Volver Conjugation Chart & Full Tense Guide

“Volver” is a Spanish verb in the infinitive form meaning “to return” or “to come back.”

As an irregular verb, “volver” doesn’t follow the standard conjugation rules seen in regular verbs, as the verb stem changes in certain forms. This adds a little complexity to its conjugation.

Still, Spanish verb conjugation doesn’t need to be a daunting task, even when it comes to verbs that doesn’t follow regular conjugation rules.

I’m James, from Learn Spanish With James, a site put together to help you with Spanish conjugation.

In this guide, I’ve outlined every conjugation of “volver” across the indicative, imperative, and subjunctive tenses with examples sentences and their English translations.

Whether you’re expressing statements, giving commands, or conveying desires, learning how to conjugate “volver” and similar irregular verbs will enhance your proficiency in Spanish.

Present Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	vuelvo
you	tú	vuelves
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	vuelve
we	nosotros,nosotras	volvemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	volvéis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	vuelven

When we use the Present Tense

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

Here, “volver” follows the conjugation pattern similar to other Spanish verbs ending in -er (o,es,e,emos,éis,en).

However, as it belongs to the category of stem-changing verbs, it has an irregular conjugation, so its spelling alters with specific pronouns.

Examples of the Present Tense “Volver” Conjugation

• Yo vuelvo a casa todos los días. (I come back home every day.)
• Tú vuelves tarde del trabajo. (You come back late from work.)
• Él/ella vuelve a su país de origen este verano. (He/She comes back to his/her home country this summer.)
• Nosotros volvemos a visitar la ciudad cada año. (We come back to visit the city every year.)
• Vosotros volvéis con buenas noticias. (You all come back with good news.)
• Ellos/ellas vuelven a empezar desde el principio. (They start over from the beginning.)

Preterite Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	volví
you	tú	volviste
he, she. it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	volvió
we	nosotros, nosotras	volvimos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	volvisteis
they, you (pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	volvieron

When we use the Preterite Tense

The preterite tense is used to describe completed actions in the past.

When we want to conjugate a regular verb in the preterite tense (like “volver”), we remove the infinitive ending and add the appropriate preterite tense endings.

Examples of the Preterite Tense “Volver” Conjugation

• Yo volví de mis vacaciones ayer. (I came back from my vacation yesterday.)
• Tú volviste a preguntar por ella. (You asked about her again.)
• Él/ella volvió a ganar la competición. (He/She won the competition again.)
• Nosotros volvimos a encontrarnos después de muchos años. (We met again after many years.)
• Vosotros volvisteis con las manos vacías. (You all came back empty-handed.)
• Ellos/ellas volvieron a su rutina diaria. (They returned to their daily routine.)

Imperfect Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	volvía
you	tú	volvías
he, she, it, you (formal)	él, ella, usted	volvía
we	nosotros, nosotras	volvíamos
you (plural)	vosotros, vosotras	volvíais
they, you(pl. formal)	ellos, ellas, ustedes	volvían

When we use the Imperfect Tense

The imperfect tense is used to describe ongoing or repeated actions in the past, as well as to express habitual actions or states of being.

The translation of “volver” in the imperfect tense into English is “used to return” or “was returning”.

In order to conjugate regular verbs like “volver” in the imperfect tense, remove the infinitive ending and add the appropriate imperfect tense endings.

As you’ll see below and in the above “volver” conjugation chart, this is an easy set of verb conjugation to learn.

Examples of the Verb “Volver” in the Imperfect Tense

• Yo volvía a casa cuando empezó a llover. (I was coming back home when it started to rain.)
• Tú volvías de la escuela a la misma hora todos los días. (You used to come back from school at the same time every day.)
• Él/ella volvía a intentarlo una y otra vez. (He/She kept trying again and again.)
• Nosotros volvíamos a visitar a nuestros abuelos en verano. (We used to come back to visit our grandparents in the summer.)
• Vosotros volvíais con nuevas ideas cada vez. (You all came back with new ideas each time.)
• Ellos/ellas volvían cansados del viaje. (They returned tired from the trip.)

Future Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	volveré
you	tú	volverás
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	volverá
we	nosotros,nosotras	volveremos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	volveréis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	volverán

When we use the Future Tense

The future tense is used to express actions that will happen in the future.

So, the translation is “will return” or “will come back”.

When we want to conjugate irregular verbs like “volver” in the future tense, we need to add the appropriate future tense endings to the infinitive of the verb.

Examples of this are below.

