Yacer Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb yacer means to lie (down — it also means dead), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Yacer is a spelling-changing -er (c → zc before o/a) verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. It has a spelling change (c → zc before o/a), which keeps the pronunciation of the stem the same when the ending changes. On this page you will find the full conjugation of yacer 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 yazco aquí — "I lie (down here" — and in the preterite you say Yo yací en paz — "I lay (down in peace". 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: yacer
- English: to lie (down, dead)
- Verb type: spelling-changing -er (c → zc before o/a) verb
- Ending: -er
- Gerund: yaciendo
- Past participle: yacido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + yacido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for yacer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for yacer. 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: yaciendo · Past participle: yacido
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | yazco |
| tú | yaces |
| él/ella/Ud. | yace |
| nosotros/as | yacemos |
| vosotros/as | yacéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | yacen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | yací |
| tú | yaciste |
| él/ella/Ud. | yació |
| nosotros/as | yacimos |
| vosotros/as | yacisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | yacieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | yacía |
| tú | yacías |
| él/ella/Ud. | yacía |
| nosotros/as | yacíamos |
| vosotros/as | yacíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | yacían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | yaceré |
| tú | yacerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | yacerá |
| nosotros/as | yaceremos |
| vosotros/as | yaceréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | yacerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | yacería |
| tú | yacerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | yacería |
| nosotros/as | yaceríamos |
| vosotros/as | yaceríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | yacerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he yacido |
| tú | has yacido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha yacido |
| nosotros/as | hemos yacido |
| vosotros/as | habéis yacido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han yacido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había yacido |
| tú | habías yacido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había yacido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos yacido |
| vosotros/as | habíais yacido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían yacido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré yacido |
| tú | habrás yacido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá yacido |
| nosotros/as | habremos yacido |
| vosotros/as | habréis yacido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán yacido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría yacido |
| tú | habrías yacido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría yacido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos yacido |
| vosotros/as | habríais yacido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían yacido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | yazca |
| tú | yazcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | yazca |
| nosotros/as | yazcamos |
| vosotros/as | yacáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | yazcan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | yaciera |
| tú | yacieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | yaciera |
| nosotros/as | yaciéramos |
| vosotros/as | yacierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | yacieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | yace |
| él/ella/Ud. | yazca |
| nosotros/as | yazcamos |
| vosotros/as | yaced |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | yazcan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | yazcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | yazca |
| nosotros/as | yazcamos |
| vosotros/as | yacáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | yazcan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | yaciendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy yaciendo |
| Past participle | yacido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he yacido |
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 yacer, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo yazco en paz — "I lie (down in peace". 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. Watch the yo form: it is yazco, with c changing to zc before o, while the other persons keep the plain stem.
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 yacer, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Desde 1950, yo yací — "Since 1950, I lay (down". 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 yacer, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo yacía aquí — "I used to lie (down here". 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 yacer, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo yaceré en paz — "I will lie (down in peace". 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 yacer, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Desde 1950, yo yacería — "Since 1950, I would lie (down". 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 yacer, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he yacido aquí — "I have lain (down here". 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 yacer, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había yacido en paz — "I had lain (down in peace". 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 yacer, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Desde 1950, yo habré yacido — "Since 1950, I will have lain (down". 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 yacer, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría yacido aquí — "I would have lain (down here". 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 yacer, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él yazca en paz — "I hope he lies (down in peace". 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. The subjunctive keeps the zc spelling from the yo form: yazca, yazcas, yazca.
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 yacer, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo yaciera desde 1950, todo cambiaría — "If I lay (down since 1950, 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 yacer, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Yazca aquí — "Let him lie (down here". 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 yacer, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No yazcas en paz — "Don't lie (down in peace". 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 yacer, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Desde 1950, yo yazco — "Since 1950, I lie (down"
- Él yace aquí — "He lies (down here"
- Yo yací en paz — "I lay (down in peace"
- Desde 1950, yo yacía — "Since 1950, I used to lie (down"
- Tú yacerás aquí — "You will lie (down here"
- Yo yacería en paz — "I would lie (down in peace"
- Desde 1950, él ha yacido — "Since 1950, he has lain (down"
- Espero que él yazca aquí — "I hope he lies (down here"
- Yo había yacido en paz — "I had lain (down in peace"
- Desde 1950, ellos yacían — "Since 1950, they used to lie (down"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos yace aquí — Right: Ellos yacen aquí — Ellos needs the ellos form yacen. The singular yace belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo yazco — Right: Ayer, yo yací — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to yací.
- Wrong: De niño, yo yací todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo yacía — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (yacía), not the preterite. The preterite (yací) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy yacido en paz. — Right: Yo he yacido en paz. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he yacido, has yacido, ha yacido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él yace aquí. — Right: Espero que él yazca aquí. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: yazca. The indicative yace is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on yacer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ aquí. (present tense) A. yaceríais B. yazco C. yazca D. habrían yacido
Complete the sentence: Él ___ aquí. (preterite) A. yació B. has yacido C. yaceríamos D. yace
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ aquí. (imperfect) A. yacíamos B. yacieran C. yacemos D. habríais yacido
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ aquí. (future) A. habréis yacido B. yacerás C. yacerías D. yaciste
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ aquí. (conditional) A. habrían yacido B. yacemos C. yacería D. habíais yacido
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ aquí. (present subjunctive) A. yaceríais B. habrá yacido C. yazca D. yaces
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ aquí, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. habíamos yacido B. yaciera C. habremos yacido D. ha yacido
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ aquí. (present perfect) A. yaceré B. yaced C. hemos yacido D. yacisteis
Complete the command: No ___ aquí. (negative imperative, tú) A. yazcamos B. yazcas C. yazca D. yazcan
Which is the gerund of yacer, used with estar for the progressive? A. yazco B. yací C. yaciendo D. yacía
Answer key
- yazco — The yo present tense of yacer is yazco.
- yació — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of yacer is yació.
- yacíamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of yacer is yacíamos.
- yacerás — The tú future of yacer is yacerás.
- yacería — The yo conditional of yacer is yacería.
- yazca — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of yacer is yazca.
- yaciera — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of yacer is yaciera.
- hemos yacido — The nosotros/as present perfect of yacer is hemos yacido.
- yazcas — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: yazcas.
- yaciendo — The gerund of yacer is yaciendo: estoy yaciendo. The participle yacido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does yacer mean in English?
Yacer means to lie (down, dead). It is used in everyday situations such as Yo yazco aquí. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is yacer regular?
Mostly. Yacer follows the regular -er endings, but it has a spelling change (c → zc before o/a). The tables on this page show every form, so you can see exactly where the spelling changes.
What is the gerund and the past participle of yacer?
The gerund is yaciendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy yaciendo. The past participle is yacido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he yacido.
How do I say “I lie (down” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo yací en paz. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Desde 1950, yo yacía. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he yacido aquí.
How do I practise yacer?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the yacer examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Yacer in the preterite tense — the full preterite-tense table for yacer.
- Yacer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for yacer.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Ponerse conjugation — another -er verb to compare with yacer.
- Poseer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with yacer.
- Valer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with yacer.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.