Meaning and behavior
What does tardar mean?
Tardar means to take some amount of time. VerbyGo classifies it as a regular -AR verb. It is non-reflexive.
to take too much time, to be late.
Build from reliable parts
Principal forms
- Infinitive
- tardar
- Gerund
- tardando
- Past participle
- tardado
Regular -AR pattern
How this verb behaves
Tardar follows the regular -ar pattern in the four tenses shown here.
Conjugation guide
Present forms
Present forms
Present
Use the present forms of tardar for current situations, routines and actions that happen regularly.
| Subject | Tardar |
|---|---|
| yo | tardo |
| tú | tardas |
| él / ella / usted | tarda |
| nosotros / nosotras | tardamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | tardáis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tardan |
Conjugation guide
Past forms
Past forms
Preterite
Use the preterite when the action of tardar is presented as completed in the past.
| Subject | Tardar |
|---|---|
| yo | tardé |
| tú | tardaste |
| él / ella / usted | tardó |
| nosotros / nosotras | tardamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | tardasteis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tardaron |
Past forms
Imperfect past
Use the imperfect for repeated or ongoing past uses of tardar, or for background information.
| Subject | Tardar |
|---|---|
| yo | tardaba |
| tú | tardabas |
| él / ella / usted | tardaba |
| nosotros / nosotras | tardábamos |
| vosotros / vosotras | tardabais |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tardaban |
Conjugation guide
Future and conditional
Future and conditional
Simple future
Use the future forms of tardar for predictions, promises and future statements.
| Subject | Tardar |
|---|---|
| yo | tardaré |
| tú | tardarás |
| él / ella / usted | tardará |
| nosotros / nosotras | tardaremos |
| vosotros / vosotras | tardaréis |
| ellos / ellas / ustedes | tardarán |
Verified context
Examples with tardar
¿Cuánto se tarda a pie?
How long does it take on foot?
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FRNo sé si tardará mucho.
I don't know if it'll take a long time.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FREso no tardó mucho tiempo.
That didn't take long.
Tatoeba example · CC BY 2.0 FR
Quick answers
Tardar FAQ
What does tardar mean?
Tardar means to take some amount of time.
Is tardar regular or irregular?
Tardar is a regular -AR verb.
What is the gerund of tardar?
The gerund of tardar is tardando.
What is the past participle of tardar?
The past participle of tardar is tardado.
How is tardar conjugated in the present?
The verified public subject set is tardo, tardas, tarda, tardamos, tardan.
How is tardar conjugated in the preterite?
The verified public subject set is tardé, tardaste, tardó, tardamos, tardaron.
Created by Alejandro Ruiz, an experienced Spanish tutor.