cortar
to cut
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 | corto |
| tú | cortas |
| él/ella | corta |
| nosotros | cortamos |
| vosotros | cortáis |
| ellos/ellas | cortan |
Yo corto el papel para hacer una tarjeta.
I cut the paper to make a card.
Ella corta las verduras para la ensalada.
She cuts the vegetables for the salad.
2.Pretérito Indefinido
Pretérito Indefinido
Completed actions at a specific point in the past.
| yo | corté |
| tú | cortaste |
| él/ella | cortó |
| nosotros | cortamos |
| vosotros | cortasteis |
| ellos/ellas | cortaron |
Ayer corté el césped en el jardín.
Yesterday I cut the grass in the garden.
Él cortó el pan antes de servirlo.
He cut the bread before serving it.
3.Imperfecto
Imperfecto
Ongoing or repeated actions in the past, descriptions, and background context.
| yo | cortaba |
| tú | cortabas |
| él/ella | cortaba |
| nosotros | cortábamos |
| vosotros | cortabais |
| ellos/ellas | cortaban |
Cuando era niño, siempre cortaba papel para hacer aviones.
When I was a child, I always cut paper to make airplanes.
Ella cortaba flores del jardín cada primavera.
She used to cut flowers from the garden every spring.
4.Futuro Simple
Futuro Simple
Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.
| yo | cortaré |
| tú | cortarás |
| él/ella | cortará |
| nosotros | cortaremos |
| vosotros | cortaréis |
| ellos/ellas | cortarán |
Mañana cortaré el cabello en la peluquería.
Tomorrow I will cut my hair at the hairdresser's.
Ellos cortarán el árbol que está enfermo.
They will cut down the tree that is sick.
5.Condicional
Condicional
Hypothetical situations, polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
| yo | cortaría |
| tú | cortarías |
| él/ella | cortaría |
| nosotros | cortaríamos |
| vosotros | cortaríais |
| ellos/ellas | cortarían |
Si tuviera tijeras, cortaría el hilo.
If I had scissors, I would cut the thread.
Ella cortaría el pastel si tuviera un cuchillo.
She would cut the cake if she had a knife.
6.Subjuntivo Presente
Subjuntivo Presente
Wishes, doubts, emotions, and subordinate clauses expressing uncertainty.
| yo | corte |
| tú | cortes |
| él/ella | corte |
| nosotros | cortemos |
| vosotros | cortéis |
| ellos/ellas | corten |
Es importante que yo corte el papel antes de empezar.
It's important that I cut the paper before starting.
Espero que él corte las verduras correctamente.
I hope that he cuts the vegetables correctly.
7.Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Subjuntivo Imperfecto
Past subjunctive contexts, hypothetical si-clauses, and polite suggestions.
| yo | cortara |
| tú | cortaras |
| él/ella | cortara |
| nosotros | cortáramos |
| vosotros | cortarais |
| ellos/ellas | cortaran |
Si yo cortara el césped, el jardín se vería mejor.
If I cut the grass, the garden would look better.
Ojalá que ella cortara el papel en líneas rectas.
I wish she would cut the paper in straight lines.
"cortar" in other languages
Related verbs
Common questions
- Is "cortar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
- "cortar" is a regular -ar verb in Spanish. It follows the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
- How do you conjugate "cortar" in the present tense?
- In the Presente, "cortar" conjugates as: cortas, corto, cortan, and more. See the full table above.
- What is the past tense of "cortar" in Spanish?
- In the Pretérito Indefinido, "cortar" conjugates as: cortaste, corté, cortaron, and more. See the full table above.
- How common is "cortar" in Spanish?
- "cortar" (to cut) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.