Traer Conjugation: Traigo, Traje, Trajeron and Every Tense (Chart)

Traer means "to bring." It's irregular in three places: the yo present is traigo, the preterite uses the stem traj- (traje, trajo, trajeron), and the gerund is trayendo. The future (traeré) and imperfect (traía) are regular.

Traer Conjugation Chart

Indicative: present, preterite and imperfect

Future, conditional and present perfect

Subjunctive

Commands (imperative)

Gerund: trayendo (estoy trayendo) · Past participle: traído (he traído)

What Makes Traer Irregular

Here's where traer departs from the regular -er pattern:

• Yo traigo: an added -ig- in the yo form. The whole present subjunctive keeps it: traiga, traigas, traigamos.
• J-stem preterite: traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron. As with decir, the ellos form is trajeron, never "trajieron."
• Y in the gerund: trayendo.
• Accented participle: traído.

Atraer (to attract), distraer (to distract) and contraer (to contract) follow the same model: atraigo, distrajo, contrajeron.

How to Use Traer

Traer and llevar both translate as "bring" or "take," and the difference is direction:

• Traer is movement toward the speaker: Tráeme un vaso de agua (Bring me a glass of water).
• Llevar is movement away from the speaker: Llevo el vino a la fiesta (I'm taking the wine to the party).

This is different from English. If you're calling a friend to ask them to bring something to a party you're hosting, use traer. If you're going to someone else's party, you llevas something.

Traer also means "to wear" or "to carry" in some regions (¿Qué traes puesto?), and "to cause": Esto nos va a traer problemas.

Common Expressions With Traer

Traer in Example Sentences

• Siempre traigo mi almuerzo al trabajo. (I always bring my lunch to work.)
• ¿Trajiste el cargador? (Did you bring the charger?)
• Mis padres me trajeron un regalo de México. (My parents brought me a gift from Mexico.)
• El camarero nos traía pan sin pedirlo. (The waiter would bring us bread without us asking.)
• Mañana traeré las fotos. (I'll bring the photos tomorrow.)
• Dile que traiga una chaqueta. (Tell her to bring a jacket.)

Common Mistakes With Traer

• "Traí" instead of traje. The preterite yo form is traje.
• "Trajieron" instead of trajeron. After the j, the ending is -eron.
• Using traer for "take." If you're taking something somewhere else, use llevar.
• "Traendo" instead of trayendo. The gerund needs a y.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the preterite of traer?

Traje, trajiste, trajo, trajimos, trajisteis, trajeron.

Is traer irregular?

Yes. Traer is irregular in the present yo form (traigo), the preterite (traje), the present subjunctive (traiga) and the gerund (trayendo).

What is the difference between traer and llevar?

Traer means to bring toward where the speaker is. Llevar means to take somewhere else, away from the speaker.

What is the tú command of traer?

The affirmative tú command is trae (Trae la llave). With a pronoun, it becomes tráeme or tráelo. The negative is no traigas.

Keep Practicing

The quiz below mixes pronouns and tenses from the chart above. For more practice, these guides pair well with traer:

• Hacer Conjugation: Hago, Hice, Hacía and Every Tense (Chart)
• Decir Conjugation: Digo, Dije, Dicho and Every Tense (Chart)
• Leer Conjugation: Leo, Leyó, Leyendo and Every Tense (Chart)
• Imperfect Or Preterite A Guide to Spanish Past Tenses