-ar verb irregular · stem-changing-o-ue B1 · Intermediate

Conjugate esforzar in Spanish

to make an effort

esforzar is an irregular -ar verb ranked #600 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Me esfuerzo cada día para mejorar mi español." (I make an effort every day to improve my Spanish.). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.

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⚡ Irregular verb — esforzar (stem-changing-o-ue) does not follow standard -ar patterns. Pay close attention to the stems in each tense.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo esfuerzo *
esfuerzas *
él/ella/Ud. esfuerza *
nosotros esforzamos
vosotros esforzáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. esfuerzan *
Example

Me esfuerzo cada día para mejorar mi español.

I make an effort every day to improve my Spanish.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo esforcé *
esforzaste
él/ella/Ud. esforzó
nosotros esforzamos
vosotros esforzasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. esforzaron
Example

Se esforzaron mucho para terminar el proyecto a tiempo.

They made a great effort to finish the project on time.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo esforzaba
esforzabas
él/ella/Ud. esforzaba
nosotros esforzábamos
vosotros esforzabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. esforzaban
Example

Antes yo esforzaba con frecuencia.

Before, I used to make an effort often.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo esforzaré
esforzarás
él/ella/Ud. esforzará
nosotros esforzaremos
vosotros esforzaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. esforzarán
Example

Mañana yo esforzaré.

Tomorrow I will make an effort.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo esforzaría
esforzarías
él/ella/Ud. esforzaría
nosotros esforzaríamos
vosotros esforzaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. esforzarían
Example

Si pudiera, yo esforzaría.

If I could, I would make an effort.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo esfuerce *
esfuerces *
él/ella/Ud. esfuerce *
nosotros esforcemos *
vosotros esforcéis *
ellos/ellas/Uds. esfuercen *
Example

Espero que tú esfuerces.

I hope that you make an effort.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo -
esfuerza *
él/ella/Ud. esfuerce *
nosotros esforcemos *
vosotros esforzad
ellos/ellas/Uds. esfuercen *
Example

¡Esfuerza!

Make an effort!

Test yourself

Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.

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Example sentences

Common phrases with esforzar

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