contar
In the tables below, the stem is shown in black and the ending in purple.
1.Presente
Presente
Habitual actions, general truths, and what's happening now.
| yo | cuento |
| tú | cuentas |
| él/ella | cuenta |
| nosotros | contamos |
| vosotros | contáis |
| ellos/ellas | cuentan |
Yo cuento mis historias favoritas a mis amigos.
I tell my favorite stories to my friends.
Ella cuenta hasta diez antes de saltar.
She counts to ten before jumping.
2.Pretérito Indefinido
Pretérito Indefinido
Completed actions at a specific point in the past.
| yo | conté |
| tú | contaste |
| él/ella | contó |
| nosotros | contamos |
| vosotros | contasteis |
| ellos/ellas | contaron |
Ayer conté el dinero que gané.
Yesterday I counted the money I earned.
Él contó su experiencia en el viaje.
He told his experience on the trip.
3.Imperfecto
Imperfecto
Ongoing or repeated actions in the past, descriptions, and background context.
| yo | contaba |
| tú | contabas |
| él/ella | contaba |
| nosotros | contábamos |
| vosotros | contabais |
| ellos/ellas | contaban |
Cuando era niño, contaba historias a mis hermanos.
When I was a child, I told stories to my siblings.
Ella siempre contaba los días hasta su cumpleaños.
She always counted the days until her birthday.
4.Futuro Simple
Futuro Simple
Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.
| yo | contaré |
| tú | contarás |
| él/ella | contará |
| nosotros | contaremos |
| vosotros | contaréis |
| ellos/ellas | contarán |
Mañana contaré los votos de la elección.
Tomorrow I will count the votes from the election.
Ellos contarán su versión de los hechos.
They will tell their version of the events.
5.Condicional
Condicional
Hypothetical situations, polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
| yo | contaría |
| tú | contarías |
| él/ella | contaría |
| nosotros | contaríamos |
| vosotros | contaríais |
| ellos/ellas | contarían |
Si tuviera tiempo, contaría más cuentos.
If I had time, I would tell more stories.
Ella contaría sus secretos si pudiera confiar en ti.
She would tell her secrets if she could trust you.
6.Subjuntivo Presente
Subjuntivo Presente
Wishes, doubts, emotions, and subordinate clauses expressing uncertainty.
| yo | cuente |
| tú | cuentes |
| él/ella | cuente |
| nosotros | contemos |
| vosotros | contéis |
| ellos/ellas | cuenten |
Espero que él cuente la verdad en su testimonio.
I hope he tells the truth in his testimony.
Es importante que nosotros contemos con tu apoyo.
It's important that we have your support.
7.Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Past subjunctive contexts, hypothetical si-clauses, and polite suggestions.
| yo | contara |
| tú | contaras |
| él/ella | contara |
| nosotros | contáramos |
| vosotros | contarais |
| ellos/ellas | contaran |
Si yo contara con más tiempo, iría a la fiesta.
If I had more time, I would go to the party.
Ojalá que ellos contaran sus historias en la reunión.
I wish they would tell their stories at the meeting.
"contar" in other languages
Related verbs
Common questions
- Is "contar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
- "contar" is an irregular Spanish verb. It does not follow the standard -ar conjugation pattern and must be memorized.
- How do you conjugate "contar" in the present tense?
- In the Presente, "contar" conjugates as: cuentas, cuento, cuentan, and more. See the full table above.
- What is the past tense of "contar" in Spanish?
- In the Pretérito Indefinido, "contar" conjugates as: contaste, conté, contaron, and more. See the full table above.
- How common is "contar" in Spanish?
- "contar" (to count, to tell) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.