Separar Conjugation | How to Conjugate Separar in Spanish

Separar means “to separate” or “to divide.” You will learn its fully regular -AR conjugation, its compound and subjunctive systems, and common patterns for separating one thing from another.

Separar conjugation at a glance

Separar means “to separate / to divide.” Verb type: Regular AR. The key linguistic pattern is explained below so the project label does not hide how the verb actually behaves.

• separar — to separate / to divide
• separando — separating
• separado — separated

Separar gerund, past participle, and infinitive

The infinitive names the verb, the gerund helps build progressive constructions, and the past participle combines with haber — the perfect auxiliary — in compound forms. With haber, the participle does not change for gender or number.

Form	Spanish	Natural English guide
Infinitive	separar	to separate / to divide
Gerund	separando	separating
Past participle	separado	separated
Compound infinitive	haber separado	to have separated
Compound gerund	habiendo separado	having separated

Separar meaning and essential uses

The primary meaning here is “to separate / to divide.” These examples show the central uses needed to interpret the conjugated forms in this lesson.

• Separo el papel del plástico. — I separate the paper from the plastic.
• La profesora separó la clase en dos grupos. — The teacher divided the class into two groups.

Separar conjugation pattern

Separar is a fully regular -AR verb. Remove -ar to get the stem separ- and add the standard endings. Its gerund separando — separating and past participle separado — separated are regular, with no stem or spelling alternation in the core paradigm.

Separar indicative and periphrastic conjugations

Separar present tense conjugation

Use the present indicative for current situations, routines, repeated actions, and general facts involving this verb. The Spanish label is el presente de indicativo — present indicative.

Use the regular separ- stem with the standard -AR present endings.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	separo	I separate
Tú — you, singular informal	separas	you separate
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	separa	he / she separates; you separate (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	separamos	we separate
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	separáis	you (plural, informal) separate
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	separan	they / you (plural) separate

• Separo el vidrio del cartón. — I separate the glass from the cardboard.

Separar preterite conjugation

Use the preterite for completed or bounded past events, viewed as finished rather than background or habit. The Spanish label is el pretérito perfecto simple / pretérito indefinido — preterite.

Use the standard preterite endings for this conjugation class.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	separé	I separated
Tú — you, singular informal	separaste	you separated
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	separó	he / she separated; you separated (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	separamos	we separated
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	separasteis	you (plural, informal) separated
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	separaron	they / you (plural) separated

• Ayer separé las piezas dañadas. — Yesterday I separated the damaged pieces.

Separar imperfect conjugation

Use the imperfect for habitual, repeated, descriptive, or ongoing past situations without a completed boundary. The Spanish label is el pretérito imperfecto — imperfect.

Use the standard imperfect endings for this conjugation class.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	separaba	I used to separate
Tú — you, singular informal	separabas	you used to separate
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	separaba	he / she used to separate; you used to separate (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	separábamos	we used to separate
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	separabais	you (plural, informal) used to separate
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	separaban	they / you (plural) used to separate

• Antes separábamos la ropa por colores. — We used to separate the clothes by color.

Separar present progressive

Use the present progressive for an action in progress around the present moment. This is a verbal periphrasis, not a simple tense. The Spanish label is la perífrasis estar + gerundio — present progressive periphrasis.

Build the present progressive with estar — to be as an auxiliary — plus separando — separating.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	estoy separando	I am separating
Tú — you, singular informal	estás separando	you are separating
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	está separando	he / she is separating; you are separating (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	estamos separando	we are separating
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	estáis separando	you (plural, informal) are separating
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	están separando	they / you (plural) are separating

• Estoy separando los documentos por fecha. — I am separating the documents by date.

Separar near future conjugation

Use the near future for plans or events viewed as approaching or already intended. This is a verbal periphrasis, not a simple tense. The Spanish label is la perífrasis ir a + infinitivo — near-future periphrasis.