Examples of the Future Tense “Volver” Conjugation

• Yo volveré a casa más tarde. (I will come back home later.)
• Tú volverás a verla en la fiesta. (You will see her again at the party.)
• Él/ella volverá cuando termine sus estudios. (He/She will come back when he/she finishes his/her studies.)
• Nosotros volveremos a intentarlo mañana. (We will try again tomorrow.)
• Vosotros volveréis con más experiencia después del viaje. (You all will come back with more experience after the trip.)
• Ellos/ellas volverán a reunirse en el mismo lugar. (They will meet again at the same place.)

Conditional Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	volvería
you	tú	volverías
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	volvería
we	nosotros,nosotras	volveríamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	volveríais
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	volverían

When we use the Conditional Tense

The conditional tense is used to express actions that would happen under certain conditions or to convey a polite request or suggestion.

When we want to conjugate “volver” in the conditional tense, we add the appropriate conditional tense endings to the infinitive form of the verb.

Conjugations for this verb are in the table above. As you can see in each sentence, in both singular and plural forms, this looks like the below in practice.

Examples of the Conditional “Volver” Conjugation

• Yo volvería si tuviera más tiempo. (I would come back if I had more time.)
• Tú volverías si te lo pidiera. (You would come back if I asked you to.)
• Él/ella volvería si le ofrecieras ayuda. (He/She would come back if you offered help.)
• Nosotros volveríamos a intentarlo si fuera posible. (We would try again if it were possible.)
• Vosotros volveríais si os sintierais mejor. (You all would come back if you felt better.)
• Ellos/ellas volverían si las condiciones fueran diferentes. (They would come back if the conditions were different.)

Perfect Tense

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

When we use the Perfect Tense

The perfect tense describes actions that have been completed recently or in the past, but the exact time is not specified.

It is equivalent to the English present perfect tense.

In order to form the perfect tense, we need to use the auxiliary verb “haber” in the present tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.

For example, “Has vuelto tú a preguntar lo mismo?” (Have you asked the same thing again?)

Examples of The Spanish Verb “Volver” in the Pretérito Perfecto Tense

• Yo he vuelto a casa después de trabajar. (I have come back home after working.)
• Tú has vuelto a preguntar lo mismo. (You have asked the same thing again.)
• Él/ella ha vuelto a visitar a sus amigos en el extranjero. (He/She has come back to visit his/her friends abroad.)
• Nosotros hemos vuelto a encontrarnos en la misma situación. (We have found ourselves in the same situation again.)
• Vosotros habéis vuelto con más energía después de las vacaciones. (You all have come back with more energy after the holidays.)
• Ellos/ellas han vuelto a cambiar de planes. (They have changed plans again.)

Pluperfect Tense

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

When we use the Pluperfect Tense

In Spanish, we use the pluperfect tense when we want to describe actions that had already been completed before another past action took place.

In order to form the pluperfect tense, use the auxiliary verb “haber” in the imperfect tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of “Volver” in the Pluperfect Tense

• Yo había vuelto a leer ese libro varias veces. (I had come back to read that book several times.)
• Tú habías vuelto a intentarlo antes de rendirte. (You had tried again before giving up.)
• Él/ella había vuelto a recordar aquellos días felices. (He/She had remembered those happy days again.)
• Nosotros habíamos vuelto a escuchar esa canción muchas veces. (We had listened to that song again many times.)
• Vosotros habíais vuelto a verla recientemente. (You all had seen her again recently.)
• Ellos/ellas habían vuelto a trabajar juntos en el mismo proyecto. (They had worked together again on the same project.)

Future Perfect Tense

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

When we use the Future Perfect Tense

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

In order to form the future perfect tense, use the auxiliary verb “haber” in the future tense followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of “Volver” in the Future Perfect Tense

• Yo habré vuelto a casa para las nueve. (I will have come back home by nine o’clock.)
• Tú habrás vuelto de tus vacaciones para entonces. (You will have come back from your vacation by then.)
• Él/ella habrá vuelto de su viaje el próximo mes. (He/She will have come back from his/her trip next month.)
• Nosotros habremos vuelto a empezar desde cero. (We will have started over from scratch.)
• Vosotros habréis vuelto a verla antes de la reunión. (You all will have seen her again before the meeting.)
• Ellos/ellas habrán vuelto a casa cuando lleguemos. (They will have come back home by the time we arrive.)

Conditional Perfect Tense

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

When we use the Conditional Perfect Tense

The conditional perfect tense is used to describe actions that would have been completed under certain conditions in the past.

When we want to form the conditional perfect tense in Spanish, we use the conditional tense of the auxiliary verb “haber” followed by the past participle of the main verb.

