-ar verb C1 · Advanced

Conjugate desafiar in Spanish

to challenge

desafiar is a regular -ar verb ranked #2106 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Me desafió a un duelo." (He challenged me to a duel.). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.

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Describes current actions, habits, and general truths. The most frequently used tense — master it first.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo desafío
desafías
él/ella/Ud. desafía
nosotros desafiamos
vosotros desafiáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desafían
Example

Yo desafío todos los días.

I challenge every day.

Describes completed past actions with a clear start and end. Key signals: ayer, el lunes pasado, de repente.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo desafié
desafiaste
él/ella/Ud. desafió
nosotros desafiamos
vosotros desafiasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desafiaron
Example

Ayer yo desafié.

Yesterday I challenge.

Describes habitual past actions, background context, and ongoing states. Key signals: siempre, normalmente, cuando era niño.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo desafiaba
desafiabas
él/ella/Ud. desafiaba
nosotros desafiábamos
vosotros desafiabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. desafiaban
Example

Antes yo desafiaba con frecuencia.

Before, I used to challenge often.

Describes future events and predictions. In everyday speech, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for planned events.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo desafiaré
desafiarás
él/ella/Ud. desafiará
nosotros desafiaremos
vosotros desafiaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desafiarán
Example

Mañana yo desafiaré.

Tomorrow I will challenge.

Expresses what would happen under certain conditions — equivalent to "would" in English. Also used for polite requests.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo desafiaría
desafiarías
él/ella/Ud. desafiaría
nosotros desafiaríamos
vosotros desafiaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. desafiarían
Example

Si pudiera, yo desafiaría.

If I could, I would challenge.

Used in clauses expressing wishes, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty — typically after que. Triggers: querer, esperar, dudar, ojalá.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo desafíe
desafíes
él/ella/Ud. desafíe
nosotros desafiemos
vosotros desafiéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desafíen
Example

Espero que tú desafíes.

I hope that you challenge.

Used to give commands and direct requests. Affirmative and negative forms differ significantly in Spanish.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo -
desafía
él/ella/Ud. desafíe
nosotros desafiemos
vosotros desafiad
ellos/ellas/Uds. desafíen
Example

¡Desafía!

Challenge!

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Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.

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Example sentences

Common phrases with desafiar

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