Correr Conjugation In Spanish

Learn how to use correr in the tenses adults actually need: present, past, future, subjunctive, and commands, with clear Spanish and English examples.

The first time I heard someone in Mexico City shout, “¡Corre, que se nos va el metro!”, I had one of those very humbling language moments. I already “knew” that correr meant “to run,” but suddenly I needed more than the dictionary version. I needed the real thing: corre, corrí, corría, corran. Textbook calm was over. The train was not waiting.

That is why this verb matters. Correr is common, regular, and useful in everyday Spanish, but learners still mix up the past tenses, the command forms, and the extra meanings that have nothing to do with exercise. Let’s fix that without making it weirdly dramatic. The verb already runs enough on its own.

Yak Box: The Fast Answer

Correr is a regular -er verb. That means its stem stays corr-, and it follows the normal endings for regular -er verbs. The forms learners use most are corro (I run), corrí (I ran), corría (I used to run / I was running), correré (I will run), corra (that I run), and corre / corran (run!).

In Mexican Spanish, you will mostly hear and use tú, usted, and ustedes. The vosotros forms belong mainly to Spain, so we will keep them in one small note instead of letting them take over the room.

Correr Basics At A Glance

Form	Spanish	English Meaning	Example
Infinitive	correr	to run / to race	Quiero correr antes del trabajo. I want to run before work.
Gerund	corriendo	running	Estoy corriendo en el parque. I am running in the park.
Past Participle	corrido	run	He corrido cinco kilómetros. I have run five kilometers.

Present Tense Of Correr

Use the present tense for habits, routines, facts, and near-future plans. In everyday speech, this is one of the forms you will use most. Also, yes, corro looks slightly dramatic, but it is perfectly regular. That final -o is just doing its job.

Subject	Form	English Meaning	Example
yo	corro	I run	Yo corro por las mañanas. I run in the mornings.
tú	corres	you run	Tú corres muy rápido cuando vas tarde. You run very fast when you are late.
él / ella / usted	corre	he, she, you run	Ella corre cinco kilómetros cada sábado. She runs five kilometers every Saturday.
nosotros / nosotras	corremos	we run	Nosotros corremos después de la oficina. We run after work.
ellos / ellas / ustedes	corren	they, you all run	Ustedes corren en el parque del barrio. You all run in the neighborhood park.

Habit

correr todos los días — to run every day
Corro todos los días antes de desayunar.
I run every day before breakfast.

Fact

correr rápido — to run fast
Mi sobrina corre rápido, pero yo no me humillo compitiendo con ella.
My niece runs fast, but I do not humiliate myself by competing with her.

Near Future

corro al banco ahorita — I am running to the bank right now
No te preocupes, corro al banco y regreso en veinte minutos.
Do not worry, I will run to the bank and come back in twenty minutes.

Preterite Vs. Imperfect: The Part That Annoys People

This is where many learners freeze. The simple fix is this: use the preterite for a completed action, and use the imperfect for an ongoing past action, a repeated habit, or background description. Same verb, very different vibe.

Tense	Core Idea	Yo Form	Example
Preterite	completed action	corrí	Ayer corrí seis kilómetros. Yesterday I ran six kilometers.
Imperfect	used to / was running	corría	Cuando vivía en Puebla, corría todas las tardes. When I lived in Puebla, I used to run every afternoon.

Look at the contrast:

Corrí al trabajo. — I ran to work.
One finished event.
Corría al trabajo cuando empezó a llover. — I was running to work when it started to rain.
Ongoing background action.
De niño, corría en el parque todos los domingos. — As a child, I used to run in the park every Sunday.
Repeated habit.

Subject	Preterite	Imperfect
yo	corrí	corría
tú	corriste	corrías
él / ella / usted	corrió	corría
nosotros / nosotras	corrimos	corríamos
ellos / ellas / ustedes	corrieron	corrían

Future And Conditional

Good news: these are easy. For the future and conditional, you keep the full infinitive correr- and add the endings. No surprise stem change. No tiny betrayal hiding in the corner.

