Probar Conjugation 101: Conjugate Probar in Spanish

Probar is an O to UE stem-changing verb. Given that it’s key for your conversations and it can also help you practice this spelling change, in this guide, we’ll learn the probar conjugation patterns you need to know to learn Spanish. Here is a summary of what we’ll go over: 

• Probar Overview
• Indicative Tenses of Probar Conjugations
  • Present tense
  • Preterite tense
  • Imperfect tense
  • Near Future tense
  • Future tense
  • Conditional tense
  • Present Perfect tense
  • Past Perfect tense
  • Future Perfect tense
  • Conditional Perfect tense
  • Progressive tenses
• Subjunctive Tenses of Probar Conjugations 
  • Present Subjunctive tense
  • Present Perfect Subjunctive tense
  • Imperfect Subjunctive tense
  • Past Perfect Subjunctive tense
• Imperative (Commands) of Probar Conjugations
  • Affirmative Commands
  • Negative Commands
• Uses & Examples
• Download Probar Conjugation Tables & Uses Cheat sheets
• Probar Conjugation Practice Quiz

Overview of Probar

The verb probar in Spanish means ‘to taste’, ‘to try’, ‘to try on’, among other applications. The probar conjugation charts below only include one translation to keep the tables as organized as possible. You can learn more about the meanings of ‘probar’ in the section Uses & Meanings. 

Indicative Conjugations of Probar

Present tense

Probar conjugations in the present tense have an O to UE stem change that doesn’t apply to ‘nosotros’ or ‘vosotros’. In the present indicative tense, this verb expresses that someone tastes something or is trying on some clothing. 

For example: ¿Por qué no se prueban estas camisas?

Preterite tense

In the past preterite tense, this verb is regular. Use probar preterite conjugations to convey that someone tasted or tried something at a specific moment in the past. For instance: ¿Ya probaron las galletas?

Imperfect tense

When conjugated to the past imperfect in Spanish, probar allows you to talk about the things people tasted, tested, or tried for an extended period of time in the past. For example: Mi mamá siempre probaba todo antes de comprarlo. 

Near future

To form the immediate future in Spanish, use the formula ir (present tense) + a + probar. When conjugated to the near future, this verb conveys that someone is planning to try or taste something soon in the future. For example: ¿No vas a probar la sopa que hice?

Future simple tense

The Spanish future simple tense of this verb allows you to say that someone will taste or try something on at some point in the future. For instance: Probaremos todo lo que cocines.

Conditional tense

Conjugate probar to the conditional tense in Spanish to communicate that someone would taste or try something. If applicable to your sentences, you can include conditions that need to be met. Here is a sentence: Yo nunca probaría esos platillos. 

Present perfect tense

With the Spanish present perfect tense, probar expresses that someone has or hasn’t tasted something. To build this tense, you must use the formula haber in the present tense + probado (past participle). For example: ¿Han probado el helado vegano?

Past perfect

When conjugated to the past perfect indicative tense, this verb conveys that someone had or hadn’t tried something before another past action or moment. For instance: Nunca había probado el vino tinto. 

As shown in the probar conjugation chart below, this tense is formed with haber (imperfect form) + past participle form of ‘probar’.

Future perfect

Conjugate this verb to the Spanish future perfect to explain that someone will have tasted or tried something on by or before a certain moment in the future. You can also use these forms to talk about what someone might have tasted. 

For instance: en unas horas, habrán probado el pastel más rico del mundo.

Conditional perfect

In the conditional perfect tense, probar conveys that someone would have tasted or tried something as long as a past condition had taken place. For instance: Si no hubieras insistido, jamás lo habría probado. 

Progressive tenses

Use the conjugations of estar + probando (gerund) to form progressive tenses in Spanish. These probar conjugations are used to express that someone is tasting or trying something at the moment of speaking or when a past action took place. For example: A las 9, ellos todavía estaban probando la computadora nueva. 

Probar Subjunctive Conjugations

The Spanish subjunctive mood is used to discuss wishes, hopes, demands, recommendations, expectations, doubts, or hypothetical situations. In the sections below, you’ll find the key probar conjugation charts for the subjunctive tenses. 

Present subjunctive

The present subjunctive of probar has an O to UE stem change for all subjects except ‘nosotros’ and ‘vosotros’. Conjugate this verb to the present subjunctive when demanding, suggesting, or wishing that someone tries something. For example: Te sugiero que pruebes este postre. 

Present perfect subjunctive

The present perfect subjunctive of probar is formed with haber in the present subjunctive + past participle form (probado). Use these forms to wonder, express doubt, or wish that someone has already tasted or tried something. For instance: Espero que hayan probado el helado que hice.

Imperfect subjunctive

Use the Spanish imperfect subjunctive to refer to past suggestions, requests, and wishes someone had about a person tasting or trying something. Me gustaría que probaras esta gelatina. 

There are two conjugation models for the imperfect subjunctive tense in Castilian and Latin American Spanish: 

Latin American Spanish version

Note: In Latin American Spanish, the pronoun vosotros is never used. As a result, the probar conjugation chart above doesn’t include this pronoun and its conjugation. 

Castilian Spanish version

Past perfect subjunctive

In Spanish, we conjugate probar to the past perfect subjunctive to say that someone would have tasted something if a past circumstance had occurred. We also use these conjugations to express regret for tasting or not tasting something. 

For example: ¡Lo hubieras probado, estaba buenísimo! 

Probar Imperative Conjugations

Commands in Spanish are used to order people to do or not do an activity. 

Affirmative commands

Except for ‘vosotros’, the affirmative imperative of probar has an O to UE change. Use these affirmative commands to compel someone to taste or try something. Pruébate esta camisa. 

Negative commands

In the Spanish negative imperative, probar is an O to UE stem-changing verb. These commands are used to order or instruct people not to taste or try something. For example: No prueben la sopa, está malísima. 

Meanings of Probar & Examples

Since you’ve just learned how to conjugate probar in Spanish, in this section, we’ll go over some of the most common uses of this verb. Probar means to: 

• Taste or try (not for activities) 
• Prove something
• Try on (needs reflexive pronouns)
• Check or test

(Object pronoun) + [probar conjugated] + [determiner] + [noun]

Pruébate estas camisas. 
Try these shirts on. 

Voy a probar que te equivocas. 
I am going to prove that you’re wrong. 

Compré una computadora, pero no la he probado. 
I bought a computer, but I haven’t tried it.  

Take Note: Indirect, direct, and reflexive pronouns are called object pronouns. With probar, we use Spanish reflexive pronouns to say that a person is trying something on. On the other hand, if we’re saying that someone tasted food or tried a device, we can use direct object pronouns. 

Download Probar Conjugation Tables & Uses Cheat sheets

Probar has stem changes in a few tenses, so those conjugations can take some time to learn. You can download a PDF copy of this verb’s cheat sheets which include all the probar conjugation charts as well as its definitions, uses & examples.

Download Conjugations PDF

Practice Quiz: Probar Conjugation

Now that you know how to conjugate probar in Spanish, you can practice this verb’s different forms, including its stem changes by taking the probar conjugation practice quiz.

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