Build the near future with ir a — to be going to — plus separar — separate.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	voy a separar	I am going to separate
Tú — you, singular informal	vas a separar	you are going to separate
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	va a separar	he / she is going to separate; you are going to separate (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	vamos a separar	we are going to separate
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	vais a separar	you (plural, informal) are going to separate
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	van a separar	they / you (plural) are going to separate

• Voy a separar estos materiales en dos grupos. — I am going to divide these materials into two groups.

Separar future tense conjugation

Use the simple future for future events and, where context supports it, probability or conjecture. The Spanish label is el futuro simple — simple future.

Add the future endings directly to separar — separate.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	separaré	I will separate
Tú — you, singular informal	separarás	you will separate
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	separará	he / she will separate; you will separate (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	separaremos	we will separate
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	separaréis	you (plural, informal) will separate
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	separarán	they / you (plural) will separate

• Mañana separaremos las muestras. — Tomorrow we will separate the samples.

Separar conditional conjugation

Use the conditional for hypothetical outcomes, softened statements, or future-in-the-past meanings. The Spanish label is el condicional simple — conditional.

Add the conditional endings directly to separar — separate.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	separaría	I would separate
Tú — you, singular informal	separarías	you would separate
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	separaría	he / she would separate; you would separate (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	separaríamos	we would separate
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	separaríais	you (plural, informal) would separate
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	separarían	they / you (plural) would separate

• Separaría estos archivos por tema. — I would separate these files by topic.

Separar present perfect conjugation

Use the present perfect for past actions connected to the present. Its distribution varies across Spanish-speaking regions. The Spanish label is el pretérito perfecto compuesto — present perfect.

Combine the present forms of haber — the perfect auxiliary — with separado — separated.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	he separado	I have separated
Tú — you, singular informal	has separado	you have separated
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	ha separado	he / she has separated; you have separated (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hemos separado	we have separated
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habéis separado	you (plural, informal) have separated
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	han separado	they / you (plural) have separated

• Ya han separado los materiales reciclables. — They have already separated the recyclable materials.

Separar past perfect conjugation

Use the past perfect for an action completed before another past reference point. The Spanish label is el pretérito pluscuamperfecto — past perfect / pluperfect.

Combine the imperfect forms of haber — the perfect auxiliary — with separado — separated.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	había separado	I had separated
Tú — you, singular informal	habías separado	you had separated
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	había separado	he / she had separated; you had separated (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habíamos separado	we had separated
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habíais separado	you (plural, informal) had separated
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habían separado	they / you (plural) had separated

• Habían separado las piezas antes de contarlas. — They had separated the pieces before counting them.

Separar future perfect conjugation

Use the future perfect for an action expected to be completed before a future reference point. The Spanish label is el futuro compuesto — future perfect.

Combine the future forms of haber — the perfect auxiliary — with separado — separated.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	habré separado	I will have separated
Tú — you, singular informal	habrás separado	you will have separated
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	habrá separado	he / she will have separated; you will have separated (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habremos separado	we will have separated
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habréis separado	you (plural, informal) will have separated
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habrán separado	they / you (plural) will have separated

• Para mañana, habremos separado todas las muestras. — By tomorrow, we will have separated all the samples.

Separar conditional perfect conjugation

Use the conditional perfect for a hypothetical past result or an outcome that would have occurred under different circumstances. The Spanish label is el condicional compuesto — conditional perfect.

Combine the conditional forms of haber — the perfect auxiliary — with separado — separated.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	habría separado	I would have separated
Tú — you, singular informal	habrías separado	you would have separated
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	habría separado	he / she would have separated; you would have separated (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	habríamos separado	we would have separated
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	habríais separado	you (plural, informal) would have separated
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	habrían separado	they / you (plural) would have separated

• Habríamos separado mejor los grupos con más espacio. — We would have separated the groups better with more space.

Separar subjunctive conjugations

Separar present subjunctive conjugation

Use the present subjunctive in subordinate clauses triggered by wishes, influence, emotion, evaluation, doubt, necessity, possibility, or similar environments. The Spanish label is el presente de subjuntivo — present subjunctive.

