Meaning and behavior
What does cuidar mean?
Cuidar means to look after, take care of (e.g. a house, a person). VerbyGo classifies it as a regular -AR verb. It is non-reflexive.
to mind, watch, pay attention to, be mindful of; to look after oneself, take care.
Build from reliable parts
Principal forms
- Infinitive
- cuidar
- Gerund
- cuidando
- Past participle
- cuidado
Regular -AR pattern
How this verb behaves
Cuidar follows the regular -ar pattern in the four tenses shown here.
Conjugation guide
Present forms
Present forms
Present
Use the present forms of cuidar for current situations, routines and actions that happen regularly.
| Subject | Cuidar |
|---|---|
| yo | cuido |
| tú | cuidas |
| él / ella / usted | cuida |
| nosotros / nosotras | cuidamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | cuidáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | cuidan |
Conjugation guide
Past forms
Past forms
Preterite
Use the preterite when the action of cuidar is presented as completed in the past.
| Subject | Cuidar |
|---|---|
| yo | cuidé |
| tú | cuidaste |
| él / ella / usted | cuidó |
| nosotros / nosotras | cuidamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | cuidasteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | cuidaron |
Past forms
Imperfect past
Use the imperfect for repeated or ongoing past uses of cuidar, or for background information.
| Subject | Cuidar |
|---|---|
| yo | cuidaba |
| tú | cuidabas |
| él / ella / usted | cuidaba |
| nosotros / nosotras | cuidábamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | cuidabais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | cuidaban |
Conjugation guide
Future and conditional
Future and conditional
Simple future
Use the future forms of cuidar for predictions, promises and future statements.
| Subject | Cuidar |
|---|---|
| yo | cuidaré |
| tú | cuidarás |
| él / ella / usted | cuidará |
| nosotros / nosotras | cuidaremos |
| vosotros / vosotras | cuidaréis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | cuidarán |
Verified context
Examples with cuidar
Ella cuidó de mi perro.
She took care of my dog.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRTom cuida bien de Mary.
Tom takes good care of Mary.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRElla cuida de mis hijos.
She takes care of my children.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Quick answers
Cuidar FAQ
What does cuidar mean?
Cuidar means to look after, take care of (e.g. a house, a person).
Is cuidar regular or irregular?
Cuidar is a regular -AR verb.
What is the gerund of cuidar?
The gerund of cuidar is cuidando.
What is the past participle of cuidar?
The past participle of cuidar is cuidado.
How is cuidar conjugated in the present?
The verified public subject set is cuido, cuidas, cuida, cuidamos, cuidan.
How is cuidar conjugated in the preterite?
The verified public subject set is cuidé, cuidaste, cuidó, cuidamos, cuidaron.
Created by Alejandro Ruiz, an experienced Spanish tutor.