The Spanish verb "contratar" means "to hire/contract" in English. It is a regular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "contratar" across all 5 tenses. New to Spanish verbs? Start with the Spanish verb guide.
Jump to a tense
How to Conjugate "contratar" in the Present Tense
Presente de indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | contrato |
| tú | you (informal) | contratas |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | contrata |
| nosotros | we | contratamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | contratáis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | contratan |
Usted contrata al médico.
say it oos-TEHD kon-TRAH-tah
You hire the doctor.
In other languages
- French Tu engages le médecin.
- German Du stellst den Arzt ein.
- Dutch Je neemt de dokter in dienst.
Yo contrato un servicio.
say it yo kon-TRAH-toh
I hire a service.
In other languages
- French Je fais appel à un service.
- German Ich beauftrage einen Dienst.
- Dutch Ik huur een dienst in.
How to Conjugate "contratar" in the Past (completed) Tense
Pretérito perfecto simple Actions that finished in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | contraté |
| tú | you (informal) | contrataste |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | contrató |
| nosotros | we | contratamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | contratasteis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | contrataron |
Él contrató un servicio.
say it el kon-trah-TOH oon ser-BYEE-syoh
He hired a service.
In other languages
- French Il a engagé un service.
- German Er hat einen Dienst beauftragt.
- Dutch Hij huurde een dienst in.
Yo contraté a un profesor.
say it yo kon-trah-TEH ah oon proh-feh-SOR
I hired a teacher.
In other languages
- French J'ai engagé un professeur.
- German Ich habe einen Lehrer eingestellt.
- Dutch Ik heb een leraar ingehuurd.
Want to actually remember these?
VerbPal drills "contratar" in real Spanish sentences using spaced repetition.
Try VerbPal FreeHow to Conjugate "contratar" in the Past (ongoing) Tense
Pretérito imperfecto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | contrataba |
| tú | you (informal) | contratabas |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | contrataba |
| nosotros | we | contratábamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | contratabais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | contrataban |
Ella contrataba más personal.
say it EH-yah kon-trah-TAH-bah mahs pehr-soh-NAHL
She was hiring more staff.
In other languages
- French Elle embauchait plus de personnel.
- German Sie stellte mehr Personal ein.
- Dutch Zij was meer personeel aan het inhuren.
Yo contrataba a un cocinero.
say it yo kon-trah-TAH-bah ah oon koh-see-NEH-roh
I was hiring a cook.
In other languages
- French J'étais en train d'embaucher un cuisinier.
- German Ich stellte gerade einen Koch ein.
- Dutch Ik was een kok aan het inhuren.
How to Conjugate "contratar" in the Future Tense
Futuro simple Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | contrataré |
| tú | you (informal) | contratarás |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | contratará |
| nosotros | we | contrataremos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | contrataréis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | contratarán |
Él contratará a una doctora.
say it el kon-trah-tah-RÁH ah OO-nah dok-TOH-rah
He will hire a doctor.
In other languages
- French Il engagera un médecin.
- German Er wird einen Arzt einstellen.
- Dutch Hij zal een dokter inhuren.
Yo contrataré un servicio.
say it yo kon-trah-tah-RÉH oon ser-BEE-syoh
I will hire a service.
In other languages
- French Je vais engager un service.
- German Ich werde einen Dienst beauftragen.
- Dutch Ik zal een dienst inhuren.
How to Conjugate "contratar" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condicional simple Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | contrataría |
| tú | you (informal) | contratarías |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | contrataría |
| nosotros | we | contrataríamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | contrataríais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | contratarían |
Ella contrataría más personal.
say it EH-yah kon-trah-tah-REE-ah mahs per-soh-NAHL
She would hire more staff.
In other languages
- French Elle embaucherait plus de personnel.
- German Sie würde mehr Personal einstellen.
- Dutch Zij zou meer personeel aannemen.
Yo contrataría un guía.
say it yo kon-trah-tah-REE-ah oon GEE-ah
I would hire a guide.
In other languages
- French J'engagerais un guide.
- German Ich würde einen Führer einstellen.
- Dutch Ik zou een gids inhuren.
Frequently Asked Questions About "contratar"
Is "contratar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"Contratar" is a regular Spanish verb that follows standard conjugation patterns for its verb group.
What does "contratar" mean in English?
The Spanish verb "contratar" means "to hire/contract" in English.
How do you conjugate "contratar" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente de indicativo): yo → contrato, tú → contratas, él/ella/usted → contrata, nosotros → contratamos, vosotros → contratáis, ellos/ustedes → contratan.
How many tenses does "contratar" have in Spanish?
"Contratar" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Spanish: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
Master Spanish verbs for real
Stop memorizing tables. Start speaking with confidence.
Try VerbPal Free3-day free trial. Cancel anytime.