Regular -AR verb

descansar
to rest

Descansar is a regular -ar verb in Spanish.

Practice descansar free →

Descansar conjugation in Spanish

Descansar means 'to rest' or 'to relax', and it is a regular -ar verb useful in free-time, health and routine topics. Descanso los fines de semana (I rest at weekends), necesito descansar (I need to rest). Because talking about relaxation and downtime is a natural part of describing your week, descansar earns regular use, and it pairs well with reasons (why you need to rest) for developed sentences. As a regular -ar verb the forms are predictable. The phrase que descanses ('get some rest / sleep well') is a friendly everyday expression.

Quick facts

Meaningto rest
Verb type-ar verb
Regular / IrregularRegular
CEFR levelA2

Descansar — conjugation tables

Descansar (to rest) is a regular -ar verb.

Indicative
Presente guide →
yodescanso
descansas
éldescansa
nosdescansamos
vosdescansáis
ellosdescansan
Pretérito Indefinido guide →
yodescansé
descansaste
éldescansó
nosdescansamos
vosdescansasteis
ellosdescansaron
Pretérito Imperfecto guide →
yodescansaba
descansabas
éldescansaba
nosdescansábamos
vosdescansabais
ellosdescansaban
Futuro guide →
yodescansaré
descansarás
éldescansará
nosdescansaremos
vosdescansaréis
ellosdescansarán
Condicional guide →
yodescansaría
descansarías
éldescansaría
nosdescansaríamos
vosdescansaríais
ellosdescansarían
Pretérito Perfecto guide →
yohe descansado
has descansado
élha descansado
noshemos descansado
voshabéis descansado
elloshan descansado
Pluscuamperfecto guide →
yohabía descansado
habías descansado
élhabía descansado
noshabíamos descansado
voshabíais descansado
elloshabían descansado
Futuro Compuesto guide →
yohabré descansado
habrás descansado
élhabrá descansado
noshabremos descansado
voshabréis descansado
elloshabrán descansado
Presente Progresivo guide →
yoestoy descansando
estás descansando
élestá descansando
nosestamos descansando
vosestáis descansando
ellosestán descansando
Subjunctive
Pres. Subjuntivo guide →
yodescanse
descanses
éldescanse
nosdescansemos
vosdescanséis
ellosdescansen
Imperf. Subjuntivo guide →
yodescansara
descansaras
éldescansara
nosdescansáramos
vosdescansarais
ellosdescansaran
Imperative
Imperativo guide →
yo
descansa
éldescanse
nosdescansemos
vosdescansad
ellosdescansen

Example sentences with descansar

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

1.
descanso.
I rest.
2.
¿Descansas?
Do you rest?
3.
Descansó ayer.
He/she rested yesterday.
4.
No descanso mucho.
I don't rest much.
5.
Siempre descansan juntos.
They always rest together.

How to use descansar

Resting

Descanso los domingos (I rest on Sundays).

Needing rest

Necesito descansar (I need to rest).

Friendly phrase

Que descanses (get some rest).

Free-time topic

Useful for talking about relaxation.

Common phrases using descansar

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

descansar + infinitivoto to rest + another verb
no descansoI don't to rest
¿Descansas?question form

Idiomatic expressions

que descansesget some rest
descansar en pazto rest in peace
un día de descansoa day off

Common mistakes with descansar

Descansar 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

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

Practice descansar — 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 descansar now →

Quick quiz — descansar

Three questions. Press Enter to check each answer.

yo (Pretérito Indefinido)
nosotros (Futuro)
vosotros (Presente)

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate descansar in the present tense?

yo: descanso, tú: descansas, él: descansa, nosotros: descansamos, vosotros: descansáis, ellos: descansan

Is descansar a regular or irregular verb?

Descansar is a regular -ar verb following the standard -ar pattern.

How do you use descansar in a GCSE Spanish essay?

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

Similar verbs to descansar

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

relajarseto relax — a close synonym.
dormirto sleep — the deepest form of rest.
trabajarto work — the opposite of resting.

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. Descansar 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.