Use the regular present subjunctive endings for a standard -AR verb.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	separe	that I separate
Tú — you, singular informal	separes	that you separate
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	separe	that he / she separate; that you separate (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	separemos	that we separate
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	separéis	that you (plural, informal) separate
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	separen	that they / you (plural) separate

• Es importante que separes los alimentos crudos. — It is important that you separate the raw foods.

Separar imperfect subjunctive conjugation

Use the imperfect subjunctive in past or hypothetical subordinate contexts, including reported wishes, requests, evaluations, and conditions. The Spanish label is el imperfecto de subjuntivo — imperfect subjunctive.

The main table uses the accepted -ra series, built from the third-person plural preterite stem. The accepted -se series is shown after the main examples.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	separara	that I separated / were to separate
Tú — you, singular informal	separaras	that you separated / were to separate
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	separara	that he / she separated / were to separate; that you separated / were to separate (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	separáramos	that we separated / were to separate
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	separarais	that you (plural, informal) separated / were to separate
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	separaran	that they / you (plural) separated / were to separate

• Pidieron que separáramos las muestras. — They asked us to separate the samples.

The accepted -se series is also standard in many contexts; it should not be substituted mechanically where a construction has a documented preference or restriction.

• separase — that I separated / were to separate
• separases — that you separated / were to separate
• separase — that he / she / you (formal) separated / were to separate
• separásemos — that we separated / were to separate
• separaseis — that you (plural, informal) separated / were to separate
• separasen — that they / you (plural) separated / were to separate

Separar future subjunctive conjugation

Use the future subjunctive only as a reference form for rare modern uses, especially formal, legal, literary, proverbial, or historical language. The Spanish label is el futuro de subjuntivo — future subjunctive.

Rare in modern everyday Spanish.

This reference paradigm comes from the same past-stem family used by the imperfect subjunctive. It is rare in modern everyday Spanish and survives mainly in formal, legal, literary, proverbial, or historical contexts.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	separare	that I should separate (rare/formal)
Tú — you, singular informal	separares	that you should separate (rare/formal)
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	separare	that he / she should separate (rare/formal); that you should separate (formal; rare/formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	separáremos	that we should separate (rare/formal)
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	separareis	that you (plural, informal) should separate (rare/formal)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	separaren	that they / you (plural) should separate (rare/formal)

• Si el técnico separare una muestra, deberá etiquetarla. — If the technician should separate a sample, they must label it.

Separar present perfect subjunctive conjugation

Use the present perfect subjunctive for a completed action viewed through a present subjunctive trigger. The Spanish label is el pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo — present perfect subjunctive.

Combine the present subjunctive forms of haber — the perfect auxiliary — with separado — separated.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	haya separado	that I have separated
Tú — you, singular informal	hayas separado	that you have separated
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	haya separado	that he / she has separated; that you have separated (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hayamos separado	that we have separated
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hayáis separado	that you (plural, informal) have separated
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hayan separado	that they / you (plural) have separated

• Me alegra que hayas separado los documentos. — I am glad that you have separated the documents.

Separar past perfect subjunctive conjugation

Use the past perfect subjunctive for an action completed before another past or hypothetical reference point in a subjunctive context. The Spanish label is el pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo — past perfect subjunctive.

Combine the -ra imperfect subjunctive forms of haber — the perfect auxiliary — with separado — separated. The hubiese series is also accepted and is shown below.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	hubiera separado	that I had separated
Tú — you, singular informal	hubieras separado	that you had separated
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	hubiera separado	that he / she had separated; that you had separated (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hubiéramos separado	that we had separated
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hubierais separado	that you (plural, informal) had separated
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hubieran separado	that they / you (plural) had separated

• Ojalá hubiéramos separado las piezas antes. — I wish we had separated the pieces earlier.

The hubiese series is an accepted alternative in many contexts.

