The verb leer in Spanish means "to read", or "to read" in English. Most of the tasrifs follow the standard verb rules that apply to all "-er", but there are also some irregular forms, as listed below. If you want to define "leer" but aren't sure how to do it, see the following guide.
Step
Method 1 of 5: Indicative
Step 1. Use the present indicative form
The present indicative form is often the first form of the verb learned in learning Spanish, the form for talking about the present action. In the case of leer, the present indicative form is used to refer to the act of reading while the action is taking place.
- Example: "He is reading a novel". She is reading the novel. Ella lee la novela.
- yo: leo
- t: lees
- él/ella/usted: lee
- nosotros/-as: leemos
- vosotros/-as: leéis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: leen
Step 2. Define leer in preterit indicative form
Use the preterite indicative form to refer to the act of reading that happened in the past and has ended.
- Leer includes an irregular verb in the preterite indicative.
- Example: "I read the novel last month". I read that novel last month. Lei esa novela el mes pasado.
- yo: lei
- t: leist
- él/ella/usted: leyó
- nosotros/-as: leímos
- vosotros/-as: leísteis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: leyeron
Step 3. Learn the imperfect indicative forms
The imperfect indicative form is used to refer to an act of reading that has occurred in the past, but has not yet ended or been completed, indicating that the activity may still be ongoing.
- Example: "They used to read a lot". They are used to read frequently. Ellos leian con frecuencia.
- yo: leia
- tú: leias
- él/ella/usted: leía
- nosotros/-as: leíamos
- vosotros/-as: leíais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: leían
Step 4. Learn the future indicative form
The future indicative form is used to describe the act of reading that will definitely occur at some point in the future.
- Example: "We will read the novel next week". We will read that novel next week. Leeriamos esa novela semana próxima.
- yo: leeria
- tú: leerías
- él/ella/usted: leería
- nosotros/-as: leeríamos
- vosotros/-as: leeríais
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: leerían
Step 5. Switch to the conditional indicative form
Use the conditional indicative form when explaining or referring to an act of reading that will or will certainly be done at some point in the future provided other conditions or conditions are met.
- Example: "I will read the novel if you recommend it". I will read that novel if you recommend it. Leeré esa novela si lo recomienda.
- yo: leeré
- t: leerás
- él/ella/usted: leerá
- nosotros/-as: leeremos
- vosotros/-as: leeréis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: leerán
Method 2 of 5: Subjunctive
Step 1. Define leer in the present subjunctive form
Use the present subjunctive if you are describing a questionable act of reading that is happening right now.
- Example: "I doubt if they read a lot of books". I doubt that they read many books. Dudo que ellos lean muchos libros.
- yo: lea
- t: lease
- él/ella/usted: lea
- nosotros/-as: leamos
- vosotros/-as: leáis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: lean
Step 2. Learn the imperfect subjunctive
The imperfect subjunctive is used to describe the act of reading that is doubtful or refuted that has occurred in the past.
- There are two imperfect subjunctive forms for the six forms of tasrif.
- Leer is an irregular verb in the imperfect subjunctive.
- Example: "I doubt if you read the book". I doubt that you read that book. Dudo que leyeras ese libro.
- yo: leyera or leyese
- tú: leyeras or leyeses
- él/ella/usted: leyera or leyese
- nosotros/-as: leyéramos or leyésemos
- vosotros/-as: leyerais or leyeseis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: leyeran or leyesen
Step 3. Use the future subjunctive form
Leer is an irregular verb in the future subjunctive. The future subjunctive is used when you have to explain a reading action that you doubt may occur in the future.
- Example: "I doubt we will read the book". I doubt that we will read that book. Dudo que leyéremos ese libro.
- yo: leyere
- tú: leyeres
- él/ella/usted: leyere
- nosotros/-as: leyéremos
- vosotros/-as: leyereis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: leyeren
Method 3 of 5: Imperative
Step 1. Use the affirmative imperative form
Use the affirmative imperative form of leer to issue an order to someone to read something.
- Note that there is no affirmative imperative for the first-person singular "yo," which means "I," because you can't issue commands to yourself.
- Example: "Read the newspaper". Read the newspaper. Lee el periodico.
- t: lee
- él/ella/usted: lea
- nosotros/-as: leamos
- vosotros/-as: leed
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: lean
Step 2. Switch to the negative imperative
When you tell or order someone not to read something, use the negative imperative which is different from the affirmative imperative.
