Perdonar Conjugation Chart & Full Tense Guide

The verb “perdonar” (“to pardon, forgive, excuse” in English) is a vital verb in the Spanish language used in countless everyday expressions and idiomatic phrases.

I’m James, from Learn Spanish With James and the Learn Spanish With James Podcast.

In this guide, you’ll find Spanish verb conjugations with charts for ”perdonar” across all tenses. 

I’ve also provided examples of this verb in indicative, subjunctive, and imperative moods.

By the end, you’ll be able to conjugate “perdonar” in Spanish, and incorporate it into your everyday conversations.

Present Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	perdono
you	tú	perdonas
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	perdona
we	nosotros,nosotras	perdonamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	perdonáis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	perdonan

When We Use the Present Tense

The present tense in Spanish is used to describe actions that are currently happening, habitual actions, general truths. 

The translation is “I forgive”, “you forgive” etc. 

In some cases, you can also use the present tense in Spanish to refer to future actions, (when combined with certain time expressions).

In a conjugated form, Spanish verbs in the present tense change according to the subject pronoun, with specific endings for each subject.

You’ll find a list of these below.

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Present Tense

• Yo perdono a quienes me han hecho daño. (I forgive those who have hurt me.)
• Tú perdonas fácilmente, pero yo encuentro difícil perdonar. (You forgive easily, but I find it hard to forgive.)
• Él perdona sus errores y sigue adelante. (He forgives his mistakes and moves on.)
• Nosotros perdonamos a nuestros enemigos para liberarnos del resentimiento. (We forgive our enemies to free ourselves from resentment.)
• Vosotros perdonáis pero no olvidáis fácilmente. (You forgive but don’t easily forget.)
• Ellos perdonan las ofensas y cultivan la paz en sus vidas. (They forgive offenses and cultivate peace in their lives.)

Preterite Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	perdoné
you	tú	perdonaste
he, she. it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	perdonó
we	nosotros, nosotras	perdonamos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	perdonasteis
they, you (pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	perdonaron

When We Use the Preterite Tense

We use the preterite tense in Spanish when we want to discuss completed actions or events that occurred at a specific point in the past.

For example, “I forgave”.

This tense is often used for actions that were done once, actions that happened in a sequence, or actions that lasted for a specific duration. 

Verbs in the preterite tense have specific conjugations depending on the subject pronoun.

Top Tip 🔥 Don’t confuse the preterite tense with the imperfect tense, which we’ll come onto shortly!

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Preterite Tense

• Yo perdoné a mi amigo por su error. (I forgave my friend for his mistake.)
• Tú perdonaste rápidamente, lo cual fue admirable. (You forgave quickly, which was admirable.)
• Él perdonó el préstamo que le debía su hermano. (He forgave the loan his brother owed him.)
• Nosotros perdonamos las deudas de nuestros deudores. (We forgave the debts of our debtors.)
• Vosotros perdonasteis el error y seguisteis adelante. (You forgave the mistake and moved on.)
• Ellos perdonaron las faltas y restauraron la armonía en la relación. (They forgave the faults and restored harmony in the relationship.)

Imperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	perdonaba
you	tú	perdonabas
he, she, it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	perdonaba
we	nosotros, nosotras	perdonábamos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	perdonabais
they, you(pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	perdonaban

When We Use the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense in Spanish describes ongoing or repeated past actions. For example, “I used to forgive”.

Furthermore, we can use the imperfect tense to provide background information or set the scene in a narrative.

So, “perdonar” in the imperfect tense also translates to “I was forgiving”.

This makes it a really useful tense to learn. 

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Imperfect Tense

• Yo perdonaba a mis hermanos cuando éramos niños. (I used to forgive my siblings when we were children.)
• Tú perdonabas los errores de tus compañeros de trabajo. (You used to forgive your coworkers’ mistakes.)
• Él perdonaba a su padre cada vez que este cometía un error. (He forgave his father every time he made a mistake.)
• Nosotros perdonábamos a quienes nos ofendían. (We forgave those who offended us.)
• Vosotros perdonabais las mentiras de vuestros amigos. (You forgave your friends’ lies.)
• Ellos perdonaban pero no olvidaban fácilmente. (They forgave but didn’t easily forget.)

