Master Trabajar – Without The Frustration

Dive into our comprehensive guide to conjugating trabajar, designed to make mastering Spanish verbs easier than ever.

Our exclusive audio recordings effortlessly embed conjugations into your memory, so you can learn faster and retain more.

Covering every tense—from the simple present to the elusive subjunctive—we provide clear explanations and interactive tools to accelerate your fluency.

The Power of Audio: Master Spanish Conjugations with Ease

Tired of wrestling with Spanish verb conjugations? You’re not alone! Traditional methods often rely on rote memorization of written charts, leading to frustration and slow progress. But there’s a better way – one that’s easier, faster, and more in tune with how your brain naturally learns.

In this post, you’ll discover a unique approach that combines the power of visual and auditory learning. We provide complete conjugation charts for the verb, along with specially designed audio recordings that play the conjugations on a loop. This allows you to effortlessly absorb the patterns and rhythms of the language, embedding them directly into your memory.

Optimize Your Learning: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to experience the difference? Here’s how to maximize your learning with this page:

  1. Select Your Target: Choose the verb tense you want to master (e.g., present tense, preterite, imperfect).
  2. Engage Your Ears: Play the corresponding audio recording on a loop. Let the sounds of the conjugations wash over you.
  3. Activate Your Eyes: Simultaneously, follow along with the conjugation chart. This dual-sensory approach enhances your brain’s ability to encode and retain the information.
  4. Listen for the Flow: Continue listening until the conjugations feel like a natural, familiar melody. You’ll instinctively know when it “clicks.”
  5. Reinforce and Repeat: Revisit the audio and chart every few days to solidify the patterns in your long-term memory.

This method leverages your brain’s innate language learning capabilities, making memorization feel more like listening to a catchy song than a tedious study session.

With this approach, you’ll move beyond rote memorization to actually using conjugations confidently in real conversations. Say goodbye to frustration and hello to a smarter, more intuitive way to learn Spanish. Let’s begin!

Introduction to Trabajar

“Trabajar” is a Spanish verb meaning “to work.” It’s used in a wide variety of contexts, from describing professional activities to talking about effort and dedication in any task.

Infinitive Past Participle Gerund
trabajar trabajado trabajando

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Example Sentences:

  • Past Participle
    He trabajado todo el día. I have worked all day.
  • Gerund
    Estoy trabajando en un proyecto nuevo. I am working on a new project.

Indicative tenses of Trabajar

The indicative mood in Spanish is all about reality. When you use an indicative tense, you’re stating a fact, making an observation, or describing an event you believe to be true. This mood has a wide range of tenses that allow you to express yourself across different time frames, from the past to the present and into the future.

Trabajar in the Indicative Present

The present indicative tense of trabajar (to work) is used to talk about actions happening now, habits, routines, and general truths.

For example: Trabajo todos los días. (I work every day.)

PronounConjugation
Yotrabajo
trabajas
Él / Ella / Ustedtrabaja
Nosotros /
Nosotras
trabajamos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
trabajáis
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
trabajan

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The Indicative Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Preterite

The preterite tense of trabajar is used to talk about completed actions in the past. Think of it as the tense for actions that have a clear beginning and end.

For example: Trabajé hasta tarde ayer. (I worked late yesterday.)

PronounConjugation
Yotrabajé
trabajaste
Él / Ella / Ustedtrabajó
Nosotros /
Nosotras
trabajamos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
trabajasteis
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
trabajaron

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The Indicative Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Preterite Simple, Preterite Tense, or Past Definite in English, and as Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Simple, or Tiempo Pasado in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Imperfect

The imperfect tense of trabajar takes us back to the past, but with a different perspective than the preterite. It describes actions that were ongoing or repeated in the past, with no specific end point.

For example, Trabajaba en una oficina cuando era joven. (I used to work in an office when I was young.)

PronounConjugation
Yotrabajaba
trabajabas
Él / Ella / Ustedtrabajaba
Nosotros /
Nosotras
trabajábamos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
trabajabais
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
trabajaban

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The Indicative Imperfect tense is also known as the Imperfect Tense, Past Imperfect, or Imperfective Past in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto, Imperfecto de Indicativo, or Tiempo Imperfecto in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Present Continuous

The present continuous tense of trabajar describes an action that is in progress right now. It emphasizes the ongoing nature of the action.

For example: Estoy trabajando en un proyecto importante. (I am working on an important project.)

PronounConjugation
Yoestoy trabajando
estás trabajando
Él / Ella / Ustedestá trabajando
Nosotros /
Nosotras
estamos trabajando
Vosotros /
Vosotras
estáis trabajando
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
están trabajando

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The Indicative Present Continuous tense is also known as the Present Progressive, Continuous Present, or Progressive Present in English, and as Presente Continuo, Presente Progresivo, or Progresivo de Indicativo in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Near Future

The near future tense of trabajar expresses actions that will happen in the very near future. It often emphasizes the speaker’s intention or certainty.

For example: Voy a trabajar desde casa mañana. (I am going to work from home tomorrow.)

