Verter Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb verter means to pour, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Verter means to pour a liquid from one container into another: verter el agua en el vaso, verter el vino en la copa. It is the precise verb for pouring. Like every Spanish verb, verter 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 vierto el agua en el vaso — "I pour the water into the glass". 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.

The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: vierto, viertes, vierte and vierten — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: vertemos, vertéis.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: verter
  • English: to pour
  • Verb type: stem-changing -er verb (e → ie)
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: vertiendo
  • Past participle: vertido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + vertido)

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

Full conjugation tables

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

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vierto | | tú | viertes | | él/ella/Ud. | vierte | | nosotros/as | vertemos | | vosotros/as | vertéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vierten |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vertí | | tú | vertiste | | él/ella/Ud. | vertió | | nosotros/as | vertimos | | vosotros/as | vertisteis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vertieron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vertía | | tú | vertías | | él/ella/Ud. | vertía | | nosotros/as | vertíamos | | vosotros/as | vertíais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vertían |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | verteré | | tú | verterás | | él/ella/Ud. | verterá | | nosotros/as | verteremos | | vosotros/as | verteréis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | verterán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vertería | | tú | verterías | | él/ella/Ud. | vertería | | nosotros/as | verteríamos | | vosotros/as | verteríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | verterían |

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vierta | | tú | viertas | | él/ella/Ud. | vierta | | nosotros/as | vertamos | | vosotros/as | vertáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | viertan |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | vertiera | | tú | vertieras | | él/ella/Ud. | vertiera | | nosotros/as | vertiéramos | | vosotros/as | vertierais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | vertieran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | vierte | | él/ella/Ud. | vierta | | nosotros/as | vertamos | | vosotros/as | verted | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | viertan |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | viertas | | él/ella/Ud. | vierta | | nosotros/as | vertamos | | vosotros/as | vertáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | viertan |

Gerund and past participle

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

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: vierto, viertes, vierte and vierten — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: vertemos, vertéis. For verter, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo vierto el agua en el vaso — "I pour the water into the glass".

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 verter, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo vertí el vino en la copa — "Yesterday, I poured the wine into the glass".

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 verter, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo vertía la leche en el tazón — "As a child, I used to pour the milk into the bowl".

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 verter, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo verteré la sopa en los platos — "Tomorrow, I will pour the soup into the dishes".

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 verter, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo vertería el agua en el vaso si pudiera — "I would pour the water into the glass 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 verter, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he vertido el vino en la copa — "Today, I have poured the wine into the glass".

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 verter, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había vertido la leche en el tazón antes de salir — "I already had poured the milk into the bowl 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 verter, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré vertido la sopa en los platos — "By tomorrow, I will have poured the soup into the dishes".

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 verter, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría vertido el agua en el vaso con más tiempo — "I would have poured the water into the glass with more time".

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: vierto, viertes, vierte and vierten — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: vertemos, vertéis. For verter, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él vierta el vino en la copa — "I hope he pours the wine into the glass".

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 verter, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo vertiera la leche en el tazón, todo cambiaría — "If I poured the milk into the bowl, everything would change".

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: vierto, viertes, vierte and vierten — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: vertemos, vertéis. For verter, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Vierte la sopa en los platos. — "Pour the soup into the dishes.".

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: vierto, viertes, vierte and vierten — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: vertemos, vertéis. For verter, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No viertas el agua en el vaso. — "Do not pour the water into the glass.".

