retratar Present Conjugation
retratar — to take a portrait
Regular present tense: retrato, retratas, retrata, retratamos, retratáis, retratan.
retratar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense for actions happening right now ('I am photographing'), habitual actions ('I photograph every month'), or general truths ('The camera captures light').
Notes on retratar in the Present
Retratar is a regular -ar verb and is conjugated normally in the present indicative.
Example Sentences
Yo retrato paisajes los fines de semana.
I photograph landscapes on weekends.
yo
¿Tú retratas a la gente en la calle?
Do you photograph people on the street?
tú
Mi hermana retrata animales en el zoológico.
My sister photographs animals at the zoo.
Nosotros retratamos la ciudad desde el tejado.
We capture the city from the rooftop.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the infinitive instead of conjugating.
Correct: Say 'Yo retrato', not 'Yo retratar'.
Why: Verbs must be conjugated to agree with the subject.
Mistake: Confusing 'retrata' (él/ella/usted) with 'retratas' (tú).
Correct: Ensure you use 'retratas' when speaking to 'tú' and 'retrata' for third person.
Why: These endings are distinct and essential for correct conjugation.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'retratar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: retraté
Retratar is regular in the preterite: retraté, retrataste, retrató, retratamos, retratasteis, retrataron.
Imperfect
yo: retrataba
Regular imperfect: retrataba, retratabas, retrataba, retratábamos, retratabais, retrataban.
Future
yo: retrataré
Regular future: retrataré, retratarás, retratará, retrataremos, retrataréis, retratarán.
Conditional
yo: retrataría
Regular conditional: retrataría, retratarías, retrataría, retrataríamos, retrataríais, retratarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: retrate
Present subjunctive 'retrate' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'retrates' (tú) express wishes, doubts, or emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: retratara
The imperfect subjunctive 'retratara' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'retrataras' (tú) are used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: retrata
Imperative 'retrata' (tú) and 'retrate' (usted) are irregular, while others follow the regular -ar pattern.
Negative Imperative
yo: no retrates
Negative commands use the present subjunctive: 'no retrates' (tú), 'no retrate' (usted).