The Spanish verb “ver” means “see”, “view” and “watch”, depending on the context.

It is one of the most common verbs in the Spanish language. As an irregular verb, though, conjugating ‘ver’ can be a bit tricky.

But fear not. I’m James from Learn Spanish With James, and in this comprehensive guide, I’ll break down the Spanish verb conjugations of “ver” in different tenses, providing English translations for each.

Whether you’re a beginner or brushing up on your skills, this guide will help you learn how to conjugate ”ver” and use it naturally in any situation.

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Present Tense 

PronounsPronombres
Iyoveo
youves
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedve
wenosotros,nosotrasvemos
you pl.vosotros, vosotrasveis
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedesven

When We Use The Present Tense

The present tense conjugation is used to describe actions or events that are currently happening or habitual actions. 

Some examples of this with “ver” are “veo la televisión” (I watch TV) or “él ve la película” (He watches the movie).

The present indicative can also express future actions when used with a time indicator, like “mañana veo a mi amigo” (Tomorrow I’ll see my friend). Notice that in English this would warrant future tense usage.

It’s important not to get “ver” confused with “mirar”, which is used more commonly in certain idiomatic expressions and in imperative sentences. For example, “¡Mira eso!” (Look at that!).

Examples of the Present Tense “Ver” Conjugation

  1. Yo veo la televisión todas las noches. (I watch TV every night.)
  2. Tú ves el partido de fútbol con tus amigos. (You watch the soccer match with your friends.)
  3. Él ve una obra de teatro en el teatro. (He watches a play at the theater.)
  4. Ella ve a su abuela los fines de semana. (She sees her grandmother on weekends.)
  5. Nosotros vemos las montañas desde nuestra ventana. (We see the mountains from our window.)
  6. Vosotros veis el amanecer en la playa. (You all watch the sunrise at the beach.)
  7. Ellos ven una película en el cine. (They watch a movie at the cinema.)
  8. Ustedes ven las noticias por la mañana. (You all watch the news in the morning.)

Preterite Tense 

PronounsPronombres
Iyovi
youviste
he, she. it, you (formal)él, ella, ustedvio
wenosotros, nosotrasvimos
you (plural)vosotros, vosotrasvisteis
they, you (pl. formal)ellos, ellas, ustedesvieron

When We Use The Preterite Tense

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

With “ver”, this tense is used when referring to instances of seeing something that happened and concluded in the past, such as “anoche vi la película” (I saw the movie last night) or “ellos vieron el accidente en la carretera” (They saw the accident on the road).

Try not to confuse the preterite tense with the imperfect tense, which we’ll come onto shortly.

Examples of the Preterite Tense “Ver” Conjugation

  1. Yo vi la obra de teatro ayer. (I saw the play yesterday.)
  2. Tú viste el partido de fútbol el sábado pasado. (You saw the soccer match last Saturday.)
  3. Él vio la película anoche. (He saw the movie last night.)
  4. Ella vio a su amigo en el parque la semana pasada. (She saw her friend in the park last week.)
  5. Nosotros vimos el amanecer en la playa durante las vacaciones. (We saw the sunrise at the beach during the vacation.)
  6. Vosotros visteis el concierto el mes pasado. (You all saw the concert last month.)
  7. Ellos vieron la luna llena anoche. (They saw the full moon last night.)
  8. Ustedes vieron el eclipse hace dos años. (You all saw the eclipse two years ago.)

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Imperfect Tense

PronounsPronombres
Iyoveía
youveías
he, she, it, you (formal)él, ella, usted veía
wenosotros, nosotrasveíamos
you (plural)vosotros, vosotrasveíais
they, you(pl. formal)ellos, ellas, ustedesveían

When We Use The Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense in Spanish is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions or states in the past without focusing on their completion.

We use the imperfect tense when narrating past events, setting the scene, or expressing habitual actions in the past. 

The English translation for “ver” in the imperfect tense is “was watching/seeing” and “used to watch/see”.

For instance, “Veía la televisión cuando sonó el teléfono” (I was watching TV when the phone rang). I’ve used this example to show you how to use the imperfect tense and preterite tense in the same statement. 

Below, I’ve provided some further examples.

