Spanish grammar · Intermediate
Traer Conjugation: Every Tense with Examples
Traer means to bring. Yo present is the irregular traigo (-igo, like caer/oír). Preterite uses the j-stem traje, trajiste, trajo, trajeron (no -ieron, just -eron, j-stem family).
Traigo el libro.
I'm bringing the book.
What it is
Traer means to bring, movement toward the speaker, carrying something with you. Yo present is traigo (irregular -igo). Preterite uses the j-stem traje, trajiste, trajo. Distinct from llevar (to take / carry away from the speaker).
In Traigo el libro (I'm bringing the book), traigo is the yo form. Traer implies the book is being brought toward where the speaker is.
How to spot it
Yo present is traigo. Preterite forms drop the i: traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron (not trajieron).
- ¿Qué traes? — What are you bringing?
- Trajo flores. — He brought flowers.
- Trae café. — Bring coffee. (command)
Traer vs. llevar mirrors venir vs. ir. Traer = bring here. Llevar = take there. Same speaker-perspective logic.
Traer Conjugation Quick Reference
Traer at a glance, the most-used forms across tenses
| Person | Present | Preterite | Imperfect | Future | Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | traigo | traje | traía | traeré | traiga |
| tú | traes | trajiste | traías | traerás | traigas |
| él/ella/Ud. | trae | trajo | traía | traerá | traiga |
| nosotros | traemos | trajimos | traíamos | traeremos | traigamos |
| vosotros | traéis | trajisteis | traíais | traeréis | traigáis |
| ellos/Uds. | traen | trajeron | traían | traerán | traigan |
Common Traer Conjugation Examples in Spanish
Traer covers bringing things, carrying / wearing, and a few key idioms:
Bringing Things
- Traigo el regalo.
- I'm bringing the gift.
- Trae tu cuaderno.
- Bring your notebook.
- Trajeron comida.
- They brought food.
Traer is the default verb for bringing something to where the speaker is.
Wearing / Carrying On You
- ¿Traes dinero?
- Do you have money on you?
- Traigo el pasaporte.
- I have my passport with me.
- Traía gafas de sol.
- She was wearing sunglasses.
Traer also means to have something on you / be carrying it, closer to English have with you.
Bringing About / Causing
- Eso trae problemas.
- That brings / causes problems.
- La lluvia trajo frío.
- The rain brought cold weather.
- Trae mala suerte.
- It brings bad luck.
Traer + abstract noun = cause / bring about. Common with problems, weather, luck.
News / Articles (Traer = Carry / Feature)
- El periódico trae la noticia.
- The newspaper carries the story.
- La revista trae un artículo.
- The magazine has / features an article.
Used to say a publication contains / features something, closer to English carries.
How to Conjugate Traer Across Tenses
Present, Yo Traigo (-Igo Pattern)
Yo form adds ig: traigo. Other forms regular -er: traes, trae, traemos, traéis, traen.
Yo traigo, tú traes, él trae, nosotros traemos, vosotros traéis, ellos traen.
I bring, you bring, he brings, we bring, you all bring, they bring.
Same -igo pattern as caer (caigo), oír (oigo), and the -go family overall.
Preterite, J-Stem (Traj-) with -eron
Preterite uses traj-: traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron. The 3rd person plural drops the i (trajeron, not trajieron).
Yo traje, tú trajiste, él trajo, nosotros trajimos, vosotros trajisteis, ellos trajeron.
I brought, you brought, he brought, we brought, you all brought, they brought.
J-stem family (decir → dijeron, conducir → condujeron, traer → trajeron), all drop the i in 3rd plural.
Imperfect / Future, Regular
Imperfect: traía, traías, traía, traíamos, traíais, traían. Future: traeré, traerás, traerá, traeremos, traeréis, traerán. Both regular.
Siempre traía dulces. Traeré el postre.
He always used to bring candy. I'll bring dessert.
Imperfect carries an accent on the i (traía), because of the hiatus a-í.
Subjunctive, Traig- Stem
Present subjunctive built from traigo: traiga, traigas, traiga, traigamos, traigáis, traigan.
Quiero que traigas el postre.
I want you to bring the dessert.
Trae (tú command) and traiga (Ud. command) are everyday bring forms.
Common Mistakes with Traer Conjugation
Incorrect: Yo trao el libro. — I'm bringing the book. (wrong, yo form is traigo)
Correct: Yo traigo el libro. — I'm bringing the book.
Traer's yo form is traigo (with -ig insertion). Not trao.
Incorrect: Trajieron flores. — They brought flowers. (wrong, 3rd plural drops the i)
Correct: Trajeron flores. — They brought flowers.
J-stem preterite verbs (traer, decir, conducir) drop the i in 3rd person plural. Trajeron, dijeron, condujeron, not trajieron.
Incorrect: Llevo el libro a tu casa. (when speaker is at own home talking to listener at home) — I'm bringing the book to your house. (perspective matters, traer if going toward listener's location)
Correct: Traigo el libro a tu casa. — I'm bringing the book to your house.
Traer vs. llevar depends on where the speaker is heading. Traer = toward where the listener is now. Llevar = somewhere else. Spanish is stricter about this than English.
Traer Across Every Tense
Two irregular spots: yo traigo (present), traje (j-stem preterite with -eron). Imperfect / future / subjunctive follow from there.
Present (Yo Traigo)
Yo adds ig; rest regular.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same -igo pattern as caigo (caer), oigo (oír).
Preterite (J-Stem Traj-)
Traj- across all forms. 3rd plural drops i: trajeron.
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
Same -eron (not -ieron) family as dijeron, condujeron, redujeron.
Imperfect (Regular with Accent)
Regular -er imperfect, accent on í (hiatus).
| yo |
| tú |
| él/ella/usted |
| nosotros |
| vosotros |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes |
The accent on í (a-í) is required because of the hiatus.
Future, Conditional, Subjunctive
Future / conditional regular. Subjunctive uses traig- stem.
| yo (future) |
| yo (conditional) |
| yo (present subjunctive) |
| yo (present perfect) |
Past participle traído carries an accent on the í (hiatus a-í).
Traer Conjugation FAQs
- What does traer mean and when do you use it in Spanish?
- Traer means to bring, bringing something toward the speaker's location. Also covers having something on you (¿Traes dinero?), causing / bringing about (Trae problemas), and what a publication carries (La revista trae un artículo).
- How does traer conjugate in the present tense?
- Traigo, traes, trae, traemos, traéis, traen. Yo is irregular (traigo, -igo ending). Other forms are regular -er.
- What's the preterite of traer?
- Traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron. Uses the j-stem (traj-). 3rd person plural drops the i, trajeron, not trajieron. Same family as decir (dijeron) and conducir (condujeron).
- What's the difference between traer and llevar?
- Traer = bring (toward the speaker's current location). Llevar = take / carry (away from the speaker). Te traigo el libro (I'll bring you the book, going to where you are) vs. Llevo el libro (I'm taking the book, somewhere else).
- How can I get better at conjugating traer?
- Traer's irregular spots, traigo, traje, trajeron, show up in everyday speech around bringing, carrying, and wearing things. Parrot's daily videos feature these forms in real conversations.