Example sentences

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

  1. Yo vierto el agua en el vaso — "I pour the water into the glass"
  2. Mi amigo vierte el vino en la copa — "My friend pours the wine into the glass"
  3. Ayer, yo vertí la leche en el tazón — "Yesterday, I poured the milk into the bowl"
  4. Antes, nosotros vertíamos la sopa en los platos — "Before, we used to pour the soup into the dishes"
  5. Mañana, tú verterás el aceite en la sartén — "Tomorrow, you will pour the oil into the pan"
  6. Yo vertería el agua en el vaso si tuviera más tiempo — "I would pour the water into the glass if I had more time"
  7. Él ha vertido el vino en la copa — "He has poured the wine into the glass"
  8. Espero que él vierta la leche en el tazón — "I hope he pours the milk into the bowl"
  9. Yo ya había vertido la sopa en los platos antes de salir — "I already had poured the soup into the dishes before leaving"
  10. Ellos vertían el aceite en la sartén cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to pour the oil into the pan when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo verto el vino en la copa. — Right: Yo vierto el vino en la copa. — verter is a stem-changing verb (e → ie): the stem vowel changes in the stressed present forms, so the yo form is vierto, not verto.
  2. Wrong: Espero que él vierte el vino en la copa — Right: Espero que él vierta el vino en la copa — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él vierta el vino en la copa — not the indicative Espero que él vierte el vino en la copa.
  3. Wrong: Ayer, yo vierto la leche en el tazón — Right: Ayer, yo vertí la leche en el tazón — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo vertí la leche en el tazón.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo vertí la sopa en los platos todos los días — Right: De niño, yo vertía la sopa en los platos todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo vertía la sopa en los platos todos los días.
  5. Wrong: Yo vierto en el agua en el vaso. — Right: Yo vierto el agua en el vaso. — verter takes this complement directly, with no preposition: Yo vierto el agua en el vaso.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el agua en el vaso — "I pour the water into the glass" (present) A. viertes B. vierte C. vertemos D. vierto

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el vino en la copa — "He poured the wine into the glass" (preterite) A. vertiste B. vertimos C. vertió D. vertí

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ la leche en el tazón — "We used to pour the milk into the bowl" (imperfect) A. vertíais B. vertíamos C. vertía D. vertías

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ la sopa en los platos — "You will pour the soup into the dishes" (future) A. verteremos B. verterás C. verteré D. verterá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el aceite en la sartén — "I would pour the oil into the pan" (conditional) A. verteríamos B. verteríais C. vertería D. verterías

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ el agua en el vaso — "I hope he pours the water into the glass" (present subjunctive) A. viertas B. vertamos C. vertáis D. vierta

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ el vino en la copa, todo cambiaría — "If I poured the wine into the glass, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. vertiéramos B. vertierais C. vertiera D. vertieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ la leche en el tazón — "We have poured the milk into the bowl" (present perfect) A. ha vertido B. hemos vertido C. he vertido D. has vertido

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ la sopa en los platos. — "Do not pour the soup into the dishes." (negative imperative) A. vertáis B. viertas C. vierta D. vertamos

  10. Which is the gerund of verter, used with estar for the progressive? A. vierto B. vertí C. vertiendo D. vertido

Answer key

  1. vierto — The present form for yo is vierto.
  2. vertió — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is vertió.
  3. vertíamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is vertíamos.
  4. verterás — The future form for tú is verterás.
  5. vertería — The conditional form for yo is vertería.
  6. vierta — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is vierta.
  7. vertiera — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is vertiera.
  8. hemos vertido — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos vertido.
  9. viertas — The negative imperative form is viertas.
  10. vertiendo — The gerund of verter is vertiendo: estoy vertiendo. The participle vertido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does verter mean in English?

verter means to pour. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo vierto el agua en el vaso — "I pour the water into the glass". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is verter regular?

No. verter is a stem-changing -er verb (e → ie). The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: vierto, viertes, vierte and vierten — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: vertemos, vertéis. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the plain stem, which is the part learners most often get right by accident.

What is the gerund and the past participle of verter?

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

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

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo vertí el vino en la copa — "Yesterday, I poured the wine into the glass". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo vertía la leche en el tazón — "As a child, I used to pour the milk into the bowl". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he vertido el vino en la copa — "Today, I have poured the wine into the glass".

What is the difference between verter and echar?

Echar is the everyday, general verb — you echas agua en el vaso. Verter is more precise and slightly formal, used for pouring liquids carefully. Verter means to pour a liquid from one container into another: verter el agua en el vaso, verter el vino en la copa. It is the precise verb for pouring.

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