alterar

Asturian

Verb

alterar (first-person singular indicative present altero, past participle alteráu)

1. Alternative form of alteriar

Catalan

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alterāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic) [əl.təˈɾa]
• IPA^(key): (Valencia) [al.teˈɾaɾ]
• Rhymes: -a(ɾ)

Verb

alterar (first-person singular present altero, first-person singular preterite alterí, past participle alterat); root stress: (Central, Valencia, Balearic) /e/

1. to alter
2. to upset
3. (reflexive) to become upset

Conjugation

    Conjugation of alterar (first conjugation)

infinitive			alterar
gerund			alterant
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		alterat		alterada
		plural		alterats		alterades
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	altero	alteres	altera	alterem	altereu	alteren
	imperfect	alterava	alteraves	alterava	alteràvem	alteràveu	alteraven
	future	alteraré	alteraràs	alterarà	alterarem	alterareu	alteraran
	preterite	alterí	alterares	alterà	alteràrem	alteràreu	alteraren
	conditional	alteraria	alteraries	alteraria	alteraríem	alteraríeu	alterarien
subjunctive		jo	tu	ell/ella vostè	nosaltres nós	vosaltres vós	ells/elles vostès
	present	alteri	alteris	alteri	alterem	altereu	alterin
	imperfect	alterés	alteressis	alterés	alteréssim	alteréssiu	alteressin
imperative		—	tu	vostè	nosaltres	vosaltres vós	vostès
	affirmative	—	altera	alteri	alterem	altereu	alterin
	negative (no)	—	no alteris	no alteri	no alterem	no altereu	no alterin

Related terms

• alteració

Further reading

• “alterar” in Diccionari de la llengua catalana, segona edició, Institut d’Estudis Catalans.
• “alterar”, in Gran Diccionari de la Llengua Catalana, Grup Enciclopèdia Catalana, 2025
• “alterar” in Diccionari normatiu valencià, Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.
• “alterar” in Diccionari català-valencià-balear, Antoni Maria Alcover and Francesc de Borja Moll, 1962.

Galician

Etymology

From Latin alterāre.

Verb

alterar (first-person singular present altero, first-person singular preterite alterei, past participle alterado)

1. to alter
2. to upset, to anger
3. (reflexive) to become upset or angry

Conjugation

    Conjugation of alterar

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti)	Third-person (el / ela / Vde.)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / Vdes.)
Infinitive
Impersonal	alterar
Personal	alterar	alterares	alterar	alterarmos	alterardes	alteraren
Gerund
	alterando
Past participle
Masculine	alterado			alterados
Feminine	alterada			alteradas
Indicative
Present	altero	alteras	altera	alteramos	alterades	alteran
Imperfect	alteraba	alterabas	alteraba	alterabamos	alterabades	alteraban
Preterite	alterei	alteraches	alterou	alteramos	alterastes	alteraron
Pluperfect	alterara	alteraras	alterara	alteraramos	alterarades	alteraran
Future	alterarei	alterarás	alterará	alteraremos	alteraredes	alterarán
Conditional	alteraría	alterarías	alteraría	alterariamos	alterariades	alterarían
Subjunctive
Present	altere	alteres	altere	alteremos	alteredes	alteren
Imperfect	alterase	alterases	alterase	alterásemos	alterásedes	alterasen
Future	alterar	alterares	alterar	alterarmos	alterardes	alteraren
Imperative
Affirmative		altera	altere	alteremos	alterade	alteren
Negative (non)		non alteres	non altere	non alteremos	non alteredes	non alteren

    Reintegrated conjugation of alterar (See Appendix:Reintegrationism)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (ti / tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	alterar
Personal	alterar	alterares	alterar	alterarmos	alterardes	alterarem
Gerund
	alterando
Past participle
Masculine	alterado			alterados
Feminine	alterada			alteradas
Indicative
Present	altero	alteras	altera	alteramos	alterades, alterais	alteram
Imperfect	alterava	alteravas	alterava	alterávamos	alterávades, alteráveis, alterávais1	alteravam
Preterite	alterei	alteraste, alterache1	alterou	alteramos	alterastes	alterárom, alteraram
Pluperfect	alterara	alteraras	alterara	alteráramos	alterárades, alteráreis, alterárais1	alteraram
Future	alterarei	alterarás	alterará	alteraremos	alteraredes, alterareis	alterarám, alterarão
Conditional	alteraria	alterarias	alteraria	alteraríamos	alteraríades, alteraríeis, alteraríais1	alterariam
Subjunctive
Present	altere	alteres	altere	alteremos	alteredes, altereis	alterem
Imperfect	alterasse	alterasses	alterasse	alterássemos	alterássedes, alterásseis	alterassem
Future	alterar	alterares	alterar	alterarmos	alterardes	alterarem
Imperative
Affirmative		altera	altere	alteremos	alterade, alterai	alterem
Negative (nom)		nom alteres	nom altere	nom alteremos	nom alteredes, nom altereis	nom alterem

¹Less recommended.

