Spanish Verb Mandar Conjugation

Mandar is a versatile Spanish verb that can be translated as "to send" or "to command." It is used to refer to the sending of people or things, as well as taking command or ordering that actions be taken.

Mandar is conjugated as a regular -ar verb. You'll find all its simple conjugations below: the present, future, imperfect, and preterite indicative tenses; the imperfect and present subjunctive tenses; and the imperative mood. Also included are the present and past participles, used to form the compound tenses.

Mandar Meaning

Although "send" is used in the conjugation charts below, many verbs can be used in translation. Among them are "tell," "direct," "command," "order," "be in charge," "prescribe," and "urge." Although mandar is a cognate of the English verb "mandate" and also related to "command," its meaning is usually less forceful than the English verbs are.

Spanish words based on mandar include mandante ("superior" as a noun or adjective), mandatario (an executive or business representative), mandamiento (commandment), and mandato (a command or order).

Present Indicative Tense of Mandar

The present tense is used much like the English present tense, although it can also be translated in the form of "is sending" or "are sending."

Mandar Preterite

The preterite tense, also known as the preterit, is used for past actions that had a clear end.

Imperfect Indicative Form of Mandar

Spanish has a second past tense, the imperfect, that is used in ways similar to "used to + verb" or "was + verb + -ing." When this tense is used, it often isn't important to know when or even if the verb's action came to an end.

Mandar Future Tense

Periphrastic Future of Mandar

"Periphrastic" simply means that something uses more than one word. The Spanish periphrastic future is the direct equivalent of the English future formed by "go to + verb."

Present Progressive/Gerund Form of Mandar

Although the Spanish gerund is similar to the English "-ing" verb form, its use in Spanish is more restricted. The Spanish gerund puts emphasis on the continuing or ongoing nature of its action.

Gerund of Mandar: está mandando

Is sending -> Ella está mandando acetaminofén para bajar la fiebre.

Past Participle of Mandar

As an adjective, mandar's past participle is usually the equivalent of "required" or "necessary." For example, las tareas mandadas can mean "necessary tasks."

Participle of Mandar: ha mandado

Has sent -> Ella ha mandado acetaminofén para bajar la fiebre.

Conditional Form of Mandar

The conditional tense is for actions that are dependent on some other action occurring.

Present Subjunctive of Mandar

The subjunctive mood is much more common in Spanish than in English. It typically is the verb in a clause that follows que.

Imperfect Subjunctive Forms of Mandar

Although the two forms of the imperfect subjunctive once had different uses, in modern Spanish they are nearly always interchangeable. The first option below is used more frequently.

Option 1

Option 2

Imperative Forms of Mandar

The imperative mood is used for direct commands. Where the imperative may come across as too forceful, other sentence constructions can be used.

Imperative (Positive Command)

Imperative (Negative Command)