Examples of the Imperfect Tense “Ver” Conjugation

  1. Yo veía la televisión todos los días. (I used to watch TV every day.)
  2. Tú veías las estrellas en el cielo todas las noches. (You used to see the stars in the sky every night.)
  3. Él veía a sus amigos en el parque los fines de semana. (He used to see his friends in the park on weekends.)
  4. Ella veía la puesta de sol desde su ventana. (She used to see the sunset from her window.)
  5. Nosotros veíamos películas los sábados por la tarde. (We used to watch movies on Saturday afternoons.)
  6. Vosotros veíais los barcos en el puerto cada mañana. (You all used to see the boats in the harbor every morning.)
  7. Ellos veían animales en el zoológico cada vez que iban. (They used to see animals at the zoo every time they went.)
  8. Ustedes veían la televisión cuando eran niños. (You all used to watch TV when you were children.)

Future Tense

PronounsPronombres
Iyoveré
youverás
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedverá
wenosotros,nosotrasveremos
you pl.vosotros, vosotrasveréis
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedesverán

When We Use The Future Tense

We use the future tense in Spanish to express intentions, predictions, or plans related to seeing something. 

In English, this is when we “will” see or watch something. 

For instance, “Veré la película mañana” (I will see the movie tomorrow) or “Él verá a su familia el próximo fin de semana” (He will see his family next weekend).

Check out further examples of “ver” in the future tense below.

Examples of the Future Tense “Ver” Conjugation

  1. Yo veré la obra de teatro el viernes. (I will see the play on Friday.)
  2. Tú verás el espectáculo en vivo mañana. (You will see the live show tomorrow.)
  3. Él verá la presentación del proyecto la próxima semana. (He will see the project presentation next week.)
  4. Ella verá la exposición de arte el mes que viene. (She will see the art exhibition next month.)
  5. Nosotros veremos el eclipse solar el año que viene. (We will see the solar eclipse next year.)
  6. Vosotros veréis la película en el cine el sábado. (You all will see the movie at the cinema on Saturday.)
  7. Ellos/ellas verán el desfile de carnaval el próximo martes. (They will see the carnival parade next Tuesday.)
  8. Ustedes verán el concierto en el estadio el próximo mes. (You all will see the concert at the stadium next month.)

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Conditional Tense 

PronounsPronombres
Iyovería
youverías
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedvería
wenosotros,nosotrasveríamos
you pl.vosotros, vosotrasveríais
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedesverían

When We Use The Conditional Tense

Unlike the future tense, the conditional tense expresses actions that would happen under certain conditions, desires, or hypothetical situations in the future.

The translation for this is “would” and we can often follow this tense with the imperfect subjunctive (which we’ll come onto shortly).

Remember, the conditional tense is used to convey what someone would see or do if certain circumstances were to occur. 

For example, “Yo vería la película si tuviera más tiempo” (I would see the movie if I had more time).

Examples of the Conditional “Ver” Conjugation

  1. Yo vería la obra de teatro si tuviera dinero. (I would see the play if I had money.)
  2. Tú verías las estrellas mejor si el cielo estuviera despejado. (You would see the stars better if the sky were clear.)
  3. Él vería la película si le interesara. (He would see the movie if he were interested.)
  4. Ella te vería si estuvieras en la fiesta. (She would see you if you were at the party.)
  5. Nosotros veríamos el partido si no lloviera. (We would see the match if it weren’t raining.)
  6. Vosotros veríais mejor con gafas de sol. (You all would see better with sunglasses.)
  7. Ellos/ellas verían el paisaje desde la cima de la montaña. (They would see the landscape from the top of the mountain.)
  8. Ustedes verían más si encendieran las luces. (You all would see more if you turned on the lights.)

Perfect Tense

PronounsPronombresAuxiliary verb ‘haber’
Iyohevisto
youhasvisto
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedhavisto
wenosotros,nosotrashemosvisto
you pl.vosotros, vosotrashabéisvisto
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedeshanvisto

When We Use The Preterite Perfect Tense

The perfect tense in Spanish, also known as the perfect tense, expresses actions that have been completed in the recent past.

In order to use this tense, you need to conjugate “haber” and learn the past participle of the verb “ver” which is “visto”.

The preterite perfect tense indicates that the action of seeing occurred before the present moment and is relevant to the current situation. 

