Regular -ER verb

depender
to depend

Depender is a regular -er verb in Spanish.

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Depender conjugation in Spanish

Depender means 'to depend', and it is a regular -er verb whose most useful form is the everyday phrase depende ('it depends') — a perfect, natural answer in speaking exams. It almost always takes de: depende del tiempo (it depends on the weather), dependo de mis padres (I depend on my parents). Because expressing that something is conditional adds nuance to opinions and answers, depender de is a valuable structure. As a regular -er verb the conjugation is predictable; the key point is the preposition de, which English speakers often replace with 'on'.

Quick facts

Meaningto depend
Verb type-er verb
Regular / IrregularRegular
CEFR levelB1

Depender — conjugation tables

Depender (to depend) is a regular -er verb.

Indicative
Presente guide →
yodependo
dependes
éldepende
nosdependemos
vosdependéis
ellosdependen
Pretérito Indefinido guide →
yodependí
dependiste
éldependió
nosdependimos
vosdependisteis
ellosdependieron
Pretérito Imperfecto guide →
yodependía
dependías
éldependía
nosdependíamos
vosdependíais
ellosdependían
Futuro guide →
yodependeré
dependerás
éldependerá
nosdependeremos
vosdependeréis
ellosdependerán
Condicional guide →
yodependería
dependerías
éldependería
nosdependeríamos
vosdependeríais
ellosdependerían
Pretérito Perfecto guide →
yohe dependido
has dependido
élha dependido
noshemos dependido
voshabéis dependido
elloshan dependido
Pluscuamperfecto guide →
yohabía dependido
habías dependido
élhabía dependido
noshabíamos dependido
voshabíais dependido
elloshabían dependido
Futuro Compuesto guide →
yohabré dependido
habrás dependido
élhabrá dependido
noshabremos dependido
voshabréis dependido
elloshabrán dependido
Presente Progresivo guide →
yoestoy dependiendo
estás dependiendo
élestá dependiendo
nosestamos dependiendo
vosestáis dependiendo
ellosestán dependiendo
Subjunctive
Pres. Subjuntivo guide →
yodependa
dependas
éldependa
nosdependamos
vosdependáis
ellosdependan
Imperf. Subjuntivo guide →
yodependiera
dependieras
éldependiera
nosdependiéramos
vosdependierais
ellosdependieran
Imperative
Imperativo guide →
yo
depende
éldependa
nosdependamos
vosdepended
ellosdependan

Example sentences with depender

Real sentences across different tenses — the kind of thing you'd actually say or write.

1.
dependo.
I depend.
2.
¿Dependes?
Do you depend?
3.
Dependió ayer.
He/she depended yesterday.
4.
No dependo mucho.
I don't depend much.
5.
Siempre dependen juntos.
They always depend together.

How to use depender

It depends

Depende — a perfect natural answer.

Preposition

Always depender de: depende del tiempo.

Relying on

Dependo de mis padres (I depend on my parents).

Nuance

Adds conditional nuance to opinions.

Common phrases using depender

Fixed expressions worth knowing — they come up in listening, reading and writing tasks.

depender + infinitivoto to depend + another verb
no dependoI don't to depend
¿Dependes?question form

Idiomatic expressions

dependeit depends
depender deto depend on
dependienteshop assistant / dependent

Common mistakes with depender

Depender is a regular verb. Make sure you know the endings for each tense — especially the preterite and subjunctive, which is where marks are most often lost.

Grammar notes

depender is a regular -er verb — it follows the standard -er pattern in every tense. That makes it a good one to drill: if you know depender, you know the template for all regular -er verbs.

Practice depender — free

Type conjugations from memory and get instant feedback. That's how you actually build the automatic recall the exam needs — not from reading tables.

Practice depender now →

Quick quiz — depender

Three questions. Press Enter to check each answer.

ellos / ellas (Presente)
él / ella (Presente)
vosotros (Pretérito Indefinido)

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate depender in the present tense?

yo: dependo, tú: dependes, él: depende, nosotros: dependemos, vosotros: dependéis, ellos: dependen

Is depender a regular or irregular verb?

Depender is a regular -er verb following the standard -er pattern.

How do you use depender in a GCSE Spanish essay?

Use depender in multiple tenses to show range — present, preterite and future at minimum. This is a key criterion for higher GCSE marks.

Similar verbs to depender

Verbs that are easy to confuse with depender or that behave like it.

necesitarto need — depending on something you need.
confiarto trust / rely — relying on someone.
contar conto count on — depending on support.

Related verbs

hablar caminar trabajar escuchar

This reference is written for UK GCSE and A-Level Spanish learners and their teachers. It is designed for exam revision: every form is checked against standard conjugation rules, and the examples reflect the registers and topics that come up in the AQA, Edexcel and Eduqas specifications. Depender is a high-frequency verb and appears often in exam papers. For active recall, use the free practice tool rather than only reading the tables.