Cantar: Full Conjugation

Cantar means "to sing" and follows the standard regular -ar pattern with no stem changes. It's a good model verb because its root cant- never shifts, and you'll hear it constantly in lyrics, everyday conversation, and idioms.

Beyond its literal meaning, cantar also shows up in several figurative expressions, from cantarle las cuarenta ("to tell someone off") to describing how something "sings" — a bird, a soccer commentator, or even a suspect who starts talking.

Present Indicative

Preterite

Imperfect

Future

Conditional

Present Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra forms)

Imperative

Non-Finite Forms

• Infinitive: cantar
• Gerund: cantando
• Past participle: cantado

Common Uses

Besides the musical sense, cantar can mean to confess under pressure (el sospechoso cantó) or to reveal the winner of something: cantar bingo, cantar los números de la lotería.