- Note that there is no negative imperative for the first-person singular "yo", which means "I", because you cannot issue commands to yourself.
- Example: "Don't read the newspaper". Don't read the newspaper. No leas el periodico.
- t: no lease
- él/ella/usted: no lea
- nosotros/-as: no leamos
- vosotros/-as: no leáis
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: no lean
Method 4 of 5: Perfect
Step 1. Learn the present perfect tasrif from leer
Use the present perfect to describe the act of reading that started before the present without excluding or denying the possibility that the same action is not taking place or can be repeated again.
- This form of the verb consists of an auxiliary verb defined, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "leer".
- Example: "I have read the book". I have read that book. He leido ese libro.
- yo: he leido
- tú: has leído
- él/ella/usted: ha leído
- nosotros/-as: hemos leído
- vosotros/-as: habéis leído
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: han leído
Step 2. Define it in the preterite perfect form
The preterite perfect must be used to describe the act of reading when the action has occurred at a definite and defined time in the past.
- This form of the verb consists of an auxiliary verb defined, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "leer".
- Example: "He has read the book". She had read that book. Ella hubo leido ese libro.
- yo: hube leido
- tú: hubiste leído
- él/ella/usted: hubo leído
- nosotros/-as: hubimos leído
- vosotros/-as: hubisteis leído
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: hubieron leído
Step 3. Understand the past perfect form
Use the past perfect form of leer to describe the action of having read at a definite but undefined moment in the past.
- This form of the verb consists of an auxiliary verb defined, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "leer".
- Example: "They read the book last week". They had read that book last week. Ellos habían leído ese libro semana pasada.
- yo: había leído
- tú: habías leído
- él/ella/usted: había leído
- nosotros/-as: habíamos leído
- vosotros/-as: habíais leído
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: habían leído
Step 4. Use the conditional perfect form
The conditional perfect form is used to refer to the act of reading that would have occurred after certain conditions were met.
- This form of the verb consists of a defined auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "leer".
- Example: "We would have read the book if you recommended it". We would have read that book if you recommended it. Habríamos leído ese libro si lo recomienda.
- yo: habría leído
- tú: habrías leído
- él/ella/usted: habría leído
- nosotros/-as: habríamos leído
- vosotros/-as: habríais leído
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: habrían leído
Step 5. Look at the future perfect form
The future perfect form of leer is used to describe a situation or object that will have been read at a certain time.
- This form of the verb consists of a defined auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "leer".
- Example: "I would have read the book if I had finished my homework". I will have read that book if I finish my homework. Habré leído ese libro si si termino mi tarea.
- yo: habré leido
- t: habrás leído
- él/ella/usted: habrá leído
- nosotros/-as: habremos leído
- vosotros/-as: habréis leído
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: habrán leído
Method 5 of 5: Perfect Subjunctive
Step 1. Learn the perfect subjunctive form of leer
Use the perfect subjunctive to describe the act of reading that is doubtful or denied has occurred at any time in the past.
- This form of the verb consists of a defined auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "leer".
- Example: "I doubt he has read the book". I doubt that she has read that book. Dudo que ella haya leído ese libro.
- yo: haya leido
- tú: hayas leído
- él/ella/usted: haya leído
- nosotros/-as: hayamos leído
- vosotros/-as: hayáis leído
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: hayan leído
Step 2. Use the past perfect subjunctive
The past perfect subjunctive is used to describe the act of reading which is doubtful or denied to have occurred at a definite time in the past.
- This form of the verb consists of a defined auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "leer".
- Example: "I doubt if he has read the newspaper". I doubt that he had read the newspaper. Dudo que él hubiera leído el periódico.
- yo: hubiera leído
- tú: hubieras leído
- él/ella/usted: hubiera leído
- nosotros/-as: hubiéramos leído
- vosotros/-as: hubierais leído
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: hubieran leído
Step 3. Define leer in the future perfect subjunctive
The future perfect subjunctive is used to describe the act of reading which is doubted or denied to have occurred.
- This form of the verb consists of a defined auxiliary verb, "haber", and the singular past participle of the word "leer".
- Example: "I doubt that I would have read the book if you had not recommended it". I doubt that I would have read that book if you did not recommend it. Dudo que yo hubiere leído ese libro si no lo recomiendo.
- yo: hubiere leído
- tú: hubieres leído
- él/ella/usted: hubiere leído
- nosotros/-as: hubiéremos leído
- vosotros/-as: hubiereis leído
- ellos/ellas/ustedes: hubieren leído