For instance, “He visto la nueva película de Pedro Almodóvar” (I have seen Pedro Almodóvar’s new movie).

I’ve provided some further examples of “ver” in the perfect tense below.

Examples of the Preterite Perfect “Ver” Conjugation

  1. Yo he visto la película dos veces este mes. (I have seen the movie twice this month.)
  2. Tú has visto el nuevo restaurante en la ciudad. (You have seen the new restaurant in town.)
  3. Él ha visto el espectáculo de fuegos artificiales anoche. (He has seen the fireworks show last night.)
  4. Ella ha visto el eclipse solar en persona. (She has seen the solar eclipse in person.)
  5. Nosotros hemos visto la aurora boreal en nuestro viaje a Noruega. (We have seen the northern lights on our trip to Norway.)
  6. Vosotros habéis visto el monumento histórico en el centro. (You all have seen the historical monument downtown.)
  7. Ellos/ellas han visto la obra de teatro varias veces. (They have seen the play several times.)
  8. Ustedes han visto el documental sobre la vida marina. (You all have seen the documentary about marine life.)

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Pluperfect Tense 

PronounsPronombresAuxiliary verb ‘haber’
Iyohabíavisto
youhabíasvisto
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedhabíavisto
wenosotros,nosotrashabíamosvisto
you pl.vosotros, vosotrashabíaisvisto
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedeshabíanvisto

When We Use The Pluperfect Tense

We use the pluperfect tense in Spanish to describe actions that had occurred before another past action or event. The key word here is “had” and this is the literal translation. 

This tense indicates an action that had been completed before a specific point in the past. 

You use the pluperfect tense to say that you “had” done something. You need to conjugate the verb “haber” in the pluperfect tense and take the past participle of the verb “ver” which, as we have covered, is “visto”.

For example, “Había visto la playa antes de que empezara la lluvia” (I had seen the beach before the rain started).

Examples of the Pluperfect “Ver” Conjugation

  1. Yo había visto esa película antes de que empezara la lluvia. (I had seen that movie before the rain started.)
  2. Tú habías visto el nuevo restaurante antes de que lo cerraran. (You had seen the new restaurant before they closed it.)
  3. Él había visto la obra de teatro varias veces antes de mudarse. (He had seen the play several times before moving.)
  4. Ella había visto la aurora boreal en su viaje a Noruega. (She had seen the northern lights on her trip to Norway.)
  5. Nosotros habíamos visto la casa antes de que la vendieran. (We had seen the house before they sold it.)
  6. Vosotros habíais visto el monumento histórico antes de que lo restauraran. (You all had seen the historical monument before they restored it.)
  7. Ellos/ellas habían visto el eclipse lunar en otras ocasiones. (They had seen the lunar eclipse on other occasions.)
  8. Ustedes habían visto el documental antes de que lo quitaran del catálogo. (You all had seen the documentary before they removed it from the catalog.)

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Future Perfect Tense

PronounsPronombresAuxiliary verb ‘haber’
Iyohabrévisto
youhabrásvisto
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedhabrávisto
wenosotros,nosotrashabremosvisto
you pl.vosotros, vosotrashabréisvisto
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedeshabránvisto

When We Use The Future Perfect Tense

The future perfect tense in Spanish expresses actions that will have been completed by a certain point in the future.

Furthermore, this tense describes an action that will occur after another action or event in the future. 

For example, “Para el próximo año, habré visto todas las películas nominadas al Oscar” (By next year, I will have seen all the Oscar-nominated movies).

Remember, the future perfect tense of “ver” is “will have seen”. Again, you need to conjugate “haber” in the future tense and adopt the past participle of “ver” to use this tense. 

I have left some further examples below.

Examples of the Future Perfect “Ver” Conjugation

  1. Yo habré visto la película para el final de la semana. (I will have seen the movie by the end of the week.)
  2. Tú habrás visto todas las atracciones turísticas cuando regreses. (You will have seen all the tourist attractions when you return.)
  3. Él habrá visto el resultado del examen antes de la reunión. (He will have seen the exam result before the meeting.)
  4. Ella habrá visto el amanecer cuando lleguemos a la montaña. (She will have seen the sunrise when we arrive at the mountain.)
  5. Nosotros habremos visto la presentación antes de que termine el día. (We will have seen the presentation before the day ends.)
  6. Vosotros habréis visto el eclipse lunar para la medianoche. (You all will have seen the lunar eclipse by midnight.)
  7. Ellos/ellas habrán visto el espectáculo cuando comience la cena. (They will have seen the show when dinner starts.)
  8. Ustedes habrán visto todas las opciones antes de tomar una decisión. (You all will have seen all the options before making a decision.)

