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SPANISH VERB

bordar

to embroider

  • Regular -ar verb
  • Gerund: bordando
  • Past participle: bordado

Conjugation

Tap any form to hear it. The part that changes is in colour.

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

  1. yo I embroider
  2. tú you embroider
  3. usted, él, ella he/she embroiders
  4. nosotros we embroider
  5. vosotros Spain you all embroider
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they embroider

Past

Pretérito indefinido · finished actions

  1. yo I embroidered
  2. tú you embroidered
  3. usted, él, ella he/she embroidered
  4. nosotros we embroidered
  5. vosotros Spain you all embroidered
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they embroidered

Imperfect

Pretérito imperfecto · “used to” and “was …ing”

  1. yo I used to embroider
  2. tú you used to embroider
  3. usted, él, ella he/she used to embroider
  4. nosotros we used to embroider
  5. vosotros Spain you all used to embroider
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they used to embroider

Future

Futuro · plans and promises; in speech, “voy a hablar” is just as common

  1. yo I will embroider
  2. tú you will embroider
  3. usted, él, ella he/she will embroider
  4. nosotros we will embroider
  5. vosotros Spain you all will embroider
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they will embroider

Conditional

Condicional · “would”

  1. yo I would embroider
  2. tú you would embroider
  3. usted, él, ella he/she would embroider
  4. nosotros we would embroider
  5. vosotros Spain you all would embroider
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas they would embroider

Present subjunctive

Presente de subjuntivo · wishes, doubts, “que …”

  1. yo (that) I embroider
  2. tú (that) you embroider
  3. usted, él, ella (that) he/she embroider
  4. nosotros (that) we embroider
  5. vosotros Spain (that) you all embroider
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (that) they embroider

Past subjunctive

Imperfecto de subjuntivo · “if I were”, “si …”

  1. yo (if) I embroidered
  2. tú (if) you embroidered
  3. usted, él, ella (if) he/she embroidered
  4. nosotros (if) we embroidered
  5. vosotros Spain (if) you all embroidered
  6. ustedes, ellos, ellas (if) they embroidered

Imperative

Imperativo · requests and orders; a negative one uses the subjunctive (no hables)

  1. tú embroider!
  2. usted embroider! (formal)
  3. nosotros embroider! (let’s)
  4. vosotros Spain embroider! (all of you)
  5. ustedes embroider! (all of you)

How to use bordar

One sentence for each tense, the way people say it.

  1. Present

    Mi abuela borda mantones de Manila preciosos.

    My grandma embroiders beautiful Manila shawls.

  2. Past

    Bordé mis iniciales en el pañuelo de mi padre.

    I embroidered my initials on my father's handkerchief.

  3. Imperfect

    Las monjas bordaban los trajes de las vírgenes.

    The nuns used to embroider the robes of the Virgins.

  4. Future

    Bordaré el nombre del bebé en la manta.

    I'll embroider the baby's name on the blanket.

  5. Conditional

    Yo bordaría una flor en cada servilleta.

    I'd embroider a flower on each napkin.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Espero que bordes el examen de mañana, Ana.

    I hope you ace tomorrow's exam, Ana.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Le pedí que bordara una estrella en la camisa.

    I asked her to embroider a star on the shirt.

  8. Imperative

    ¡Borda la entrevista, que tú vales mucho!

    Nail the interview, you're worth a lot!

Good to know

  • Bordar also means to do something perfectly: lo has bordado, you nailed it.

Where you hear bordar

The lessons that teach a form of it, and how they say it.

Spanish · Advanced Level 3

  • Bordo todas las tardes, después de comer. I embroider every afternoon, after lunch.
  • Bordé la camisa de Julián en tres meses. I embroidered Julian's shirt in three months.
  • Le voy a bordar un pañuelo a Encarna. I'm going to embroider a handkerchief for Encarna.
6
Something Borrowed

Advanced Level 3 · mi madre ya la está bordando

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Verbs like this one

The same pattern, on other verbs: regular -ar verb.