• hubiese separado — that I had separated
• hubieses separado — that you had separated
• hubiese separado — that he / she / you (formal) had separated
• hubiésemos separado — that we had separated
• hubieseis separado — that you (plural, informal) had separated
• hubiesen separado — that they / you (plural) had separated

Separar future perfect subjunctive conjugation

Use the future perfect subjunctive as a rare reference form for an action completed before another future point in formal or historical-style contexts. The Spanish label is el futuro perfecto de subjuntivo — future perfect subjunctive.

Rare in modern everyday Spanish.

Combine the future subjunctive forms of haber — the perfect auxiliary — with separado — separated. This system is rare in modern everyday Spanish.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Yo — I	hubiere separado	that I should have separated (rare/formal)
Tú — you, singular informal	hubieres separado	that you should have separated (rare/formal)
Él / Ella / Usted — he / she / you, singular formal	hubiere separado	that he / she should have separated (rare/formal); that you should have separated (formal; rare/formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we	hubiéremos separado	that we should have separated (rare/formal)
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	hubiereis separado	that you (plural, informal) should have separated (rare/formal)
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes — they / you, plural	hubieren separado	that they / you (plural) should have separated (rare/formal)

• Si el técnico hubiere separado una muestra, deberá registrarla. — If the technician should have separated a sample, they must record it.

Separar imperative and commands

Commands address other people directly. Spanish uses imperative forms and present-subjunctive forms according to person and polarity; there is no ordinary yo command.

Separar affirmative commands

The informal singular command uses the ordinary present-style form, while formal and plural command forms use present-subjunctive morphology where applicable.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Tú — you, singular informal	separa	separate!
Usted — you, singular formal	separe	separate! (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we; exhortative “let’s…”	separemos	let’s separate!
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	separad	separate! (plural, informal, mainly Spain)
Ustedes — you, plural	separen	separate! (plural)

• Separa las piezas grandes de las pequeñas. — Separate the large pieces from the small ones.

Separar negative commands

Negative commands use present-subjunctive-based forms and have no ordinary yo command.

Pronoun and English meaning	Spanish	Natural English guide
Tú — you, singular informal	no separes	do not separate!
Usted — you, singular formal	no separe	do not separate! (formal)
Nosotros / Nosotras — we; exhortative “let’s…”	no separemos	let’s not separate!
Vosotros / Vosotras — you, plural informal, mainly Spain	no separéis	do not separate! (plural, informal, mainly Spain)
Ustedes — you, plural	no separen	do not separate! (plural)

• No separes estos documentos todavía. — Do not separate these documents yet.

Common constructions with Separar

Separar often uses de — from to identify what is being separated from something else, and en — into can introduce the groups created by division.

• Separo el vidrio del plástico. — I separate the glass from the plastic.
• Separamos la clase en tres grupos. — We divide the class into three groups.

Example sentences with Separar

These examples reinforce the target verb across several useful systems and contexts.

• Cada mañana separo los documentos por categoría. — Every morning I separate the documents by category.
• Ayer separamos las piezas defectuosas. — Yesterday we separated the defective pieces.
• Antes separábamos el vidrio del resto de la basura. — We used to separate glass from the rest of the trash.
• Voy a separar estas hojas en dos grupos. — I am going to divide these sheets into two groups.
• Es importante que separes los alimentos crudos de los cocinados. — It is important that you separate raw foods from cooked foods.
• Ellos ya han separado todos los materiales. — They have already separated all the materials.
• Separad las piezas grandes de las pequeñas. — Separate the large pieces from the small ones.
• No separéis las muestras hasta recibir instrucciones. — Do not separate the samples until you receive instructions.

Rare and reference forms of Separar

The future subjunctive and future perfect subjunctive above are already marked as rare in modern everyday Spanish. The preterite anterior is another formal or literary reference form and is uncommon in present-day conversation.

• Apenas hube separado las muestras, las etiqueté. — As soon as I had separated the samples, I labeled them.

Use Separar by choosing the time frame first and then applying its verified stem, spelling, or pronoun pattern. Keep rare reference systems distinct from the forms used in ordinary modern conversation.