
detestar Present Conjugation
detestar — to detest
The present tense of detestar is regular: detesto, detestas, detesta, detestamos, detestáis, detestan.
detestar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to express a strong, ongoing dislike or hatred for something in general. It is perfect for stating your preferences or personality traits regarding things you cannot stand.
Notes on detestar in the Present
Detestar is completely regular in the present tense, following the standard -ar verb pattern without any stem changes.
Example Sentences
Yo detesto levantarme temprano los domingos.
I detest getting up early on Sundays.
yo
Ella detesta el olor del tabaco.
She detests the smell of tobacco.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros detestamos las mentiras.
We detest lies.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'detesto de' followed by an infinitive.
Correct: detesto (verb)
Why: Detestar is a transitive verb and does not require a preposition like 'de' before the object or action.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'detestar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: detesté
The preterite of detestar is regular: detesté, detestaste, detestó, detestamos, detestasteis, detestaron.
Imperfect
yo: detestaba
The imperfect of detestar is regular: detestaba, detestabas, detestaba, detestábamos, detestabais, detestaban.
Future
yo: detestaré
The future of detestar is regular: detestaré, detestarás, detestará, detestaremos, detestaréis, detestarán.
Conditional
yo: detestaría
The conditional of detestar is regular: detestaría, detestarías, detestaría, detestaríamos, detestaríais, detestarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: deteste
The present subjunctive of detestar is regular: deteste, detestes, deteste, detestemos, detestéis, detesten.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: detestara
The imperfect subjunctive of detestar is regular: detestara, detestaras, detestara, detestáramos, detestarais, detestaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: detesta
The affirmative imperative of detestar uses detesta (tú) and detestad (vosotros), with other forms matching the subjunctive.
Negative Imperative
yo: no detestes
The negative imperative of detestar uses 'no' plus the present subjunctive forms: no detestes, no deteste, etc.