Conjugate tardar in Spanish
to take (time), to be late, to delay
tardar is a regular -ar verb ranked #2409 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "¿Cuánto tardas en llegar al trabajo?" (How long does it take you to get to work?). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.
tardar — Spanish Conjugation Chart
to take (time), to be late, to delay · -ar verb · regular · conjugado.com
Describes current actions, habits, and general truths. The most frequently used tense — master it first.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | tardo |
| tú | tardas |
| él/ella/Ud. | tarda |
| nosotros | tardamos |
| vosotros | tardáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardan |
¿Cuánto tardas en llegar al trabajo?
How long does it take you to get to work?
Describes completed past actions with a clear start and end. Key signals: ayer, el lunes pasado, de repente.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | tardé |
| tú | tardaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | tardó |
| nosotros | tardamos |
| vosotros | tardasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardaron |
Ayer yo tardé.
Yesterday I take (time), to be late, to delay.
Describes habitual past actions, background context, and ongoing states. Key signals: siempre, normalmente, cuando era niño.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | tardaba |
| tú | tardabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | tardaba |
| nosotros | tardábamos |
| vosotros | tardabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardaban |
Antes yo tardaba con frecuencia.
Before, I used to take (time), to be late, to delay often.
Describes future events and predictions. In everyday speech, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for planned events.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | tardaré |
| tú | tardarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | tardará |
| nosotros | tardaremos |
| vosotros | tardaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardarán |
Mañana yo tardaré.
Tomorrow I will take (time), to be late, to delay.
Expresses what would happen under certain conditions — equivalent to "would" in English. Also used for polite requests.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | tardaría |
| tú | tardarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | tardaría |
| nosotros | tardaríamos |
| vosotros | tardaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tardarían |
Si pudiera, yo tardaría.
If I could, I would take (time), to be late, to delay.
Used in clauses expressing wishes, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty — typically after que. Triggers: querer, esperar, dudar, ojalá.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | tarde |
| tú | tardes |
| él/ella/Ud. | tarde |
| nosotros | tardemos |
| vosotros | tardéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tarden |
No tardes mucho, por favor.
Don't be long, please.
Used to give commands and direct requests. Affirmative and negative forms differ significantly in Spanish.
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| yo | - |
| tú | tarda |
| él/ella/Ud. | tarde |
| nosotros | tardemos |
| vosotros | tardad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | tarden |
¡Tarda!
Take (time), to be late, to delay!
Test yourself
Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.
Example sentences
-
¿Cuánto tardas en llegar al trabajo?
How long does it take you to get to work?
-
No tardes mucho, por favor.
Don't be long, please.
Common phrases with tardar
- tardar en llegar to be slow to arrive
- no tardar nada to take no time at all