LoginPresent Tense For Intermediate learners
What is the Present Tense?
The Spanish present tense (el presente) expresses actions happening now, habitual actions, general truths, or near-future events.
Conjugation
Spanish verbs in the present tense change their endings depending on the subject. The table below shows how the present simple conjugation works for the three types of verbs in Spanish based on the infinitive form ending. Keep in mind that "vosotros" and its verb conjugation is only used in Spain, and Latin American Spanish uses the "ustedes" form in all contexts:
-ar verbs | -er verbs | -ir verbs | |
|---|---|---|---|
yo | -o | -o | -o |
tú | -as | -es | -es |
él/ella/usted | -a | -e | -e |
nosotros/as | -amos | -emos | -imos |
vosotros/as | -áis | -éis | -ís |
ellos/ellas/ustedes | -an | -en | -en |
Here are example conjugations for each verb type:
hablar → hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, habláis, hablan
comer → como, comes, come, comemos, coméis, comen
vivir → vivo, vives, vive, vivimos, vivís, viven
Take a look at some example sentences:
Hablo español.
I speak Spanish.
El sol sale por el este.
The sun rises in the east
Trabajamos todos los días.
We work every day.
Viven aquí.
They live here.
Irregular verbs
Some of the very commonly-used verbs in Spanish do not follow the regular conjugation pattern and have special forms in the present tense. These include:
Ser | Ir | Tener | |
|---|---|---|---|
yo | soy | voy | tengo |
tú | eres | vas | tienes |
él/ella/usted | es | va | tiene |
nosotros/as | somos | vamos | tenemos |
vosotros/as | sois | vais | tenéis |
ellos/ellas/ustedes | son | van | tienen |
There are also verbs which have irregular forms only for the first-person singular, including:
caer → caigo
conocer → conozco
dar → doy
hacer → hago
poner → pongo
saber → sé
traducir → traduzco
salir → salgo
Negation
To negate verbs in the present tense, we add the negative marker "no" before the verb or the object/reflexive pronoun if there is one. For example:
Trabajo todos los días. → No trabajo todos los días.
I work everyday. → I don't work everyday.
Te necesitamos. → No te necesitamos.
We need you. → We don't need you.
When there is an object or reflexive pronoun before the verb, "no" cannot separate it from the verb and appears before the pronoun.
Usage
The present indicative is used to talk about:
Current actions: Describes what is happening now.
Leo un libro.
I'm reading a book.
Habits: Expresses repeated or usual actions.
Desayuno a las ocho.
I eat breakfast at eight.
General facts: States truths or permanent conditions.
El agua hierve a 100 grados.
Water boils at 100 degrees.
Near future: Used for actions that will happen soon, often with a time marker.
Esta noche salgo con mis amigos.
Tonight I'm going out with my friends.
Ongoing situations from the past: Indicates something that began before and still continues. Often used with "desde" or "hace".
Trabajo aquí desde 2015.
I've worked here since 2015.
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