-er verb irregular · stem-changing e>ie B1 · Intermediate

Conjugate defender in Spanish

to defend

defender is an irregular -er verb ranked #335 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Yo defiendo todos los días." (I defend every day.). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.

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⚡ Irregular verb — defender (stem-changing e>ie) does not follow standard -er patterns. Pay close attention to the stems in each tense.

Describes current actions, habits, and general truths. The most frequently used tense — master it first.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo defiendo *
defiendes *
él/ella/Ud. defiende *
nosotros defendemos
vosotros defendéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. defienden *
Example

Yo defiendo todos los días.

I defend every day.

Describes completed past actions with a clear start and end. Key signals: ayer, el lunes pasado, de repente.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo defendí
defendiste
él/ella/Ud. defendió
nosotros defendimos
vosotros defendisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. defendieron
Example

Ayer yo defendí.

Yesterday I defend.

Describes habitual past actions, background context, and ongoing states. Key signals: siempre, normalmente, cuando era niño.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo defendía
defendías
él/ella/Ud. defendía
nosotros defendíamos
vosotros defendíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. defendían
Example

Antes yo defendía con frecuencia.

Before, I used to defend often.

Describes future events and predictions. In everyday speech, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for planned events.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo defenderé
defenderás
él/ella/Ud. defenderá
nosotros defenderemos
vosotros defenderéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. defenderán
Example

Mañana yo defenderé.

Tomorrow I will defend.

Expresses what would happen under certain conditions — equivalent to "would" in English. Also used for polite requests.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo defendería
defenderías
él/ella/Ud. defendería
nosotros defenderíamos
vosotros defenderíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. defenderían
Example

Si pudiera, yo defendería.

If I could, I would defend.

Used in clauses expressing wishes, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty — typically after que. Triggers: querer, esperar, dudar, ojalá.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo defienda *
defiendas *
él/ella/Ud. defienda *
nosotros defendamos
vosotros defendáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. defiendan *
Example

Quiero que tú defiendas más.

I want you to defend more.

Used to give commands and direct requests. Affirmative and negative forms differ significantly in Spanish.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo -
defende
él/ella/Ud. defenda
nosotros defendamos
vosotros defended
ellos/ellas/Uds. defendan
Example

¡Defende!

Defend!

Test yourself

Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.

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Example sentences

Common phrases with defender

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