Subject	Future	Conditional	Example
yo	correré	correría	Mañana correré en el parque. I will run in the park tomorrow. Yo correría contigo, pero tengo junta. I would run with you, but I have a meeting.
tú	correrás	correrías	Tú correrás el domingo. You will run on Sunday. Tú correrías más si tuvieras tiempo. You would run more if you had time.
él / ella / usted	correrá	correría	Ella correrá el medio maratón. She will run the half marathon. Usted correría menos riesgo en otra ruta. You would run less risk on another route.
nosotros / nosotras	correremos	correríamos	Nosotros correremos mañana temprano. We will run tomorrow morning. Nosotros correríamos más, pero hace demasiado calor. We would run more, but it is too hot.
ellos / ellas / ustedes	correrán	correrían	Ustedes correrán después del trabajo. You all will run after work. Ellos correrían si no estuvieran cansados. They would run if they were not tired.

Present Subjunctive Of Correr

Use the present subjunctive after triggers like doubt, emotion, desire, recommendation, or phrases with que. Build it from the yo form corro: drop the -o, then add subjunctive endings.

Subject	Form	English Meaning	Example
yo	corra	that I run	Es bueno que yo corra más. It is good that I run more.
tú	corras	that you run	Quiero que tú corras conmigo. I want you to run with me.
él / ella / usted	corra	that he, she, you run	Dudo que ella corra hoy. I doubt that she will run today.
nosotros / nosotras	corramos	that we run	La entrenadora recomienda que corramos despacio al principio. The coach recommends that we run slowly at first.
ellos / ellas / ustedes	corran	that they, you all run	Espero que ustedes corran mañana. I hope that you all run tomorrow.

Commands With Correr

Commands are especially useful because real life is full of urgency, encouragement, and people telling you what to do with suspicious confidence. Here are the forms you will actually hear.

Command Type	Spanish	English Meaning	Example
tú affirmative	corre	run	¡Corre, que ya empezó la película! Run, the movie already started!
tú negative	no corras	don’t run	No corras en la escalera. Don’t run on the stairs.
usted affirmative	corra	run	Corra con cuidado, por favor. Run carefully, please.
usted negative	no corra	don’t run	No corra aquí, señor. Don’t run here, sir.
nosotros	corramos	let’s run	Corramos antes de que cierre el parque. Let’s run before the park closes.
ustedes affirmative	corran	run	¡Corran al elevador! Run to the elevator!
ustedes negative	no corran	don’t run	No corran en la oficina. Don’t run in the office.

Progressive And Perfect Forms

You do not always need a giant chart. Sometimes you just need the pattern that unlocks the whole tense.

Pattern	Meaning	Example	English
estar + corriendo	to be running	Estoy corriendo en el gimnasio.	I am running at the gym.
haber + corrido	to have run	Hemos corrido diez kilómetros este mes.	We have run ten kilometers this month.
ir a + correr	to be going to run	Voy a correr después de comer.	I am going to run after eating.

Useful Phrases With Correr

This is where correr becomes a real-life verb instead of a chart you stare at for eight heroic seconds and then forget. Each phrase includes the meaning and a sentence you could actually use.

correr en el parque — to run in the park
Corro en el parque los domingos por la mañana.
I run in the park on Sunday mornings.
correr una carrera — to run a race
Mi hermano va a correr una carrera de diez kilómetros.
My brother is going to run a ten-kilometer race.
correr un maratón — to run a marathon
Ella sueña con correr un maratón en la Ciudad de México.
She dreams of running a marathon in Mexico City.
correr rápido — to run fast
No corro rápido, pero sí corro con terquedad.
I do not run fast, but I do run stubbornly.
correr despacio — to run slowly
Hoy voy a correr despacio para no lastimarme.
Today I am going to run slowly so I do not hurt myself.

