Conjugations › Spanish › contar

contar

to count/tell

Spanish Irregular
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The Spanish verb "contar" means "to count/tell" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "contar" across all 5 tenses.

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Present Past (completed) Past (ongoing) Future Would (conditional)
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Lexi
Lexi's Memory Hack

CONTAR is a boot verb: O → UE. "CUENto, CUENtas, CUENta… contamos, contáis, CUENtan." It counts itself as irregular!

Contar = to count OR to tell a story. Context determines meaning.

How to Conjugate "contar" in the Present Tense

Presente de indicativo Actions happening now or regularly
Person English Conjugation
yo I cuento
tú you (informal) cuentas
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) cuenta
nosotros we contamos
vosotros you all (Spain) contáis
ellos/ustedes they/you all cuentan
Él cuenta el dinero.
He counts the money.

How to Conjugate "contar" in the Past (completed) Tense

Pretérito perfecto simple Actions that finished in the past
Person English Conjugation
yo I conté
tú you (informal) contaste
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) contó
nosotros we contamos
vosotros you all (Spain) contasteis
ellos/ustedes they/you all contaron
Ella contó un secreto ayer.
She told a secret yesterday.

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How to Conjugate "contar" in the Past (ongoing) Tense

Pretérito imperfecto Actions that were ongoing in the past
Person English Conjugation
yo I contaba
tú you (informal) contabas
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) contaba
nosotros we contábamos
vosotros you all (Spain) contabais
ellos/ustedes they/you all contaban
Él contaba chistes malos.
He used to tell bad jokes.

How to Conjugate "contar" in the Future Tense

Futuro simple Actions that will happen
Person English Conjugation
yo I contaré
tú you (informal) contarás
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) contará
nosotros we contaremos
vosotros you all (Spain) contaréis
ellos/ustedes they/you all contarán
Él contará la verdad pronto.
He will tell the truth soon.

How to Conjugate "contar" in the Would (conditional) Tense

Condicional simple Hypothetical actions
Person English Conjugation
yo I contaría
tú you (informal) contarías
él/ella/usted he/she/you (formal) contaría
nosotros we contaríamos
vosotros you all (Spain) contaríais
ellos/ustedes they/you all contarían
Ella contaría con mi ayuda.
She would count on my help.
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Frequently Asked Questions About "contar"

Is "contar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"Contar" is an irregular Spanish verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "contar" mean in English?
The Spanish verb "contar" means "to count/tell" in English.
How do you conjugate "contar" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente de indicativo): yo → cuento, tú → cuentas, él/ella/usted → cuenta, nosotros → contamos, vosotros → contáis, ellos/ustedes → cuentan.
How many tenses does "contar" have in Spanish?
"Contar" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Spanish: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).

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