DELE · 12% of test plan

Spanish Verb Conjugation for the DELE Exam

Spanish verb conjugation is one of the most complex aspects of the language. DELE tests command of all major tenses: present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, present perfect, and subjunctive (present and past). Irregular verbs and stem-changing verbs are specifically tested.

Locale-specific study guides

Pass-rate data, regulatory context, and study tips for Spanish Verb Conjugation all change by candidate locale. Pick your context:

Common failure modes

These are the patterns that cause most candidates to lose marks on this topic. Recognising them in advance is half the work.

!Irregular verb conjugation errors in preterite: ser/ir → fui/fue (same forms)
!Forgetting accent marks in conjugation: habló (third person) vs hablo (first person)
!Confusing the future tense with the periphrastic future (voy a + infinitive)

Study tips

1Learn the 30 most common irregular Spanish verbs with their full conjugation tables.
2Focus accent marks: preterite hablé/habló have accents that distinguish them from present hablo.
3Use conjugation apps (Conjugemos, Practice Spanish verb drills) for daily drilling.

Sample DELE Spanish Verb Conjugation questions

These sample items mirror the format and difficulty of real DELE questions. Practice with thousands more on the free Koydo question bank.

1
What is the preterite (pretérito indefinido) of "ir" in the third person singular?
- Aiba
- Bva
- CfueCorrect
- Dirá
Why this answer?
"Fue" is the preterite form of both "ir" (to go) and "ser" (to be) in third person singular — one of Spanish's highly irregular forms. Context determines which verb is meant. "Iba" is imperfect; "va" is present; "irá" is future.

Practice DELE free with Koydo.

A1 to C2 — Cervantes-aligned reading, listening, writing, speaking.

Start free DELE practice →