correr al trabajo — to run to work
A veces corro al trabajo cuando salgo tarde de casa.
Sometimes I run to work when I leave home late.
correr peligro — to be in danger
Si manejas cansado, corres peligro.
If you drive tired, you are in danger.
correr riesgo — to run a risk
Corremos el riesgo de llegar tarde si no salimos ya.
We run the risk of arriving late if we do not leave now.
correr el rumor — for a rumor to spread
Ya corre el rumor de que la oficina se va a mudar.
The rumor is already going around that the office is going to move.
correr a alguien — to fire someone / kick someone out
Lo corrieron del trabajo el mes pasado.
He got fired from work last month.

Important nuance: correr does not always mean physical running. In adult conversation, correr riesgo, correr peligro, and correr a alguien are all very common. So no, the sentence is not always about cardio. Sometimes it is about danger. Sometimes it is about your boss being awful.

Spain Variant: Vosotros Forms

If you are focused on Mexican Spanish, you can safely treat this as a reference box. Still, it helps to recognize these forms when you read or watch content from Spain.

Tense Or Form	Vosotros	Example
Present	corréis	Vosotros corréis mucho. — You all run a lot.
Preterite	corristeis	Vosotros corristeis ayer. — You all ran yesterday.
Imperfect	corríais	Vosotros corríais cada tarde. — You all used to run every afternoon.
Future	correréis	Vosotros correréis mañana. — You all will run tomorrow.
Subjunctive	corráis	Espero que corráis mañana. — I hope that you all run tomorrow.
Affirmative Command	corred	¡Corred! — Run!
Negative Command	no corráis	¡No corráis aquí! — Don’t run here!

Common Mistakes And Fast Fixes

Mixing up corrí and corría.
Corrí = I ran once / completed action.
Corría = I was running / I used to run.
Using a regular statement instead of a real command.
No corre means “he or she does not run.”
No corras means “don’t run.” Tiny difference, huge consequence.
Forgetting that present tense can mean routine.
Corro tres veces por semana. means “I run three times a week.” It is not only about this exact second.
Using only the literal meaning.
Corremos riesgo does not mean “we run risk” in a weirdly athletic way. It means “we are at risk.”
Overusing the progressive.
Estoy corriendo = I am running right now.
Corro = I run / I do run / I am running, depending on context.

Practice With Correr

Try these before peeking at the answers. Your ego will survive.

Change to the present tense: yo / correr
Change to the preterite: ella / correr
Change to the imperfect: nosotros / correr
Change to the future: ustedes / correr
Change to the present subjunctive: tú / correr
Make a tú affirmative command: correr
Make a tú negative command: correr
Choose the better tense: Ayer yo ____ cinco kilómetros. (corrí or corría)
Choose the better tense: Cuando era estudiante, yo ____ en el parque cada tarde. (corrí or corría)
Translate: We are going to run tomorrow.

Answer Key

corro
corrió
corríamos
correrán
corras
corre
no corras
corrí
corría
Vamos a correr mañana.

Quick Reference Summary

correr = to run / to race
It is a regular -er verb
Present: corro, corres, corre, corremos, corren
Preterite: corrí, corriste, corrió, corrimos, corrieron
Imperfect: corría, corrías, corría, corríamos, corrían
Future: correré, correrás, correrá, correremos, correrán
Subjunctive: corra, corras, corra, corramos, corran
Commands: corre, no corras, corra, corramos, corran, no corran
Gerund: corriendo
Past participle: corrido

Final Yak

If you remember just one thing, make it this: corrí is a finished past action, corría is an ongoing or repeated past action, and the rest of correr behaves very nicely for a regular verb. Learn the handful of high-frequency forms first, then plug them into real phrases like correr riesgo, correr en el parque, and vamos a correr. That is how charts turn into actual Spanish.