negar Present Conjugation
negar — deny
Negar is a stem-changer (e > ie) in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
negar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to talk about current denials, habitual refusals, or general facts about what someone doesn't admit.
Notes on negar in the Present
This is a 'boot verb'. The 'e' in the stem changes to 'ie' when stressed (niego, niegas, niega, niegan).
Example Sentences
Yo no niego que sea difícil.
I don't deny that it is difficult.
yo
¿Por qué siempre niegas la verdad?
Why do you always deny the truth?
tú
Nosotros no negamos nuestra responsabilidad.
We do not deny our responsibility.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: nosotros niegamos
Correct: nosotros negamos
Why: Stem changes (e > ie) never happen in the nosotros or vosotros forms in the present tense.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: negué
Negar has a spelling change in the 'yo' form (negué) to keep the hard 'g' sound, but is otherwise regular.
Imperfect
yo: negaba
Negar is completely regular in the imperfect: negaba, negabas, negaba...
Future
yo: negaré
Negar is completely regular in the future tense; just add the endings to the infinitive.
Conditional
yo: negaría
The conditional of negar is regular: negaría, negarías, negaría...
Present Subjunctive
yo: niegue
The present subjunctive of negar features both a stem change (ie) and a spelling change (gu).
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: negara
The imperfect subjunctive of negar is formed from the third-person plural preterite: negara, negaras, negara...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: niega
Use 'niega' (tú) or 'niegue' (usted) to command someone to deny something.
Negative Imperative
yo: no niegues
The negative imperative of negar uses 'no' + present subjunctive forms.