Inklingo
Dictionary

hable

AH-blehˈa.βle

“hable” means “speak (I, he, she, formal you) - Subjunctive form” in Spanish (Used to express wishes, emotions, or uncertainty).

speak (I, he, she, formal you) - Subjunctive form, Speak! (formal command)Also: talk (I, he, she, formal you) - Subjunctive form

Verb (Conjugated Form)A1regular ar
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration showing a person with their mouth open, actively speaking. Three curved lines rise from their mouth, clearly representing sound waves.
infinitivehablar
gerundhablando
past Participlehablado

📝 In Action

Quiero que me **hable** con la verdad.

A2

I want you (formal) to speak the truth to me.

Espero que **hable** inglés en la reunión.

A1

I hope he/she speaks English in the meeting.

¡**Hable** más alto, por favor! No lo escucho.

A1

Speak louder, please! I can't hear you.

No creo que yo **hable** lo suficiente.

B1

I don't think I speak enough.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • que yo hable – that I speak
  • hable despacio – speak slowly (formal command)

Indicative

Present

yohablo
túhablas
él/ella/ustedhabla
nosotroshablamos
vosotroshabláis
ellos/ellas/ustedeshablan

Imperfect

yohablaba
túhablabas
él/ella/ustedhablaba
nosotroshablábamos
vosotroshablabais
ellos/ellas/ustedeshablaban

Preterite

yohablé
túhablaste
él/ella/ustedhabló
nosotroshablamos
vosotroshablasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedeshablaron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yohable
túhables
él/ella/ustedhable
nosotroshablemos
vosotroshabléis
ellos/ellas/ustedeshablen

Imperfect Subjunctive

yohablara/hablase
túhablaras/hablases
él/ella/ustedhablara/hablase
nosotroshabláramos/hablásemos
vosotroshablarais/hablaseis
ellos/ellas/ustedeshablaran/hablasen
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: hable

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'hable' correctly as a formal command?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
hablar(to speak) — Infinitive Verb
habla(speech / he/she/you speaks) — Noun /
hablador(a)(talkative) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
cableestable
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin verb *fabulari*, meaning 'to talk, narrate, or relate stories.' This root focused more on the content of speech rather than just making sounds.

First recorded: Around the 11th century in early Spanish texts.

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: falar

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'hable' the same for 'I,' 'he,' 'she,' and 'formal you'?

Yes, when using the Present Subjunctive mood (for wishes, doubts, etc.), the 'yo' (I), 'él/ella' (he/she), and 'usted' (formal you) forms are all the same: 'hable'.

How do I know if 'hable' is a command or a statement?

Context usually tells you. If it starts with an exclamation point or follows a situation where one person is instructing another (like 'Doctor, hable más claro'), it's a command. If it follows phrases like 'Quiero que...' or 'Espero que...', it is likely the Subjunctive mood.