Are you struggling to express yourself in Spanish? Can't talk about what happened yesterday or what will happen tomorrow? Stop stumbling over verb conjugations! Learning Spanish verb tenses and moods is your key to communicating naturally—just like a native speaker! In this guide I’ll explain how to use Spanish verb tenses and moods for effective communication.

What are verb tenses and moods in Spanish?

A verb tense shows the time of the action —past, present, or future. A mood reflects the speaker's perspective toward that action.

Spanish tense:

A verb tense indicates when an action takes place: past, present, or future.

• Present: "Hablo" → (I speak)
• Past: "Hablé" → (I spoke)
• Future: "Hablaré" → (I will speak)

Spanish mood:

Mood expresses the speaker’s attitude or intention: indicative, subjunctive, or imperative.

• Indicative (facts): "Hablo" → (I speak)
• Subjunctive (wishes/doubts): "Hable" → (I hope he/she speaks)
• Imperative (commands): "¡Habla!" → (Speak!)

Together, tenses and moods form the backbone of Spanish verb conjugations, allowing you to convey when something happens and how you feel about it.

For interactive practice with Spanish verb tenses and moods, check out Espanido exercises.

What are the 3 moods in Spanish?

Spanish has three main moods:

• Indicative – Expresses real, factual information.