PronounConjugation
Yovoy a trabajar
vas a trabajar
Él / Ella / Ustedva a trabajar
Nosotros /
Nosotras
vamos a trabajar
Vosotros /
Vosotras
vais a trabajar
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
van a trabajar

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The Indicative Near Future tense is also known as the Immediate Future, Simple Future (colloquial use), or Informal Future in English, and as Futuro Próximo, Futuro Cercano, or Ir a + Infinitivo in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Future

The future tense of trabajar expresses actions that will occur in the future. It’s a more formal way to talk about future plans or predictions.

For example: Trabajaré hasta tarde esta noche. (I will work late tonight.)

PronounConjugation
Yotrabajaré
trabajarás
Él / Ella / Ustedtrabajará
Nosotros /
Nosotras
trabajaremos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
trabajaréis
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
trabajarán

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The Indicative Future tense is also known as the Simple Future, Future Simple, or Future Tense in English, and as Futuro Simple, Futuro de Indicativo, or Tiempo Futuro in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Conditional

The conditional tense of trabajar is used to talk about hypothetical situations or actions that would happen under certain conditions. It often translates to “would work” in English.

For example: Trabajaría hoy, pero es domingo. (I would work today, but it’s Sunday.)

PronounConjugation
Yotrabajaría
trabajarías
Él / Ella / Ustedtrabajaría
Nosotros /
Nosotras
trabajaríamos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
trabajaríais
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
trabajarían

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The Indicative Conditional tense is also known as the Conditional Tense, Present Conditional, or Simple Conditional in English, and as Condicional Simple, Condicional de Indicativo, or Tiempo Condicional in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Present Perfect

The present perfect tense of trabajar is used to describe actions that started in the past and continue to the present, or have a result that is relevant to the present.

For example: He trabajado aquí por cinco años. (I have worked here for five years.)

PronounConjugation
Yohe trabajado
has trabajado
Él / Ella / Ustedha trabajado
Nosotros /
Nosotras
hemos trabajado
Vosotros /
Vosotras
habéis trabajado
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
han trabajado

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The Indicative Present Perfect tense is also known as the Present Perfect, Perfect Present, or Compound Past in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Compuesto, Perfecto de Indicativo, or Presente Perfecto in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Past Perfect

The past perfect tense of trabajar is used to describe an action that happened before another action in the past.

For example: Ya había trabajado ocho horas cuando me pidieron hacer horas extras. (I had already worked eight hours when they asked me to work overtime.)

PronounConjugation
Yohabía trabajado
habías trabajado
Él / Ella / Ustedhabía trabajado
Nosotros /
Nosotras
habíamos trabajado
Vosotros /
Vosotras
habíais trabajado
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
habían trabajado

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The Indicative Past Perfect tense is also known as the Pluperfect, Past Perfect, or Compound Past Perfect in English, and as Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto, Pluscuamperfecto de Indicativo, or Pasado Perfecto in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Future Perfect

The future perfect tense of trabajar describes an action that will be completed before a specific point in the future.

For example: Habré trabajado cuarenta años cuando me jubile. (I will have worked forty years when I retire.)

PronounConjugation
Yohabré trabajado
habrás trabajado
Él / Ella / Ustedhabrá trabajado
Nosotros /
Nosotras
habremos trabajado
Vosotros /
Vosotras
habréis trabajado
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
habrán trabajado

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The Indicative Future Perfect tense is also known as the Future Perfect or Compound Future in English, and as Futuro Perfecto, Perfecto de Futuro, or Futuro Compuesto in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect

The conditional perfect of trabajar is used to talk about hypothetical situations in the past, something that would have happened if a different condition had been met. It often translates to “would have worked” in English.

For example: Habría trabajado ayer, pero estaba enfermo. (I would have worked yesterday, but I was sick.)

PronounConjugation
Yohabría trabajado
habrías trabajado
Él / Ella / Ustedhabría trabajado
Nosotros /
Nosotras
habríamos trabajado
Vosotros /
Vosotras
habríais trabajado
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
habrían trabajado

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The Indicative Conditional Perfect tense is also known as the Perfect Conditional or Compound Conditional in English, and as Condicional Perfecto, Perfecto de Condicional, or Condicional Compuesto in Spanish.

Subjunctive tenses of Trabajar

The subjunctive mood in Spanish might seem a bit mysterious at first, but it’s all about expressing subjectivity. Instead of stating cold, hard facts, you use the subjunctive to talk about desires, doubts, emotions, and possibilities. Think of it as the mood of uncertainty, where things are wished for, doubted, or influenced by opinions and feelings.

Trabajar in the Present Subjunctive

The present subjunctive of trabajar is used to express wishes, doubts, emotions, and possibilities in the present or future. It often follows verbs or phrases that indicate subjectivity or uncertainty.

For example: Espero que trabajes con nosotros. (I hope you work with us.)

PronounConjugation
Yotrabaje
trabajes
Él / Ella / Ustedtrabaje
Nosotros /
Nosotras
trabajemos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
trabajéis
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
trabajen

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The Subjunctive Present tense is also known as the Present Subjunctive or Simple Present Subjunctive in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo or Subjuntivo Presente in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Imperfect Subjunctive

The imperfect subjunctive of trabajar is used to express wishes, doubts, emotions, and possibilities in the past, or in hypothetical situations. It often follows verbs or phrases that indicate subjectivity or uncertainty in the past tense.

