-ar verb C1 · Advanced

Conjugate inculcar in Spanish

to instill, to inculcate

inculcar is a regular -ar verb ranked #1300 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Mis padres me inculcaron el valor del trabajo duro." (My parents instilled in me the value of hard work.). 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 inculco
inculcas
él/ella/Ud. inculca
nosotros inculcamos
vosotros inculcáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. inculcan
Example

La escuela inculca principios éticos a los estudiantes.

The school instills ethical principles in the students.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo inculqué
inculcaste
él/ella/Ud. inculcó
nosotros inculcamos
vosotros inculcasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. inculcaron
Example

Mis padres me inculcaron el valor del trabajo duro.

My parents instilled in me the value of hard work.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo inculcaba
inculcabas
él/ella/Ud. inculcaba
nosotros inculcábamos
vosotros inculcabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. inculcaban
Example

Antes yo inculcaba con frecuencia.

Before, I used to instill, to inculcate often.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo inculcaré
inculcarás
él/ella/Ud. inculcará
nosotros inculcaremos
vosotros inculcaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. inculcarán
Example

Mañana yo inculcaré.

Tomorrow I will instill, to inculcate.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo inculcaría
inculcarías
él/ella/Ud. inculcaría
nosotros inculcaríamos
vosotros inculcaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. inculcarían
Example

Si pudiera, yo inculcaría.

If I could, I would instill, to inculcate.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo inculque
inculques
él/ella/Ud. inculque
nosotros inculquemos
vosotros inculquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. inculquen
Example

Espero que tú inculques.

I hope that you instill, to inculcate.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo -
inculca
él/ella/Ud. inculque
nosotros inculquemos
vosotros inculcad
ellos/ellas/Uds. inculquen
Example

La escuela inculca principios éticos a los estudiantes.

The school instills ethical principles in the students.

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Example sentences

Common phrases with inculcar

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