-er verb irregular · spelling-change -cer/cir A2 · Elementary

Conjugate proteger in Spanish

to protect

proteger is an irregular -er verb ranked #144 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Yo protejo todos los días." (I protect every day.). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.

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⚡ Irregular verb — proteger (spelling-change -cer/cir) 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 protejo *
proteges
él/ella/Ud. protege
nosotros protegemos
vosotros protegéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. protegen
Example

Yo protejo todos los días.

I protect every day.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo protegí
protegiste
él/ella/Ud. protegió
nosotros protegimos
vosotros protegisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. protegieron
Example

Ayer yo protegí.

Yesterday I protect.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo protegía
protegías
él/ella/Ud. protegía
nosotros protegíamos
vosotros protegíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. protegían
Example

Antes yo protegía con frecuencia.

Before, I used to protect often.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo protegeré
protegerás
él/ella/Ud. protegerá
nosotros protegeremos
vosotros protegeréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. protegerán
Example

Mañana yo protegeré.

Tomorrow I will protect.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo protegería
protegerías
él/ella/Ud. protegería
nosotros protegeríamos
vosotros protegeríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. protegerían
Example

Si pudiera, yo protegería.

If I could, I would protect.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo proteja *
protejas *
él/ella/Ud. proteja *
nosotros protejamos *
vosotros protejáis *
ellos/ellas/Uds. protejan *
Example

Quiero que tú protejas más.

I want you to protect more.

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

Pronoun Conjugation
yo -
protege
él/ella/Ud. protega
nosotros protegamos
vosotros proteged
ellos/ellas/Uds. protegan
Example

Él protege con frecuencia.

He protects often.

Test yourself

Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.

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Example sentences

Common phrases with proteger

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