Conditional Perfect Tense

PronounsPronombresAuxiliary verb ‘haber’
Iyohabríavisto
youhabríasvisto
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedhabríavisto
wenosotros,nosotrashabríamosvisto
you pl.vosotros, vosotrashabríaisvisto
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedeshabríanvisto

When We Use The Conditional Perfect Tense

Do you remember covering the difference between the future tense and conditional tense? Well, this is no different, except this time you need to conjugate “haber”. 

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

With “ver”, the conditional perfect tense describes what someone would have seen or watched if circumstances had been different. 

For instance, “Habría visto la película contigo si hubieras llegado a tiempo” (I would have seen the movie with you if you had arrived on time).

I have provided some further examples of “ver” in the conditional perfect tense below.

Examples of the Conditional Perfect “Ver” Conjugation

  1. Yo habría visto la obra de teatro si hubiera tenido entradas. (I would have seen the play if I had had tickets.)
  2. Tú habrías visto las estrellas si no hubiera habido nubes. (You would have seen the stars if there hadn’t been clouds.)
  3. Él/ella habría visto la película si hubiera tenido tiempo. (He would have seen the movie if he had had time.)
  4. Nosotros habríamos visto el partido si no hubiera llovido. (We would have seen the match if it hadn’t rained.)
  5. Vosotros habríais visto el monumento si hubiera estado abierto. (You all would have seen the monument if it had been open.)
  6. Ellos habrían visto el espectáculo si hubieran comprado boletos. (They would have seen the show if they had bought tickets.)
  7. Ustedes habrían visto el documental si hubiera estado disponible. (You all would have seen the documentary if it had been available.)

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Present Subjunctive

PronounsPronombres
Iyovea
youveas
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedvea
wenosotros,nosotrasveamos
you pl.vosotros, vosotrasveáis
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedesvean

When We Use The Present Subjunctive

This mood is used in subordinate clauses after certain expressions or verbs expressing wishes, desires, doubts, emotions, or recommendations. 

With the verb ”ver” in Spanish the present subjunctive is used, or rather triggered, when we want to convey uncertainty or subjectivity regarding an action of seeing.

For example, “Dudo que él vea la importancia de la situación” (I doubt he sees the importance of the situation).

Some further examples are below.

Examples of “Ver” in the Present Subjunctive

  1. Espero que tú veas la verdad. (I hope you see the truth.)
  2. Quiero que él vea el error en su decisión. (I want him to see the mistake in his decision.)
  3. Es importante que nosotros veamos todas las opciones. (It’s important that we see all the options.)
  4. Sugiero que vosotros veáis la situación desde otro ángulo. (I suggest you all see the situation from another angle.)
  5. No creo que ellos vean la importancia de este problema. (I don’t believe they see the importance of this issue.)
  6. Ojalá que ustedes vean la belleza en este lugar. (I hope you all see the beauty in this place.)

Imperfect Subjunctive

PronounsPronombres
Iyoviera, viese
youvieras, vieses
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedviera, viese
wenosotros,nosotrasviéramos, viésemos
you pl.vosotros, vosotrasvierais, vieseis
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedesvieran, viesen

When We Use The Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive in Spanish is used in dependent clauses to express hypothetical, uncertain, or unreal situations in the past. 

It often appears after certain conjunctions, expressions, or verbs that indicate doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty. 

Furthermore, you will often need to use this tense following a word or phrase like “ojalá que,” “tal vez,” “quizás,” “si,” and others.

Making sense? Some examples are below with translations. 

Examples of “Ver’ in the Imperfect Subjunctive

  1. Yo quería que él viera la película. (I wanted him to see the movie.)
  2. Esperábamos que ustedes vieran la verdad. (We hoped you all would see the truth.)
  3. Ella deseaba que nosotros viéramos su punto de vista. (She wished that we would see her point of view.)
  4. Mis padres preferían que yo no viera esas imágenes. (My parents preferred that I didn’t see those images.)
  5. Era importante que ellos vieran la realidad. (It was important that they saw the reality.)
  6. No creía que nosotros viéramos el mismo error. (He didn’t believe that we saw the same mistake.)

