What are the 5 times of the INDICATIVE MODE

Spanish verbs have different verb modes and tenses, In this lesson from a TEACHER we want to focus what are the five tenses of the indicative mood. Next we are going to show you its main uses and characteristics with examples in addition to its conjugation so that you can learn to distinguish and identify them when you are faced with them in a text. This time we will show you the simple tenses, to them we must also add the compounds that also belong to the indicative mode.

The indicative mood It serves to express concrete and objective actions in which there is no desire or order. This is the most used mode and can be used in different verb tenses, that is, verbs in the indicative mood can appear in the present, past or future. Thus, if we follow the classification offered by the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language (RAE), we can point out that there are five tenses in indicative mode:

1. Present indicative
2. Indefinite past tense
3. Imperfect future
4. Imperfect past

Present indicative in Spanish

The present indicative is a verb tense that is used to express a action that is being carried out at the moment in which the sender is speaking. In the same way it is also used when you want to show actions that are routine, stable or that are repeated over time. Therefore, we can summarize that the present indicative is used for:

• Express routines.
• Express current actions.
• Express the time since an action has been taking place.
• Future expressions that include a temporary expression.

At the time of conjugate it it will only be necessary to remove the ending of the infinitive to add those that indicate the person. In order for you to better understand it, please pay attention:

First conjugation: verb to sing

• I sing
• You sing
• He / she sings
• We sing
• You sing
• We sing
• They / They sing

Second conjugation: verb to understand

• I understand
• You understand
• He / She understands
• We understand
• You understand
• They / They understand

Third conjugation: verb to feel

• I feel
• You feel
• He / she feels
• We feel
• You feel
• They / they feel

It is a past tense that is used when they love each other express actions that have already happened but whose beginning or end is unknown. It is also used when you want to emphasize that an action in the past has been continuous or regular for the speaker. Summarizing:

• It is used when you want to express actions carried out in the past.
• Actions of the past prolonged in time, but without a specific beginning or end.
• Express routines carried out in the past that were repeated.
• To indicate that a past action occurred while it was interrupted by a specific event or action.

So let's see how I know conjugates the past imperfect adding the corresponding endings through this list:

First conjugation: verb to sing

• I sang
• You sang
• He / she sang
• We were singing
• You sang
• They / they sang

Second conjugation: verb to understand

• I understood
• You understood
• He / She understood
• We understood
• You understood
• They / They understood

Third conjugation: verb to feel

• I was feeling
• You felt
• He / She felt
• We felt
• You felt
• They / they felt

It is also known as the simple past perfect. It is used in order to indicate those completed actions that started in the past. On the other hand, this verb tense is also used when the action has occurred in a specific time or space or has interrupted an action that was taking place.

Conjugating it is very simple, just do it in the way that we indicate in the following table. That is, we must remove the ending and add the one corresponding to the person:

First conjugation: verb to sing

• I sang
• You sang
• He / She sang
• We sing
• You sang
• They sang

Second conjugation: Verb to understand

• I understood
• You understood
• He / She understood
• We understood
• You understood
• They / They understood

Third conjugation: Verb to feel

• I felt
• You felt
• He / She felt
• We feel
• You felt
• They / they felt

The future imperfect indicatively is the one used when we want to convey that an action will occur later. Although this time can also be used when we want to express the probability of something or mark an assumption with respect to the future or with respect to the present.

At the time of combine For verbs in this tense, it will be necessary to add the endings as shown below:

First conjugation: verb to sing

• I will sing
• You will sing
• He / She will sing
• We will sing
• You will sing
• They / They will sing

Second conjugation: verb to understand

• I will understand
• You will understand
• He / She will understand
• We will understand
• You will understand
• They / they will understand

Third conjugation: verb to feel

• I will feel
• You will feel
• He / She will feel
• We will feel
• You will feel
• We will feel
• They / they will feel

The simple indicative conditional is used when you want express situations or actions that are hypothetical. In the same way, they are also used to express wishes or requests formulated in a courteous way, make suggestions and express assumptions or hypotheses.

The conjugation of a verb in simple conditional tense of indicative is the following:

First conjugation: verb to sing

• I would sing
• You would sing
• He / She would sing
• We would sing
• You would sing
• They / they would sing

Second conjugation: verb to understand

• I would understand
• You would understand
• He / She would understand
• We would understand
• You would understand
• They / they would understand

Third conjugation: verb to feel

• I would feel
• You would feel
• He / She would feel
• We would feel
• You would feel
• We would feel
• They / they would feel

These are the simple tenses of the indicative mode to which the compounds would have to be added to have the complete map in this way in Spanish. If you want to know more topics related to what are the five times of the indicative mode, be sure to visit our section on Grammar and Linguistics.