Examples of “Volver” in the Conditional Perfect Tense

• Yo habría vuelto si hubiera tenido tiempo. (I would have come back if I had had time.)
• Tú habrías vuelto con él si te lo hubiera pedido. (You would have come back with him if he had asked you to.)
• Él/ella habría vuelto antes si hubiera podido. (He/She would have come back earlier if he/she had been able to.)
• Nosotros habríamos vuelto a intentarlo si las circunstancias hubieran sido diferentes. (We would have tried again if the circumstances had been different.)
• Vosotros habríais vuelto a verla si hubiera sido necesario. (You all would have seen her again if it had been necessary.)
• Ellos/ellas habrían vuelto si hubieran tenido más información. (They would have come back if they had had more information.)

Present Subjunctive Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	vuelva
you	tú	vuelvas
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	vuelva
we	nosotros,nosotras	volvamos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	volváis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	vuelvan

When we use the Present Subjunctive Tense

The present subjunctive is used to express desires, doubts, wishes, and hypothetical situations.

To conjugate “volver” in the present subjunctive tense, remove the infinitive ending and add the appropriate present subjunctive endings.

If you have already learned the present tense of “volver”, then this will be a little easier for you.

Examples of “Volver” in the Present Subjunctive Tense

• Es importante que yo vuelva a casa antes de oscurecer. (It’s important that I come back home before it gets dark.)
• Espero que tú vuelvas pronto. (I hope you come back soon.)
• Es necesario que él/ella vuelva antes de que sea demasiado tarde. (It’s necessary for him/her to come back before it’s too late.)
• Ojalá que nosotros volvamos a vernos pronto. (I hope we see each other again soon.)
• Dudo que vosotros volváis a encontrarlo. (I doubt you will find him again.)
• Espero que ellos/ellas vuelvan a sentirse mejor pronto. (I hope they feel better soon.)

Imperfect Subjunctive Tense

Pronouns	Pronombres
I	yo	volviera, volviese
you	tú	volvieras, volvieses
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	volviera, volviese
we	nosotros,nosotras	volviéramos, volviésemos
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	volvierais, volvieseis
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	volvieran, volviesen

When we use the Imperfect Subjunctive Tense

The imperfect subjunctive is used to express hypothetical situations, wishes, and desires in the past.

To conjugate “volver” in the imperfect subjunctive tense, remove the infinitive ending and add the appropriate imperfect subjunctive endings.

This tense is more complex, for all Spanish verbs, and mastering the imperfect subjunctive will take practice.

Examples of “Volver” in the Imperfect Subjunctive Tense

• Si yo volviera a aquel lugar, recordaría muchos recuerdos felices. (If I were to return to that place, I would recall many happy memories.)
• Yo deseaba que tú volvieras conmigo. (I wished you would come back with me.)
• Prefería que él/ella volviera más tarde. (I preferred he/she would come back later.)
• Queríamos que nosotros volviéramos a tener esa experiencia. (We wanted to have that experience again.)
• Dudábamos que vosotros volvierais a verlo. (We doubted you would see him again.)
• Esperábamos que ellos/ellas volvieran a visitarnos pronto. (We hoped they would visit us again soon.)

Affirmative Imperative 

Pronouns	Pronombres
you	tú	¡vuelve!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡vuelva!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡volvamos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡volved!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡vuelvan!

When We Use The Affirmative Imperative

The affirmative imperative is used to give direct commands or orders in a positive manner.

When using the affirmative imperative with the verb “volver,” you’re instructing someone to return or come back.

Examples of the Affirmative Imperative “Volver” Conjugation

• ¡Vuelve pronto! (Come back soon!)
• Volvamos juntos. (Let’s return together.)
• ¡Volved antes del anochecer! (Come back before nightfall.)

Negative Imperative

Pronouns	Pronombres
you	tú	¡no vuelvas!
he,she,it, you(formal)	él,ella,usted	¡no vuelva!
we	nosotros,nosotras	¡no volvamos!
you pl.	vosotros, vosotras	¡no volváis!
they, you pl. (formal)	ellos,ellas,ustedes	¡no vuelvan!

When We Use The Negative Imperative

The negative imperative is used to give direct commands or orders in a negative manner, often expressing prohibition or advice against doing something.

When using the negative imperative with the verb “volver,” you’re instructing someone not to return or come back.

Examples of the Negative Imperative “Volver” Conjugation

• No vuelvas tarde. (Don’t come back late.)
• No volvamos por el mismo camino. (Let’s not go back the same way.)
• No volváis sin permiso. (Don’t come back without permission.)

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