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Spanish · Verb · #168 most common

proteger

to protect
to guard

Regular-er 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.

yoprotejo
proteges
él/ellaprotege
nosotrosprotegemos
vosotrosprotegéis
ellos/ellasprotegen

Yo protejo a mi familia en todo momento.

I protect my family at all times.

Ellos protegen el medio ambiente con sus acciones.

They protect the environment with their actions.

2.

Pretérito Indefinido

Completed actions at a specific point in the past.

yoprotegí
protegiste
él/ellaproteg
nosotrosprotegimos
vosotrosprotegisteis
ellos/ellasprotegieron

Ayer protegí a mi perro de la tormenta.

Yesterday, I protected my dog from the storm.

El año pasado, ellos protegieron el bosque de los incendios.

Last year, they protected the forest from fires.

3.

Imperfecto

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

yoprotegía
protegías
él/ellaprotegía
nosotrosprotegíamos
vosotrosprotegíais
ellos/ellasprotegían

Cuando era niño, siempre protegía a mi hermana.

When I was a child, I always protected my sister.

Mis padres me protegían de los peligros de la ciudad.

My parents protected me from the dangers of the city.

4.

Futuro Simple

Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.

yoprotegeré
protegerás
él/ellaprotegerá
nosotrosprotegeremos
vosotrosprotegeréis
ellos/ellasprotegerán

Mañana protegeré mis documentos importantes.

Tomorrow, I will protect my important documents.

Ellos protegerán su casa durante las vacaciones.

They will protect their house during the holidays.

5.

Condicional

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

yoprotegería
protegerías
él/ellaprotegería
nosotrosprotegeríamos
vosotrosprotegeríais
ellos/ellasprotegerían

Si tuviera un perro, lo protegería siempre.

If I had a dog, I would always protect it.

Ellos protegerían a sus amigos en cualquier situación.

They would protect their friends in any situation.

6.

Subjuntivo Presente

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

yoproteja
protejas
él/ellaproteja
nosotrosprotejamos
vosotrosprotejáis
ellos/ellasprotejan

Es importante que yo proteja a los animales en peligro.

It is important that I protect endangered animals.

Espero que ellos protejan su salud adecuadamente.

I hope that they protect their health properly.

7.

Subjuntivo Imperfecto

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

yoprotegiera
protegieras
él/ellaprotegiera
nosotrosprotegieramos
vosotrosprotegierais
ellos/ellasprotegieran

Si yo protegiera a los niños, me sentiría mejor.

If I protected the children, I would feel better.

Si ellos protegieran su privacidad, tendrían menos problemas.

If they protected their privacy, they would have fewer problems.

"proteger" in other languages

Related verbs

Common questions
Is "proteger" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"proteger" is a regular -er verb in Spanish. It follows the standard conjugation pattern for -er verbs.
How do you conjugate "proteger" in the present tense?
In the Presente, "proteger" conjugates as: proteges, protejo, protegen, and more. See the full table above.
What is the past tense of "proteger" in Spanish?
In the Pretérito Indefinido, "proteger" conjugates as: protegiste, protegí, protegieron, and more. See the full table above.
How common is "proteger" in Spanish?
"proteger" (to protect, to guard) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.