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Preterite Perfect Subjunctive

PronounsPronombresAuxiliary verb ‘haber’
Iyohubiera,hubiesevisto
youhubieras,hubiesesvisto
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,ustedhubiera,hubiesevisto
wenosotros,nosotrashubiéramos,hubiésemosvisto
you pl.vosotros, vosotrashubierais,hubieseisvisto
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedeshubieran,hubiesenvisto

When We Use The Preterite Perfect Subjunctive

Just like the other subjunctive tenses we’ve covered, the preterite perfect subjunctive in Spanish is used to express actions that would have been completed before another past action or event, typically in complex sentences involving conditionals, wishes, or hypothetical situations.

This tense is often found in subordinate clauses following past-tense verbs or expressions like “si hubiera/hubiese,” “ojalá que,” “como si,” or “tal vez.”

Examples of “Ver’ in the Preterite Perfect Subjunctive

  1. Si no la hubiera visto, no me habría sentido emocionado. (If I hadn’t seen it, I wouldn’t have felt excited.)
  2. Si tú lo hubieras visto, habrías entendido la situación. (If you had seen it, you would have understood the situation.)
  3. Si él la hubiera visto, habría reaccionado de otra manera. (If he had seen her, he would have reacted differently.)
  4. Si nosotros lo hubiéramos visto, habríamos intervenido. (If we had seen it, we would have intervened.)
  5. Si vosotros la hubierais visto, habríais entendido la confusión. (If you all had seen her, you would have understood the confusion.)
  6. Si ellos no lo hubieran visto, no habrían podido confirmar. (If they hadn’t seen it, they wouldn’t have been able to confirm.)
  7. Si ustedes lo hubieran visto, habrían actuado más rápido. (If you all had seen it, you would have acted faster.)

Affirmative Imperative 

PronounsPronombres
you¡ve!
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,usted¡vea!
wenosotros,nosotras¡veamos!
you pl.vosotros, vosotras¡ved!
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedes¡vean!

When We Use The Affirmative Imperative

If you have read any of the other tense guides on this site, you will know that the affirmative imperative in Spanish is used to give commands, instructions, or requests in a direct and affirmative manner.

When using the affirmative imperative with the verb “ver” you’re instructing someone to see or look at something.

Examples in the Affirmative Imperative

  1. ¡Ve la película esta noche! (You, singular, watch the movie tonight!)
  2. ¡Vean el nuevo arte en la galería! (You all, look at the new art in the gallery!)
  3. ¡Veamos el resultado antes de tomar una decisión! (Let’s see the result before making a decision!)
  4. ¡Ved vosotros los detalles antes de aprobarlo! (You all, see the details before approving it!)

Negative Imperative

PronounsPronombres
you¡no veas!
he,she,it, you(formal)él,ella,usted¡no vea!
wenosotros,nosotras¡no veamos!
you pl.vosotros, vosotras¡no veáis!
they, you pl. (formal)ellos,ellas,ustedes¡no vean!

When We Use The Negative Imperative

The negative imperative in Spanish is used to give commands or instructions in a negative form, instructing someone not to do something. 

When using the negative imperative with the verb “ver”, you’re instructing someone not to see or look at something. 

Easy, right? All you need to do is put a “no” in front of the statement to trigger the negative imperative. 

Examples in the Negative Imperative

  1. No veas esa película, es muy aburrida. (Don’t watch that movie, it’s very boring.)
  2. No veamos el informe ahora, lo revisaremos más tarde. (Let’s not look at the report now, we’ll review it later.)
  3. No veáis la televisión durante la cena. (Don’t watch TV during dinner.)
  4. No vean ustedes las redes sociales todo el día. (You all, don’t look at social media all day.)

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About James – Or Should that be Santiago?

My name is James. I am a Brit with a love for the Spanish language. I have lived in Spain, Argentina, and Costa Rica, and I have been teaching Spanish for over a decade. This site will show you how to master the elements of Spanish grammar that often dishearten learners. I hope you enjoy the site and find it useful.

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