Meaning and behavior
What does depender mean?
Depender means to depend, to be subject to. VerbyGo classifies it as a regular -ER verb. It is non-reflexive.
to depend on, to rely on, to hinge on, to depend upon, to rely upon; to be up to.
Build from reliable parts
Principal forms
- Infinitive
- depender
- Gerund
- dependiendo
- Past participle
- dependido
Regular -ER pattern
How this verb behaves
Depender follows the regular -er pattern in the four tenses shown here.
Conjugation guide
Present forms
Present forms
Present
Use the present forms of depender for current situations, routines and actions that happen regularly.
| Subject | Depender |
|---|---|
| yo | dependo |
| tú | dependes |
| él / ella / usted | depende |
| nosotros / nosotras | dependemos |
| vosotros / vosotras | dependéis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | dependen |
Conjugation guide
Past forms
Past forms
Preterite
Use the preterite when the action of depender is presented as completed in the past.
| Subject | Depender |
|---|---|
| yo | dependí |
| tú | dependiste |
| él / ella / usted | dependió |
| nosotros / nosotras | dependimos |
| vosotros / vosotras | dependisteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | dependieron |
Past forms
Imperfect past
Use the imperfect for repeated or ongoing past uses of depender, or for background information.
| Subject | Depender |
|---|---|
| yo | dependía |
| tú | dependías |
| él / ella / usted | dependía |
| nosotros / nosotras | dependíamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | dependíais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | dependían |
Conjugation guide
Future and conditional
Future and conditional
Simple future
Use the future forms of depender for predictions, promises and future statements.
| Subject | Depender |
|---|---|
| yo | dependeré |
| tú | dependerás |
| él / ella / usted | dependerá |
| nosotros / nosotras | dependeremos |
| vosotros / vosotras | dependeréis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | dependerán |
Conjugation guide
Subjunctive forms
Subjunctive forms
Present subjunctive
Use these forms when a current wish, reaction, doubt or another trigger requires the subjunctive.
| Subject | Depender |
|---|---|
| yo | dependa |
| tú | dependas |
| él / ella / usted | dependa |
| nosotros / nosotras | dependamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | dependáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | dependan |
Conjugation guide
Commands
Commands
Affirmative commands
Choose the affirmative command of depender that matches the person being addressed.
| Subject | Depender |
|---|---|
| tú | depende |
| usted | dependa |
| nosotros / nosotras | dependamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | depended |
| ustedes | dependan |
Commands
Negative commands
Use no with the matching command form of depender.
| Subject | Depender |
|---|---|
| tú | no dependas |
| usted | no dependa |
| nosotros / nosotras | no dependamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | no dependáis |
| ustedes | no dependan |
Verified context
Examples with depender
No depende de sus padres.
He is independent of his parents.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRElla depende de su marido.
She's dependent on her husband.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRLa decisión depende de ti.
It's up to you to decide.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Quick answers
Depender FAQ
What does depender mean?
Depender means to depend, to be subject to.
Is depender regular or irregular?
Depender is a regular -ER verb.
What is the gerund of depender?
The gerund of depender is dependiendo.
What is the past participle of depender?
The past participle of depender is dependido.
How is depender conjugated in the present?
The verified public subject set is dependo, dependes, depende, dependemos, dependen.
How is depender conjugated in the preterite?
The verified public subject set is dependí, dependiste, dependió, dependimos, dependieron.
Created by Alejandro Ruiz, an experienced Spanish tutor.