depósito. The present has a written accent on the í: vacío, vacías, vacía, vacían.

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