Related terms

• alteración

Further reading

• “alterar”, in Dicionario da Real Academia Galega (in Galician), A Coruña: Royal Galician Academy, 2012–2025

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from English alter, French altérer, German alterieren, Italian alterare, Spanish alterar, from Latin alterō (“I change, alter”), from alter (“the other”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂élteros (“the other of two”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /al.teˈrar/

Verb

alterar (present tense alteras, past tense alteris, future tense alteros, imperative alterez, conditional alterus)

1. (transitive) to alter (modify the nature or quality of a thing, generally for the worse)
2. (transitive) to spoil, debase (currency), corrupt (language)

Conjugation

Conjugation of alterar

		present		past		future
infinitive		alterar		alterir		alteror
tense		alteras		alteris		alteros
conditional		alterus		—		—
imperative		alterez		—		—
adjective active participle		alteranta		alterinta		alteronta
adverbial active participle		alterante		alterinte		alteronte
nominal active participle	singular	alteranto		alterinto		alteronto
	plural	alteranti		alterinti		alteronti
adjective passive participle		alterata		alterita		alterota
adverbial passive participle		alterate		alterite		alterote
nominal passive participle	singular	alterato		alterito		alteroto
	plural	alterati		alteriti		alteroti

Interlingua

Verb

alterar

1. to alter

Conjugation

    Conjugation of alterar

infinitive		alterar
participle		present	perfect
		alterante	alterate
active		simple	perfect
	present	altera	ha alterate
	past	alterava	habeva alterate
	future	alterara	habera alterate
	conditional	alterarea	haberea alterate
	imperative	altera
passive		simple	perfect
	present	es alterate	ha essite alterate
	past	esseva alterate	habeva essite alterate
	future	essera alterate	habera essite alterate
	conditional	esserea alterate	haberea essite alterate
	imperative	sia alterate

Related terms

• alteration

Occitan

Verb

alterar

1. to alter

Conjugation

    Lengadocian (Central Occitan)

		simple			compound
infinitive		alterar			aver alterat
gerund		alterant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		alterat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	alteri	alteras	altera	alteram	alteratz	alteran
	imperfect	alteravi	alteravas	alterava	alteràvem	alteràvetz	alteravan
	preterite	alterèri	alterères	alterèt	alterèrem	alterèretz	alterèron
	future	alterarai	alteraràs	alterarà	alterarem	alteraretz	alteraràn
	conditional	alterariái	alterariás	alterariá	alterariam	alterariatz	alterarián
	conditional 2nd form1	alterèra	alterèras	alterèra	altereram	altereratz	alterèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	altere	alteres	altere	alterem	alteretz	alteren
	imperfect	alterèssi	alterèsses	alterèsse	alterèssem	alterèssetz	alterèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			altera		alterem	alteratz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Auvernhàs

		simple			compound
infinitive		alterar			aver alterat
gerund		alterant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		alterat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	altere	alteres	altera	alteram	alteratz	alteron
	imperfect	alterave	alteraves	alterava	alteraviam	alteraviatz	alteravon
	preterite	alterere	altereres	alteret	alterem	alteretz	altereron
	future	alterarai	alteraràs	alterará	alterarem	alteraretz	alterarán
	conditional	alterariá	alterariás	alterariá	alterariam	alterariatz	alterarián
	conditional 2nd form1	alterèra	alterèras	alterèra	altereram	altereratz	alterèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	altere	alteres	altere	alterassiam	alterassiatz	alteron
	imperfect	alteresse	alteresses	alteresse	alteressiam	alteressiatz	alteresson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			altera		alterassiam	alteratz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Gascon

		simple			compound
infinitive		alterar			aver alterat
gerund		alterant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		alterat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	alteri	alteras	altera	alteram	alteratz	alteran
	imperfect	alteravi	alteravas	alterava	alteràvam	alteràvatz	alteravan
	preterite	alterèi	alterès	alterè	alterèm	alterètz	alterèn
	future	alterarèi	alteraràs	alterarà	alteraram	alteraratz	alteraràn
	conditional	alterarí	alterarés	alteraré	alterarem	alteraretz	alterarén
	conditional 2nd form1	alterèra	alterèras	alterèra	altereram	altereratz	alterèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	alteri	alteres	altere	alterem	alteretz	alteren
	imperfect	alterèssi	alterèsses	alterèsse	alterèssem	alterèssetz	alterèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			altera		alterem	alteratz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Lemosin