For example: Dudaba que trabajara horas extras. (I doubted that he/she would work overtime.)

PronounConjugation
Yotrabajara
trabajaras
Él / Ella / Ustedtrabajara
Nosotros /
Nosotras
trabajáramos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
trabajarais
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
trabajaran

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The Subjunctive Imperfect tense is also known as the Imperfect Subjunctive or Past Subjunctive in English, and as Pretérito Imperfecto de Subjuntivo, Imperfecto de Subjuntivo, or Subjuntivo Pasado in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Future Subjunctive

The future subjunctive is rarely used in modern Spanish, but it’s good to be aware of it! It expresses a hypothetical action in the future with a high degree of uncertainty.

For example: Si trabajare en domingo, me pagarán doble. (If I should work on Sunday, they will pay me double.)

You’ll likely encounter this tense more in literature or legal texts than in everyday conversation.

PronounConjugation
Yotrabajare
trabajares
Él / Ella / Ustedtrabajare
Nosotros /
Nosotras
trabajáremos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
trabajareis
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
trabajaren

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The Subjunctive Future tense is also known as the Future Subjunctive or Simple Future Subjunctive in English, and as Futuro de Subjuntivo or Subjuntivo Futuro in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Present Perfect Subjunctive

The present perfect subjunctive of trabajar is used to express actions that are completed in relation to the present or future, but with some element of subjectivity or uncertainty.

For example: Me alegra que hayas trabajado con nosotros. (I’m glad that you have worked with us.)

PronounConjugation
Yohaya trabajado
hayas trabajado
Él / Ella / Ustedhaya trabajado
Nosotros /
Nosotras
hayamos trabajado
Vosotros /
Vosotras
hayáis trabajado
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
hayan trabajado

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The Subjunctive Present Perfect tense is also known as the Perfect Subjunctive or Present Perfect Subjunctive in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo or Perfecto de Subjuntivo in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Past Perfect Subjunctive

The past perfect subjunctive of trabajar is used to express actions that were completed before another action in the past, but with some element of subjectivity or uncertainty.

For example: Dudaba que hubiera trabajado tanto. (I doubted that he/she had worked so much.)

PronounConjugation
Yohubiera trabajado
hubieras trabajado
Él / Ella / Ustedhubiera trabajado
Nosotros /
Nosotras
hubiéramos trabajado
Vosotros /
Vosotras
hubierais trabajado
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
hubieran trabajado

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The Subjunctive Past Perfect tense is also known as the Pluperfect Subjunctive, Past Perfect Subjunctive, or Compound Past Subjunctive in English, and as Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo or Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Future Perfect Subjunctive

Like the future subjunctive, the future perfect subjunctive is very rare in modern Spanish. It expresses a hypothetical action that will have been completed before a certain point in the future.

For example: Cuando hubiere trabajado suficiente, me iré a casa. (When I have worked enough, I will go home.)

It’s more likely to be found in legal documents or older literature than in everyday speech. Most speakers would use other tenses to express this idea.

PronounConjugation
Yohubiere trabajado
hubieres trabajado
Él / Ella / Ustedhubiere trabajado
Nosotros /
Nosotras
hubiéremos trabajado
Vosotros /
Vosotras
hubiereis trabajado
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
hubieren trabajado

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The Subjunctive Future Perfect tense is also known as the Future Perfect Subjunctive or Compound Future Subjunctive in English, and as Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo or Perfecto de Futuro de Subjuntivo in Spanish.

Imperative tenses of Trabajar

The imperative mood in Spanish is all about getting things done! It’s the mood of commands, requests, and instructions. When you use the imperative, you’re telling someone to do something, offering advice, or even expressing a strong wish. Want to tell someone to work harder, finish their tasks, or be productive? The imperative is your go-to mood.

Trabajar in the Imperative Affirmative

The affirmative imperative of trabajar is used to give commands or instructions to work.

For example: ¡Trabaja más rápido! (Work faster!)

PronounConjugation
Yo
trabaja
Él / Ella / Ustedtrabaje
Nosotros /
Nosotras
trabajemos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
trabajad
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
trabajen

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The Imperative Affirmative tense is also known as the Positive Imperative or Affirmative Command in English, and as Imperativo Afirmativo or Mandato Afirmativo in Spanish.

Trabajar in the Imperative Negative

The negative imperative of trabajar is used to give commands or instructions not to work.

For example: ¡No trabajes tanto! (Don’t work so much!)

PronounConjugation
Yo
no trabajes
Él / Ella / Ustedno trabaje
Nosotros /
Nosotras
no trabajemos
Vosotros /
Vosotras
no trabajéis
Ellos / Ellas /
Ustedes
no trabajen

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The Imperative Negative tense is also known as the Negative Imperative or Negative Command in English, and as Imperativo Negativo or Mandato Negativo in Spanish.

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