Regular -AR verb

preguntar
to ask

Preguntar is a regular -ar verb in Spanish.

Practice preguntar free →

Preguntar conjugation in Spanish

Preguntar means 'to ask (a question)', and it is a regular -ar verb with one important distinction for English speakers: it means asking for information, not asking for a thing (which is pedir). Le pregunté la hora (I asked him the time) versus pedí un café (I asked for / ordered a coffee). The reflexive preguntarse means 'to wonder'. Because asking and answering questions is the backbone of speaking exams and role-plays, preguntar is a practical verb to control. As a regular -ar verb the forms are predictable; the key learning is the preguntar versus pedir split.

Quick facts

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

Preguntar — conjugation tables

Preguntar (to ask) is a regular -ar verb.

Indicative
Presente guide →
yopregunto
preguntas
élpregunta
nospreguntamos
vospreguntáis
ellospreguntan
Pretérito Indefinido guide →
yopregunté
preguntaste
élpreguntó
nospreguntamos
vospreguntasteis
ellospreguntaron
Pretérito Imperfecto guide →
yopreguntaba
preguntabas
élpreguntaba
nospreguntábamos
vospreguntabais
ellospreguntaban
Futuro guide →
yopreguntaré
preguntarás
élpreguntará
nospreguntaremos
vospreguntaréis
ellospreguntarán
Condicional guide →
yopreguntaría
preguntarías
élpreguntaría
nospreguntaríamos
vospreguntaríais
ellospreguntarían
Pretérito Perfecto guide →
yohe preguntado
has preguntado
élha preguntado
noshemos preguntado
voshabéis preguntado
elloshan preguntado
Pluscuamperfecto guide →
yohabía preguntado
habías preguntado
élhabía preguntado
noshabíamos preguntado
voshabíais preguntado
elloshabían preguntado
Futuro Compuesto guide →
yohabré preguntado
habrás preguntado
élhabrá preguntado
noshabremos preguntado
voshabréis preguntado
elloshabrán preguntado
Presente Progresivo guide →
yoestoy preguntando
estás preguntando
élestá preguntando
nosestamos preguntando
vosestáis preguntando
ellosestán preguntando
Subjunctive
Pres. Subjuntivo guide →
yopregunte
preguntes
élpregunte
nospreguntemos
vospreguntéis
ellospregunten
Imperf. Subjuntivo guide →
yopreguntara
preguntaras
élpreguntara
nospreguntáramos
vospreguntarais
ellospreguntaran
Imperative
Imperativo guide →
yo
pregunta
élpregunte
nospreguntemos
vospreguntad
ellospregunten

Example sentences with preguntar

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

1.
pregunto.
I ask.
2.
¿Preguntas?
Do you ask?
3.
Preguntó ayer.
He/she asked yesterday.
4.
No pregunto mucho.
I don't ask much.
5.
Siempre preguntan juntos.
They always ask together.

How to use preguntar

Asking questions

Le pregunté la hora (I asked him the time).

Not asking for things

Use pedir for that: pedí la cuenta (I asked for the bill).

Wondering

Reflexive preguntarse: me pregunto si… (I wonder if…).

Asking about

Preguntar por: preguntó por ti (he asked after you).

Common phrases using preguntar

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

preguntar + infinitivoto to ask + another verb
no preguntoI don't to ask
¿Preguntas?question form

Idiomatic expressions

preguntar porto ask after / about
preguntarseto wonder
hacer una preguntato ask a question

Common mistakes with preguntar

Preguntar 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

preguntar 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 preguntar, you know the template for all regular -ar verbs.

Practice preguntar — 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 preguntar now →

Quick quiz — preguntar

Three questions. Press Enter to check each answer.

él / ella (Futuro)
nosotros (Presente)
yo (Futuro)

Frequently asked questions

How do you conjugate preguntar in the present tense?

yo: pregunto, tú: preguntas, él: pregunta, nosotros: preguntamos, vosotros: preguntáis, ellos: preguntan

Is preguntar a regular or irregular verb?

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

How do you use preguntar in a GCSE Spanish essay?

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

Similar verbs to preguntar

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

pedirto ask for / request — the key contrast with preguntar (ask a question).
responderto answer — the reply to a question.
cuestionarto question / challenge — a stronger, more formal sense.

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. Preguntar 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.