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Spanish · Verb · #519 most common

compensar

to compensate
to make up for

Regular-ar ending

In the tables below, the stem is shown in black and the ending in purple.

1.

Presente

Habitual actions, general truths, and what's happening now.

yocompenso
compensas
él/ellacompensa
nosotroscompensamos
vosotroscompensáis
ellos/ellascompensan

Ella compensa sus errores con mucho esfuerzo.

She compensates for her mistakes with a lot of effort.

Nosotros compensamos el tiempo perdido con trabajo extra.

We compensate for the lost time with extra work.

2.

Pretérito Indefinido

Completed actions at a specific point in the past.

yocompensé
compensaste
él/ellacompensó
nosotroscompensamos
vosotroscompensasteis
ellos/ellascompensaron

Ayer compensé mis gastos con un ahorro inesperado.

Yesterday, I compensated for my expenses with an unexpected saving.

Ellos compensaron su falta de experiencia con dedicación.

They compensated for their lack of experience with dedication.

3.

Imperfecto

Ongoing or repeated actions in the past, descriptions, and background context.

yocompensaba
compensabas
él/ellacompensaba
nosotroscompensábamos
vosotroscompensabais
ellos/ellascompensaban

Cuando era joven, compensaba mi timidez con humor.

When I was young, I compensated for my shyness with humor.

Siempre compensábamos las pérdidas con nuevas inversiones.

We always compensated for the losses with new investments.

4.

Futuro Simple

Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.

yocompensaré
compensarás
él/ellacompensará
nosotroscompensaremos
vosotroscompensaréis
ellos/ellascompensarán

Mañana compensaré el tiempo que perdí hoy.

Tomorrow, I will compensate for the time I lost today.

Ellos compensarán su esfuerzo con un premio.

They will compensate for their effort with a prize.

5.

Condicional

Hypothetical situations, polite requests, and future-in-the-past.

yocompensaría
compensarías
él/ellacompensaría
nosotroscompensaríamos
vosotroscompensaríais
ellos/ellascompensarían

Si tuviera más tiempo, compensaría mis estudios.

If I had more time, I would compensate for my studies.

Nosotros compensaríamos las pérdidas si tuviéramos más recursos.

We would compensate for the losses if we had more resources.

6.

Subjuntivo Presente

Wishes, doubts, emotions, and subordinate clauses expressing uncertainty.

yocompense
compenses
él/ellacompense
nosotroscompensemos
vosotroscompenséis
ellos/ellascompensen

Es importante que ella compense sus errores.

It is important that she compensates for her mistakes.

Espero que nosotros compensen el tiempo perdido.

I hope that we compensate for the lost time.

7.

Subjuntivo Imperfecto

Past subjunctive contexts, hypothetical si-clauses, and polite suggestions.

yocompensara
compensaras
él/ellacompensara
nosotroscompensáramos
vosotroscompensarais
ellos/ellascompensaran

Si él compensara sus fallos, sería más exitoso.

If he compensated for his failures, he would be more successful.

Ojalá que nosotros compensáramos las pérdidas a tiempo.

I wish that we compensated for the losses on time.

"compensar" in other languages

Related verbs

Common questions
Is "compensar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"compensar" is a regular -ar verb in Spanish. It follows the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
How do you conjugate "compensar" in the present tense?
In the Presente, "compensar" conjugates as: compensas, compenso, compensan, and more. See the full table above.
What is the past tense of "compensar" in Spanish?
In the Pretérito Indefinido, "compensar" conjugates as: compensaste, compensé, compensaron, and more. See the full table above.
How common is "compensar" in Spanish?
"compensar" (to compensate, to make up for) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.