Future Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	perdonaré
you	tú	perdonarás
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	perdonará
we	nosotros,nosotras	perdonaremos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	perdonaréis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	perdonarán

When We Use the Future Tense

In Spanish, we use the future tense to express actions that will occur in the future. Remember, it means “will”.

The future tense is a really easy Spanish tense to learn, because you don’t need to change the stem of the infinitive. 

Instead, just add the correct endings to the infinitive form, which changes depending on the subject pronoun.

The verb chart above shows you these endings, and the example sentences below provide examples of the future tense of “perdonar” in context. 

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Future Tense

• Yo perdonaré a quien me pida perdón sinceramente. (I will forgive whoever sincerely asks for forgiveness.)
• Tú perdonarás cuando entiendas la importancia del perdón. (You will forgive when you understand the importance of forgiveness.)
• Él perdonará cuando esté listo para dejar ir el pasado. (He will forgive when he’s ready to let go of the past.)
• Nosotros perdonaremos pero no olvidaremos fácilmente. (We will forgive but won’t easily forget.)
• Vosotros perdonaréis una vez que reflexionéis sobre la situación. (You will forgive once you reflect on the situation.)
• Ellos perdonarán si sienten un verdadero arrepentimiento. (They will forgive if they feel genuine remorse.)

Conditional Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	perdonaría
you	tú	perdonarías
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	perdonaría
we	nosotros,nosotras	perdonaríamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	perdonaríais
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	perdonarían

When We Use the Conditional Tense

The conditional tense in Spanish is used to express actions that would happen under certain conditions or hypothetical situations.

So, remember, the future tense is “will”, and the conditional tense is “would”.

In Spanish, we can use the conditional tense to convey politeness, make requests, or talk about possibilities. 

This latter example is what makes the conditional tense a perfect starting point when we want to use the imperfect subjunctive in Spanish too. 

I have provided examples of this in the sentences below. Combining the conditional tense with the imperfect subjunctive is a great way to score high in your speaking exams. 

Again, remember that all Spanish verbs in the conditional tense have specific endings depending on the subject pronoun.

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Conditional Tense

• Yo perdonaría si me lo pidieras sinceramente. (I would forgive if you asked me sincerely.)
• Tú perdonarías si entendieras la situación por la que pasó. (You would forgive if you understood the situation they went through.)
• Él perdonaría si sintiera que realmente lo mereces. (He would forgive if he felt you truly deserve it.)
• Nosotros perdonaríamos si hubiera un genuino arrepentimiento. (We would forgive if there were genuine remorse.)
• Vosotros perdonaríais más fácilmente si os disculparan sinceramente. (You would forgive more easily if you were sincerely apologized to.)
• Ellos perdonarían si creyeran que la otra persona ha cambiado. (They would forgive if they believed the other person has changed.)

Preterite Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	he	perdonado
you	tú	has	perdonado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	ha	perdonado
we	nosotros,nosotras	hemos	perdonado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habéis	perdonado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	han	perdonado

When We Use the Preterite Perfect Tense

The preterite perfect tense in Spanish, often referred to on this site as the perfect tense, expresses actions that have been completed. 

For example, “I have forgiven”.

Verbs in the preterite perfect tense are formed using the auxiliary verb “haber” in the preterite tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Preterite Perfect Tense

• Yo he perdonado todas las ofensas que me han hecho. (I have forgiven all the offenses done to me.)
• Tú has perdonado a tus enemigos, ¿verdad? (You have forgiven your enemies, haven’t you?)
• Él ha perdonado los errores de su pasado y sigue adelante. (He has forgiven the mistakes of his past and moves on.)
• Nosotros hemos perdonado pero no olvidaremos fácilmente. (We have forgiven but won’t easily forget.)
• Vosotros habéis perdonado las mentiras, pero no podéis confiar. (You have forgiven the lies, but you can’t trust.)
• Ellos han perdonado a quienes les hicieron daño. (They have forgiven those who hurt them.)

Pluperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	había	perdonado
you	tú	habías	perdonado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	había	perdonado
we	nosotros,nosotras	habíamos	perdonado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habíais	perdonado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habían	perdonado

When We Use the Pluperfect Tense

The pluperfect tense in Spanish is used to express actions that had already happened before another past action or time in the past. 

It describes actions that occurred prior to the main events in a narrative.

For example, “I had forgiven him already by the time he apologized”.

Just like the perfect tense, verbs in the pluperfect tense are formed using the auxiliary verb “haber” followed by the past participle of the main verb (in this case “perdonado”.)

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Pluperfect Tense

• Yo había perdonado antes de que me lo pidieras. (I had forgiven before you asked me to.)
• Tú habías perdonado a tus amigos antes de la discusión. (You had forgiven your friends before the argument.)
• Él había perdonado a su hermano antes de enterarse de la verdad. (He had forgiven his brother before learning the truth.)
• Nosotros habíamos perdonado todas las ofensas antes de la reconciliación. (We had forgiven all the offenses before the reconciliation.)
• Vosotros habíais perdonado antes de saber la magnitud del error. (You had forgiven before knowing the magnitude of the mistake.)
• Ellos habían perdonado pero aún guardaban resentimiento. (They had forgiven but still harbored resentment.)

Future Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	habré	perdonado
you	tú	habrás	perdonado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habrá	perdonado
we	nosotros,nosotras	habremos	perdonado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habréis	perdonado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrán	perdonado

When We Use the Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense in Spanish is used to express actions that will have been completed by a certain point in the future. 

It indicates an action that will occur before another future action or time.

Just like the previous two tenses discussed, verbs in the future perfect tense are formed using the future tense of the auxiliary verb “haber” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Future Perfect Tense

• Yo habré perdonado todas las ofensas para el próximo año. (I will have forgiven all the offenses by next year.)
• Tú habrás perdonado cuando regreses de tu viaje. (You will have forgiven by the time you return from your trip.)
• Él habrá perdonado antes de su cumpleaños. (He will have forgiven before his birthday.)
• Nosotros habremos perdonado antes de la llegada del nuevo año. (We will have forgiven before the arrival of the new year.)
• Vosotros habréis perdonado para cuando comience la primavera. (You will have forgiven by the time spring starts.)
• Ellos habrán perdonado antes de que termine el mes. (They will have forgiven before the month ends.)

Conditional Perfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres	Auxiliary verb ‘haber’	Past Participle
I	yo	habría	perdonado
you	tú	habrías	perdonado
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	habría	perdonado
we	nosotros,nosotras	habríamos	perdonado
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	habríais	perdonado
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	habrían	perdonado

When We Use the Conditional Perfect Tense

We use the conditional perfect tense in Spanish to express actions that would have been completed under certain conditions in the past. 

It’s often used to talk about hypothetical situations or regrets about the past.

For example, “I would have forgiven him if he’d been honest sooner”. In Spanish, this triggers the subjunctive, and I have provided examples of this below.

Top Tip: 🔥 Verbs in the conditional perfect tense require the conditional tense of the auxiliary verb “haber” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Conditional Perfect Tense

• Yo habría perdonado si me lo hubieras pedido a tiempo. (I would have forgiven if you had asked me on time.)
• Tú habrías perdonado si te hubieran mostrado sinceridad. (You would have forgiven if they had shown you sincerity.)
• Él habría perdonado si no hubiera sido tan orgulloso. (He would have forgiven if he hadn’t been so proud.)
• Nosotros habríamos perdonado si hubiéramos sabido la verdad antes. (We would have forgiven if we had known the truth earlier.)
• Vosotros habríais perdonado si os hubieran dado una disculpa sincera. (You would have forgiven if they had given you a sincere apology.)
• Ellos habrían perdonado si hubieran sentido un verdadero arrepentimiento. (They would have forgiven if they had felt genuine remorse.)