		simple			compound
infinitive		alterar			aver alterat
gerund		alterant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		alterat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	altere	alteras	altera	alteram	alteratz	alteran
	imperfect	alterava	alteravas	alterava	alteràvam	alteràvatz	alteravan
	preterite	alterei	altereras	alteret	alterèram	alterèratz	altereran
	future	alterarai	alteraràs	alterará	alterarem	alteraretz	alterarán
	conditional	alterariá	alterariàs	alterariá	alterariam	alterariatz	alterarián
	conditional 2nd form1	alterèra	alterèras	alterèra	altereram	altereratz	alterèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	altere	alteres	altere	alterem	alteretz	alteren
	imperfect	alterèsse	alterèsses	alterèsse	alterèssem	alterèssetz	alterèssen
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			altera		alterem	alteratz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

    Provençau

		simple			compound
infinitive		alterar			aver alterat
gerund		alterant			use gerund of aver + past participle
past participle		alterat			—
person		singular			plural
		first	second	third	first	second	third
indicative		ieu	tu	el	nosautres	vosautres	eles
	present	altere	alteres	altera	alteram	alteratz	alteran
	imperfect	alteravi	alteravas	alterava	alteràvem	alteràvetz	alteravan
	preterite	alterère	alterères	alterèt	altereriam	altereriatz	alterèron
	future	alterarai	alteraràs	alterarà	alterarem	alteraretz	alteraràn
	conditional	alterariáu	alterariás	alterariá	alterariam	alterariatz	alterarián
	conditional 2nd form1	alterèra	alterèras	alterèra	altereram	altereratz	alterèran
compound tenses	present perfect	use the present tense of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect tense of aver + past participle
	past anterior	use the preterite tense of aver + past participle
	future perfect	use the future tense of aver + past participle
	conditional perfect	use the conditional tense of aver + past participle
subjunctive		que ieu	que tu	que el	que nosautres	que vosautres	que eles
	present	altere	alteres	altere	alterem	alteretz	alteran
	imperfect	alterèsse	alterèsses	alterèsse	alteressiam	alteressiatz	alterèsson
compound tenses	past	use the present subjunctive of aver + past participle
	pluperfect	use the imperfect subjunctive of aver + past participle
imperative		—	tu	—	nosautres	vosautres	—
			altera		alterem	alteratz	1Now chiefly obsolete, still in use in some Limousin and Vivaro-Alpin dialects

Related terms

• alteracion

Portuguese

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alterāre.

Pronunciation

 

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aw.teˈɾa(ʁ)/ [aʊ̯.teˈɾa(h)]

• (Brazil) IPA^(key): /aw.teˈɾa(ʁ)/ [aʊ̯.teˈɾa(h)]
  • (São Paulo) IPA^(key): /aw.teˈɾa(ɾ)/ [aʊ̯.teˈɾa(ɾ)]
  • (Rio de Janeiro) IPA^(key): /aw.teˈɾa(ʁ)/ [aʊ̯.teˈɾa(χ)]
  • (Southern Brazil) IPA^(key): /aw.teˈɾa(ɻ)/ [aʊ̯.teˈɾa(ɻ)]

 

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /al.tɨˈɾaɾ/ [aɫ.tɨˈɾaɾ]

• (Portugal) IPA^(key): /al.tɨˈɾaɾ/ [aɫ.tɨˈɾaɾ]
  • (Southern Portugal) IPA^(key): /al.tɨˈɾa.ɾi/ [aɫ.tɨˈɾa.ɾi]

• Hyphenation: al‧te‧rar

Verb

alterar (first-person singular present altero, first-person singular preterite alterei, past participle alterado)

1. to alter, change

Conjugation

    Conjugation of alterar (See Appendix:Portuguese verbs)

	Singular			Plural
	First-person (eu)	Second-person (tu)	Third-person (ele / ela / você)	First-person (nós)	Second-person (vós)	Third-person (eles / elas / vocês)
Infinitive
Impersonal	alterar
Personal	alterar	alterares	alterar	alterarmos	alterardes	alterarem
Gerund
	alterando
Past participle
Masculine	alterado			alterados
Feminine	alterada			alteradas
Indicative
Present	altero	alteras	altera	alteramos	alterais	alteram
Imperfect	alterava	alteravas	alterava	alterávamos	alteráveis	alteravam
Preterite	alterei	alteraste	alterou	alteramos1, alterámos2	alterastes	alteraram
Pluperfect	alterara	alteraras	alterara	alteráramos	alteráreis	alteraram
Future	alterarei	alterarás	alterará	alteraremos	alterareis	alterarão
Conditional	alteraria	alterarias	alteraria	alteraríamos	alteraríeis	alterariam
Subjunctive
Present	altere	alteres	altere	alteremos	altereis	alterem
Imperfect	alterasse	alterasses	alterasse	alterássemos	alterásseis	alterassem
Future	alterar	alterares	alterar	alterarmos	alterardes	alterarem
Imperative
Affirmative		altera	altere	alteremos	alterai	alterem
Negative (não)		não alteres	não altere	não alteremos	não altereis	não alterem

¹Brazilian Portuguese.
²European Portuguese.

