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SPANISH VERB

tumbar

to knock over

  • Regular -ar verb
  • Gerund: tumbando
  • Past participle: tumbado

Conjugation

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

Present

Presente · now, habits and facts

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

Past

Pretérito indefinido · finished actions

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

Imperfect

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

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

Future

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

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

Conditional

Condicional · “would”

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

Present subjunctive

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

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

Past subjunctive

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

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

Imperative

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

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

How to use tumbar

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

  1. Present

    El viento tumba las macetas del balcón cada invierno.

    The wind knocks over the balcony flowerpots every winter.

  2. Past

    El perro tumbó la lámpara con la cola.

    The dog knocked over the lamp with its tail.

  3. Imperfect

    De pequeños tumbábamos las sillas para hacer cabañas.

    As kids we knocked chairs over to build dens.

  4. Future

    Esa tormenta tumbará más de un árbol.

    That storm will bring down more than one tree.

  5. Conditional

    Un empujón así tumbaría a cualquiera.

    A shove like that would knock anyone down.

  6. Present subjunctive

    Sujeta la bici para que no la tumbe el viento.

    Hold the bike so the wind doesn't knock it over.

  7. Past subjunctive

    Temía que el niño tumbara el árbol de Navidad.

    I was afraid the boy would knock over the Christmas tree.

  8. Imperative

    ¡Tumba ese muro de cajas, que no veo nada!

    Knock down that wall of boxes, I can't see anything!

Good to know

  • Tumbarse is to lie down: me tumbo en el sofá.

Where you hear tumbar

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

Spanish · Advanced Level 3

  • Esta ola tumba a cualquiera. This wave knocks anyone over.
  • En Cádiz, una ola me tumbó. In Cadiz, a wave knocked me over.
  • Ese mezcal te va a tumbar. That mezcal is going to knock you out.
4
Not Out Loud

Advanced Level 3 · me ha tumbado

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Verbs like this one

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