Vacunar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb vacunar means to vaccinate, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Vacunar 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 vacunar 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 vacuno a los niños — "I vaccinate the children" — and in the preterite you say Yo vacuné contra la gripe — "I vaccinated against the flu". 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: vacunar
- English: to vaccinate
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: vacunando
- Past participle: vacunado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + vacunado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for vacunar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for vacunar. 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: vacunando · Past participle: vacunado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | vacuno |
| tú | vacunas |
| él/ella/Ud. | vacuna |
| nosotros/as | vacunamos |
| vosotros/as | vacunáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacunan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | vacuné |
| tú | vacunaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | vacunó |
| nosotros/as | vacunamos |
| vosotros/as | vacunasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacunaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | vacunaba |
| tú | vacunabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | vacunaba |
| nosotros/as | vacunábamos |
| vosotros/as | vacunabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacunaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | vacunaré |
| tú | vacunarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | vacunará |
| nosotros/as | vacunaremos |
| vosotros/as | vacunaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacunarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | vacunaría |
| tú | vacunarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | vacunaría |
| nosotros/as | vacunaríamos |
| vosotros/as | vacunaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacunarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he vacunado |
| tú | has vacunado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha vacunado |
| nosotros/as | hemos vacunado |
| vosotros/as | habéis vacunado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han vacunado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había vacunado |
| tú | habías vacunado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había vacunado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos vacunado |
| vosotros/as | habíais vacunado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían vacunado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré vacunado |
| tú | habrás vacunado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá vacunado |
| nosotros/as | habremos vacunado |
| vosotros/as | habréis vacunado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán vacunado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría vacunado |
| tú | habrías vacunado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría vacunado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos vacunado |
| vosotros/as | habríais vacunado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían vacunado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | vacune |
| tú | vacunes |
| él/ella/Ud. | vacune |
| nosotros/as | vacunemos |
| vosotros/as | vacunéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacunen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | vacunara |
| tú | vacunaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | vacunara |
| nosotros/as | vacunáramos |
| vosotros/as | vacunarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacunaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | vacuna |
| él/ella/Ud. | vacune |
| nosotros/as | vacunemos |
| vosotros/as | vacunad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacunen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | vacunes |
| él/ella/Ud. | vacune |
| nosotros/as | vacunemos |
| vosotros/as | vacunéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | vacunen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | vacunando | with estar for the progressive: estoy vacunando |
| Past participle | vacunado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he vacunado |
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 vacunar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo vacuno contra la gripe — "I vaccinate against the flu". 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 vacunar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo vacuné en el centro de salud — "I vaccinated at the health centre". 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 vacunar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo vacunaba a los niños — "I used to vaccinate the children". 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 vacunar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo vacunaré contra la gripe — "I will vaccinate against the flu". 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 vacunar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo vacunaría en el centro de salud — "I would vaccinate at the health centre". 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 vacunar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he vacunado a los niños — "I have vaccinated the children". 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 vacunar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había vacunado contra la gripe — "I had vaccinated against the flu". 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 vacunar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré vacunado en el centro de salud — "I will have vaccinated at the health centre". 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 vacunar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría vacunado a los niños — "I would have vaccinated the children". 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 vacunar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él vacune contra la gripe — "I hope he vaccinates against the flu". 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 vacunar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo vacunara en el centro de salud, todo cambiaría — "If I vaccinated at the health centre, 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 vacunar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Vacune a los niños — "Let him vaccinate the children". 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 vacunar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No vacunes contra la gripe — "Don't vaccinate against the flu". 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 vacunar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo vacuno en el centro de salud — "I vaccinate at the health centre"
- Él vacuna a los niños — "He vaccinates the children"
- Yo vacuné contra la gripe — "I vaccinated against the flu"
- Yo vacunaba en el centro de salud — "I used to vaccinate at the health centre"
- Tú vacunarás a los niños — "You will vaccinate the children"
- Yo vacunaría contra la gripe — "I would vaccinate against the flu"
- Él ha vacunado en el centro de salud — "He has vaccinated at the health centre"
- Espero que él vacune a los niños — "I hope he vaccinates the children"
- Yo había vacunado contra la gripe — "I had vaccinated against the flu"
- Ellos vacunaban en el centro de salud — "They used to vaccinate at the health centre"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos vacuna a los niños — Right: Ellos vacunan a los niños — Ellos needs the ellos form vacunan. The singular vacuna belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo vacuno — Right: Ayer, yo vacuné — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to vacuné.
- Wrong: De niño, yo vacuné todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo vacunaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (vacunaba), not the preterite. The preterite (vacuné) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy vacunado contra la gripe. — Right: Yo he vacunado contra la gripe. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he vacunado, has vacunado, ha vacunado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él vacuna a los niños. — Right: Espero que él vacune a los niños. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: vacune. The indicative vacuna is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on vacunar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los niños. (present tense) A. vacunasteis B. vacunan C. vacuno D. vacunabais
Complete the sentence: Él ___ a los niños. (preterite) A. vacunó B. habrán vacunado C. vacunemos D. habrás vacunado
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a los niños. (imperfect) A. vacunaría B. has vacunado C. vacunabais D. vacunábamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ a los niños. (future) A. habré vacunado B. vacunaría C. vacunarás D. he vacunado
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los niños. (conditional) A. vacunaría B. vacunáramos C. habré vacunado D. habrían vacunado
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a los niños. (present subjunctive) A. vacune B. vacuné C. vacunad D. vacunarais
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a los niños, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. vacunara B. vacunéis C. vacunarás D. habías vacunado
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a los niños. (present perfect) A. vacunaras B. vacunábamos C. vacunarían D. hemos vacunado
Complete the command: No ___ a los niños. (negative imperative, tú) A. vacunen B. vacunes C. vacunéis D. vacunemos
Which is the gerund of vacunar, used with estar for the progressive? A. vacunaré B. vacunaba C. vacunando D. vacuné
Answer key
- vacuno — The yo present tense of vacunar is vacuno.
- vacunó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of vacunar is vacunó.
- vacunábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of vacunar is vacunábamos.
- vacunarás — The tú future of vacunar is vacunarás.
- vacunaría — The yo conditional of vacunar is vacunaría.
- vacune — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of vacunar is vacune.
- vacunara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of vacunar is vacunara.
- hemos vacunado — The nosotros/as present perfect of vacunar is hemos vacunado.
- vacunes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: vacunes.
- vacunando — The gerund of vacunar is vacunando: estoy vacunando. The participle vacunado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does vacunar mean in English?
Vacunar means to vaccinate. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo vacuno a los niños. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is vacunar regular?
Yes. Vacunar is a regular -ar verb: vacuno, vacunas, vacuna. 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 vacunar?
The gerund is vacunando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy vacunando. The past participle is vacunado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he vacunado.
How do I say “I vaccinate” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo vacuné contra la gripe. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo vacunaba en el centro de salud. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he vacunado a los niños.
How do I practise vacunar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the vacunar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Vacunar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for vacunar.
- Vacunar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for vacunar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Diagnosticar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with vacunar.
- Operar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with vacunar.
- Recetar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with vacunar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.