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Verb conjugation

borbonear

to unduly meddle and/or interfere in politics (action restricted to Alfonso XIII and, by extension, other Spanish Bourbon monarchs), often with the result of the fall from grace of a politician.

Usage

A politically loaded, distinctly Spanish verb describing improper royal meddling in politics — historically associated above all with Alfonso XIII's manipulation of governments in the early 20th century. Used pejoratively about a monarch, or by extension any powerful figure, overstepping their proper constitutional role; not in the official RAE dictionary but well established in Spanish political commentary.

Examples
  • Los historiadores acusan a Alfonso XIII de borbonear con los gobiernos de turno.Historians accuse Alfonso XIII of improperly meddling with the governments of the day.
  • La Constitución de 1978 buscó evitar que el rey volviera a borbonear en política.The 1978 Constitution sought to prevent the king from meddling improperly in politics again.
  • Algunos columnistas usan borbonear para criticar cualquier injerencia real en asuntos de estado.Some columnists use borbonear to criticize any royal interference in state affairs.
Common mistake

This isn't in the official RAE dictionary — it's a well-understood but informal/journalistic coinage specific to Spanish political commentary about the monarchy, not a general word for 'to interfere' (entrometerse) usable in any context.

In real life
  • politics 1978 Spanish Constitution safeguards on royal powerCoined from the Bourbon dynasty's history of monarchs directly influencing Spanish governments — especially Alfonso XIII's meddling in the early 20th century — the term is invoked in commentary explaining why the 1978 Constitution requires the king's political acts to be countersigned by the government, precisely to prevent a repeat of that 'borboneo.'

Simple tenses

Present (presente)

yoborboneo
borboneas
él/ellaborbonea
nosotrosborboneamos
vosotrosborboneáis
ellos/ellasborbonean

Imperfect (imperfecto)

yoborboneaba
borboneabas
él/ellaborboneaba
nosotrosborboneábamos
vosotrosborboneabais
ellos/ellasborboneaban

Preterite (pretérito)

yoborboneé
borboneaste
él/ellaborboneó
nosotrosborboneamos
vosotrosborboneasteis
ellos/ellasborbonearon

Future (futuro)

yoborbonearé
borbonearás
él/ellaborboneará
nosotrosborbonearemos
vosotrosborbonearéis
ellos/ellasborbonearán

Conditional (condicional)

yoborbonearía
borbonearías
él/ellaborbonearía
nosotrosborbonearíamos
vosotrosborbonearíais
ellos/ellasborbonearían

Subjunctive (subjuntivo)

yoborbonee
borbonees
él/ellaborbonee
nosotrosborboneemos
vosotrosborboneéis
ellos/ellasborboneen

Subjunctive imperfect (subjuntivo imperfecto)

yoborboneara
borbonearas
él/ellaborboneara
nosotrosborboneáramos
vosotrosborbonearais
ellos/ellasborbonearan

Imperative (imperativo)

borbonea
nosotrosborboneemos
vosotrosborbonead

Compound tenses

Pretérito perfecto compuesto

yohe borboneado
has borboneado
él/ellaha borboneado
nosotroshemos borboneado
vosotroshabéis borboneado
ellos/ellashan borboneado

Pretérito pluscuamperfecto

yohabía borboneado
habías borboneado
él/ellahabía borboneado
nosotroshabíamos borboneado
vosotroshabíais borboneado
ellos/ellashabían borboneado

Pretérito anterior

yohube borboneado
hubiste borboneado
él/ellahubo borboneado
nosotroshubimos borboneado
vosotroshubisteis borboneado
ellos/ellashubieron borboneado

Futuro compuesto

yohabré borboneado
habrás borboneado
él/ellahabrá borboneado
nosotroshabremos borboneado
vosotroshabréis borboneado
ellos/ellashabrán borboneado

Condicional compuesto

yohabría borboneado
habrías borboneado
él/ellahabría borboneado
nosotroshabríamos borboneado
vosotroshabríais borboneado
ellos/ellashabrían borboneado

Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo

yohaya borboneado
hayas borboneado
él/ellahaya borboneado
nosotroshayamos borboneado
vosotroshayáis borboneado
ellos/ellashayan borboneado

Pretérito pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo

yohubiera borboneado
hubieras borboneado
él/ellahubiera borboneado
nosotroshubiéramos borboneado
vosotroshubierais borboneado
ellos/ellashubieran borboneado

Other

Gerund (gerundio)

borboneando

Past participle (participio)

borboneado

Infinitive (infinitivo)

borbonear

Want to practice? Try a conjugation exercise.

Frequently asked questions

What does "borbonear" mean?

"borbonear" means "to unduly meddle and/or interfere in politics (action restricted to Alfonso XIII and, by extension, other Spanish Bourbon monarchs), often with the result of the fall from grace of a politician.".

How do you conjugate "borbonear" in the present tense?

The present (presente) of "borbonear" is: yo borboneo, tú borboneas, él/ella borbonea, nosotros borboneamos, vosotros borboneáis, ellos/ellas borbonean.

What is the Pretérito perfecto compuesto of "borbonear"?

The pretérito perfecto compuesto of "borbonear" is: yo he borboneado, tú has borboneado, él/ella ha borboneado, nosotros hemos borboneado, vosotros habéis borboneado, ellos/ellas han borboneado.

What is the Imperative (imperativo) of "borbonear"?

The imperative (imperativo) of "borbonear" is: tú borbonea, nosotros borboneemos, vosotros borbonead.