Quotations

For quotations using this term, see Citations:alterar.

Related terms

• alteração
• outro

Further reading

• “alterar” in Dicionário Aberto based on Novo Diccionário da Língua Portuguesa de Cândido de Figueiredo, 1913

Spanish

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin alterāre.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /alteˈɾaɾ/ [al̪.t̪eˈɾaɾ]

• Audio (Venezuela):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: al‧te‧rar

Verb

alterar (first-person singular present altero, first-person singular preterite alteré, past participle alterado)

1. (transitive) to alter, to change

   Synonyms: cambiar, modificar, mudar

2. (transitive) to upset
3. (reflexive) to get angry, upset

Conjugation

    Conjugation of alterar (See Appendix:Spanish verbs)

infinitive			alterar
gerund			alterando
past participle				masculine		feminine
		singular		alterado		alterada
		plural		alterados		alteradas
		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
indicative		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	altero	alterastú alterásvos	altera	alteramos	alteráis	alteran
	imperfect	alteraba	alterabas	alteraba	alterábamos	alterabais	alteraban
	preterite	alteré	alteraste	alteró	alteramos	alterasteis	alteraron
	future	alteraré	alterarás	alterará	alteraremos	alteraréis	alterarán
	conditional	alteraría	alterarías	alteraría	alteraríamos	alteraríais	alterarían
subjunctive		yo	tú vos	él/ella/ello usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ellos/ellas ustedes
	present	altere	alterestú alterésvos2	altere	alteremos	alteréis	alteren
	imperfect (ra)	alterara	alteraras	alterara	alteráramos	alterarais	alteraran
	imperfect (se)	alterase	alterases	alterase	alterásemos	alteraseis	alterasen
	future1	alterare	alterares	alterare	alteráremos	alterareis	alteraren
imperative		—	tú vos	usted	nosotros nosotras	vosotros vosotras	ustedes
	affirmative		alteratú alterávos	altere	alteremos	alterad	alteren
	negative		no alteres	no altere	no alteremos	no alteréis	no alteren

¹Mostly obsolete, now mainly used in legal language.
²Argentine and Uruguayan voseo prefers the tú form for the present subjunctive.

    Selected combined forms of alterar

These forms are generated automatically and may not actually be used. Pronoun usage varies by region.

		singular			plural
		1st person	2nd person	3rd person	1st person	2nd person	3rd person
with infinitive alterar	dative	alterarme	alterarte	alterarle, alterarse	alterarnos	alteraros	alterarles, alterarse
	accusative	alterarme	alterarte	alterarlo, alterarla, alterarse	alterarnos	alteraros	alterarlos, alterarlas, alterarse
with gerund alterando	dative	alterándome	alterándote	alterándole, alterándose	alterándonos	alterándoos	alterándoles, alterándose
	accusative	alterándome	alterándote	alterándolo, alterándola, alterándose	alterándonos	alterándoos	alterándolos, alterándolas, alterándose
with informal second-person singular tú imperative altera	dative	altérame	altérate	altérale	altéranos	not used	altérales
	accusative	altérame	altérate	altéralo, altérala	altéranos	not used	altéralos, altéralas
with informal second-person singular vos imperative alterá	dative	alterame	alterate	alterale	alteranos	not used	alterales
	accusative	alterame	alterate	alteralo, alterala	alteranos	not used	alteralos, alteralas
with formal second-person singular imperative altere	dative	altéreme	not used	altérele, altérese	altérenos	not used	altéreles
	accusative	altéreme	not used	altérelo, altérela, altérese	altérenos	not used	altérelos, altérelas
with first-person plural imperative alteremos	dative	not used	alterémoste	alterémosle	alterémonos	alterémoos	alterémosles
	accusative	not used	alterémoste	alterémoslo, alterémosla	alterémonos	alterémoos	alterémoslos, alterémoslas
with informal second-person plural imperative alterad	dative	alteradme	not used	alteradle	alteradnos	alteraos	alteradles
	accusative	alteradme	not used	alteradlo, alteradla	alteradnos	alteraos	alteradlos, alteradlas
with formal second-person plural imperative alteren	dative	altérenme	not used	altérenle	altérennos	not used	altérenles, altérense
	accusative	altérenme	not used	altérenlo, altérenla	altérennos	not used	altérenlos, altérenlas, altérense

Derived terms

• alterable
• alterado

Related terms

• alteración

Further reading

• “alterar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10