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

Conjugate gobernar in Spanish

to govern / to rule

gobernar is an irregular -ar verb ranked #481 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Necesito gobernar esto." (I need to govern / to rule this.). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.

Ready to practise gobernar? Use the Conjugado app to drill conjugations with spaced repetition and actually remember them.
Practice for free ↗
⚡ Irregular verb — gobernar (stem-changing e>ie) does not follow standard -ar 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 gobierno *
gobiernas *
él/ella/Ud. gobierna *
nosotros gobernamos
vosotros gobernáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. gobiernan *
Example

Yo gobierno todos los días.

I govern / to rule every day.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo goberné
gobernaste
él/ella/Ud. gobernó
nosotros gobernamos
vosotros gobernasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. gobernaron
Example

Ayer yo goberné.

Yesterday I govern / to rule.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo gobernaba
gobernabas
él/ella/Ud. gobernaba
nosotros gobernábamos
vosotros gobernabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. gobernaban
Example

Antes yo gobernaba con frecuencia.

Before, I used to govern / to rule often.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo gobernaré
gobernarás
él/ella/Ud. gobernará
nosotros gobernaremos
vosotros gobernaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. gobernarán
Example

Mañana yo gobernaré.

Tomorrow I will govern / to rule.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo gobernaría
gobernarías
él/ella/Ud. gobernaría
nosotros gobernaríamos
vosotros gobernaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. gobernarían
Example

Si pudiera, yo gobernaría.

If I could, I would govern / to rule.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo gobierne *
gobiernes *
él/ella/Ud. gobierne *
nosotros gobernemos
vosotros gobernéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. gobiernen *
Example

Espero que tú gobiernes.

I hope that you govern / to rule.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo -
goberna
él/ella/Ud. goberne
nosotros gobernemos
vosotros gobernad
ellos/ellas/Uds. gobernen
Example

¡Goberna!

Govern / to rule!

Test yourself

Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.

1/6

Example sentences

Common phrases with gobernar

What to learn next