Present Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	perdone
you	tú	perdones
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	perdone
we	nosotros,nosotras	perdonemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	perdonéis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	perdonen

When We Use the Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive in Spanish is used to express desires, doubts, wishes, recommendations, or actions that are not guaranteed to happen. 

It’s often used in dependent clauses after certain expressions or verbs to indicate uncertainty, possibility, or subjectivity.

Verbs in the present subjunctive have specific endings depending on the subject pronoun.

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Present Subjunctive

• Espero que yo perdone a pesar de las dificultades. (I hope that I forgive despite the difficulties.)
• Tú deseas que tú perdones y olvides el pasado. (You wish that you forgive and forget the past.)
• Él espera que él perdone y restaure la armonía. (He hopes that he forgives and restores harmony.)
• Nosotros queremos que nosotros perdonemos para seguir adelante. (We want that we forgive to move forward.)
• Vosotros preferís que vosotros perdonéis y superéis las diferencias. (You all prefer that you forgive and overcome differences.)
• Ellos desean que ellos perdonen y sanen las heridas del pasado. (They wish that they forgive and heal the wounds of the past.)

Imperfect Subjunctive

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
I	yo	perdonara
you	tú	perdonaras
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	perdonara
we	nosotros,nosotras	perdonáramos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	perdonarais
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	perdonaran

When We Use the Imperfect Subjunctive

Just like the present subjunctive, the imperfect subjunctive in Spanish is used to express hypothetical situations, wishes, or desires – but this time in the past. 

This tense is often used in dependent clauses introduced by certain conjunctions to express uncertainty, doubt, or unreality in relation to the main clause.

As you should now know, verbs in the imperfect subjunctive have specific conjugations depending on the subject pronoun.

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Imperfect Subjunctive

• Yo esperaba que yo perdonara a pesar de las dificultades. (I hoped that I would forgive despite the difficulties.)
• Tú deseabas que tú perdonaras y olvidaras el pasado. (You wished that you would forgive and forget the past.)
• Él prefería que él perdonara y restaurara la armonía. (He preferred that he would forgive and restore harmony.)
• Nosotros necesitábamos que nosotros perdonáramos para seguir adelante. (We needed that we would forgive to move forward.)
• Vosotros esperabais que vosotros perdonarais y olvidarais el pasado. (You all hoped that you would forgive and forget the past.)
• Ellos deseaban que ellos perdonaran y siguieran adelante. (They wished that they would forgive and move on.)

Affirmative Imperative 

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
you	tú	¡perdona!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡perdone!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡perdonemos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡perdonad!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡perdonen!

When We Use the Affirmative Imperative

The affirmative imperative in Spanish is used to give commands or instructions in a direct and affirmative manner. It’s used to tell someone to do something. Verbs in the affirmative imperative don’t include subject pronouns, and the conjugation of the verb is specific to each pronoun.

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Affirmative Imperative

• Perdona a quienes te han hecho daño. (Forgive those who have hurt you.)
• Perdonad los errores y seguid adelante. (Forgive the mistakes and move on.)
• Perdone usted las ofensas y cultive la paz en su vida. (Forgive offenses and cultivate peace in your life.)

Negative Imperative

Pronouns	Pronombres	Conjugation
you	tú	¡no perdones!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡no perdone!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡no perdonemos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡no perdonéis!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡no perdonen!

When We Use the Negative Imperative

Just like the affirmative form, the negative imperative in Spanish is used to give commands or instructions in a direct manner. However, this time in a negative manner. 

So, it’s used to tell someone not to do something. 

Verbs in the negative imperative don’t include subject pronouns, and the conjugation of the verb is specific to each pronoun.

Examples of “Perdonar” in the Negative Imperative

• No perdones a quienes te hayan hecho daño. (Don’t forgive those who have hurt you.)
• No perdonéis los errores sin antes reflexionar sobre ellos. (Don’t forgive the mistakes without reflecting on them first.)
• No perdone usted las ofensas si no hay arrepentimiento genuino. (Don’t forgive offenses if there is no genuine remorse.)

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