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Spanish · Verb · #527 most common

contratar

to hire
to contract

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.

yocontrato
contratas
él/ellacontrata
nosotroscontratamos
vosotroscontratáis
ellos/ellascontratan

Yo contrato a un nuevo empleado cada mes.

I hire a new employee every month.

Ella contrata a un fotógrafo para su boda.

She hires a photographer for her wedding.

2.

Pretérito Indefinido

Completed actions at a specific point in the past.

yocontraté
contrataste
él/ellacontrató
nosotroscontratamos
vosotroscontratasteis
ellos/ellascontrataron

Ayer contraté a un diseñador gráfico.

Yesterday, I hired a graphic designer.

Ellos contrataron a un abogado para el caso.

They hired a lawyer for the case.

3.

Imperfecto

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

yocontrataba
contratabas
él/ellacontrataba
nosotroscontratábamos
vosotroscontratabais
ellos/ellascontrataban

Cuando trabajaba en la empresa, contrataba a muchos freelancers.

When I worked at the company, I hired many freelancers.

Ella contrataba a personal temporal durante el verano.

She used to hire temporary staff during the summer.

4.

Futuro Simple

Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.

yocontrataré
contratarás
él/ellacontratará
nosotroscontrataremos
vosotroscontrataréis
ellos/ellascontratarán

Mañana contrataré a un nuevo asistente.

Tomorrow, I will hire a new assistant.

Ellos contratarán a un experto para el proyecto.

They will hire an expert for the project.

5.

Condicional

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

yocontrataría
contratarías
él/ellacontrataría
nosotroscontrataríamos
vosotroscontrataríais
ellos/ellascontratarían

Si tuviera más presupuesto, contrataría a más personal.

If I had a bigger budget, I would hire more staff.

Ella contrataría a un entrenador personal si pudiera.

She would hire a personal trainer if she could.

6.

Subjuntivo Presente

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

yocontrate
contrates
él/ellacontrate
nosotroscontratemos
vosotroscontratéis
ellos/ellascontraten

Es importante que yo contrate a alguien calificado.

It's important that I hire someone qualified.

Espero que ellos contraten al mejor candidato.

I hope they hire the best candidate.

7.

Subjuntivo Imperfecto

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

yocontratara
contrataras
él/ellacontratara
nosotroscontratáramos
vosotroscontratarais
ellos/ellascontrataran

Si yo contratara a un experto, el proyecto sería un éxito.

If I hired an expert, the project would be a success.

Si ella contratara más personal, podría manejar mejor la carga de trabajo.

If she hired more staff, she could manage the workload better.

"contratar" in other languages

Related verbs

Common questions
Is "contratar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"contratar" is a regular -ar verb in Spanish. It follows the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
How do you conjugate "contratar" in the present tense?
In the Presente, "contratar" conjugates as: contratas, contrato, contratan, and more. See the full table above.
What is the past tense of "contratar" in Spanish?
In the Pretérito Indefinido, "contratar" conjugates as: contrataste, contraté, contrataron, and more. See the full table above.
How common is "contratar" in Spanish?
"contratar" (to hire, to contract) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.