Present tense Spanish expresses actions that happen now or generally happen. Studying the patterns that form el presente (the present) is a good starting place for beginner learners, or for Spanish speakers who can communicate with lots of vocabulary and phrases but have never studied grammar.
When you can use the Spanish present tenses, you can create your own unique sentences, express your personal thoughts, give and receive information about the current moment or universally true things, and build on your knowledge to master the other tenses. While it’s a great place to start, you’ll always return to the present tense in Spanish even as you master other tenses.
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What are the present tenses in Spanish?
To communicate using verbs, Spanish speakers use different modos (moods) and tiempos verbales (tenses). The ending for each conjugated verb form tells you the person doing the action, whether the action is past, present, or future, and the speaker’s attitude toward the action. Mastering the Spanish verb tenses is an important communication goal.
There are several Spanish present tenses, each with its own nuance and emphasis.
| Spanish Tense | When To Use | Example |
| presente de indicativo (simple present tense, indicative mood) | For actions that happen now or in the very near future, or happen routinely; declared as reality. | Mi madre trabaja en su oficina. = My mother works/is working in her office. |
| presente progresivo de indicativo (present progressive/continuous, indicative mood) | To emphasize that an action is ongoing in the present moment. | Mi madre está trabajando. = My mother is working. (emphasis that it’s currently happening) |
| presente de subjunctivo (simple present tense, subjunctive mood) | To cast the speaker’s attitude on a present or potential action, such as a judgement, doubt, or hope. | Es bueno que mi madre trabaje en su oficina. = It’s good that my mother works in her office. |
| el imperativo (present tense, imperative mood) | To command someone to do or not do an action. | ¡Trabaja en tu oficina! = Work in your office! |
When to use the presente de indicativo (simple present indicative)
You’ll use el presente indicativo (the present indicative mood) to state facts and declare information the speaker believes is true, including in questions. The focus in the present timeframe is an action which happens now, close to the present moment, things that happen generally or routinely, or universal truths.
- Trabajo hoy y mañana. = I work today and tomorrow.
- Mi vecina trabaja a menudo en su jardín. = My neighbor often works in her yard.
- Bogotá es la capital de Colombia. = Bogotá is the capital of Colombia.
Present tense Spanish verbs can also communicate past events in a historical sense, or in casual narrations.
- Gabriel García Márquez nace en 1927. = Gabriel García Márquez is born in 1927.
- Ayer mi primo viene y me dice… = Yesterday, my cousin comes and says to me…
Key differences between English and Spanish present tense
In English the helping verbs “do” and “don’t” are not employed in Spanish questions or answers.
- ¿Quieres una manzana? = Do you want an apple?
While we must include the subject in English, Spanish speakers routinely drop the subject pronoun.
- Hablo árabe, pero estudio inglés. = I speak Arabic, but I study English.
Making negatives usually involves putting no in front of the conjugated verb. This can be the opposite word order from English.
- Tengo un abrigo, pero no tengo un sombrero. = I have a coat, but I don’t have a hat.
- Yo no soy alumno.= I am not a student.
Forming the presente de indicativo (present indicative)
In Spanish grammar, conjugating regular verbs in the present tense involves a process that you’ll follow with other patterns and tenses as well. This example shows the process of saying “I speak.”
- Choose the correct infinitive (main form of the verb): hablar (to talk/to speak)
- Remove the -AR, -ER, or -IR ending from the infinitive. What remains is the stem: habl-
- Add the appropriate ending that matches the subject (person doing the action). Add the ending -o to make it hablo, meaning “I speak”
The present tense conjugation in Spanish has a lot of variety, so my best advice is to start with the regular verb endings for -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs, and some of the most common irregular Spanish verbs like ser/estar (to be), tener (to have), and ir (to go).
As you participate in conversations and Spanish reading practice, you’ll soon encounter verbs with slight differences, such as the stem-changing verb poder (to be able to), and hacer (to do/to make) which has an irregular yo form.
Methods like Rosetta Stone’s Dynamic Immersion focus on how to learn Spanish from authentic contexts, so you’ll see the present tense in Spanish as it would naturally appear. Stem-changing verbs will sound correct to your ear and easily remind you of rules and patterns.
Regular verbs in the present indicative
A lot of what you’ll need to say in everyday Spanish conversations will use regular verb patterns. If you can master the endings for present tense in Spanish, you’ll know how to form the present tense of many of the most common verbs in the Spanish language
- ¿Cuándo trabaja usted? = When doyou work?
- Trabajo por la tarde. = I work in the afternoon.
- ¿Dónde viven ustedes? = Where do you live?
- Vivimos en Roma. = We live in Rome.
Regular present tense verb endings
| Spanish Subject Pronoun | -AR Verb Endings | -ER Verb Endings | -IR Verb Endings |
| yo I | -o | -o | -o |
| tú you (informal) | -as | -es | -es |
| él/ella he/she usted you (formal) | -a | -e | -e |
| nosotros we | -amos | -emos | -imos |
| vosotros you all (informal – Spain) | -áis | -éis | -ís |
| ellos/ellas they ustedes you all | -an | -en | -en |
Irregular verbs in the present indicative
These irregular present tense verbs in Spanish not only have their own unique forms, but they are very common, so it’s worth learning their patterns. Two of them, ser and estar mean “to be” but are used for different purposes. These verbs are useful in some of your first Spanish conversations.
- ¿De dónde son ustedes? = Where are you from?
- Somos de China. = We are from China.
- ¿Cómo estás? = How are you?
- Estoy enferma. = I’m sick.
- ¿Cuándo van a la playa? = When are you going to the beach?
- Nosotros vamos en febrero. = We go in February.
| Spanish Subject Pronoun | serto be | estarto be | irto go |
| yo I | soy | estoy | voy |
| tú you (informal) | eres | estás | vas |
| él/ella he/she usted you (formal) | es | está | va |
| nosotros we | somos | estamos | vamos |
| vosotros you all (informal – Spain) | sois | estáis | vais |
| ellos/ellas they ustedes you all | son | están | van |
Stem-change verbs in the present indicative
Some verbs will follow the same pattern as regular verbs, but will also have a spelling change in the stem (the part of the verb left after removing -AR, -ER, or -IR). This spelling change does not occur in the nosotros or vosotros forms of the verbs. You’ll use stem-change verbs often.
The verbs preferir (to prefer), querer (to want) and poder (to be able to) are all common stem-changers.
- ¿Qué color de camiseta prefieres? = What color shirt do you prefer?
- Prefiero la camiseta verde. = I prefer the green shirt.
- ¿Quieren la cuenta? = Do you want the bill?
- Sí, queremos la cuenta. = Yes, we want the bill.
- ¿Me puede oír? = Canyou hear me?
- Sí, puedo. = Yes, I can.
Remember that you will continue to use the correct present tense endings according to the verb type (-AR, -ER, -IR).
Regular present tense verb endings
| Spanish Subject Pronoun | Pensar (e>ie)to think | Poder (o>ue)to be able | Pedir (e>i)to ask for |
| yo I | pienso | puedo | pido |
| tú you (informal) | piensas | puedes | pides |
| él/ella he/she usted you (formal) | piensa | puede | pide |
| nosotros we | pensamos | podemos | pedimos |
| vosotros you all (informal – Spain) | pensáis | podéis | pedís |
| ellos/ellas they ustedes you all | piensan | pueden | piden |
How do you tell whether a verb has a stem-change? Fortunately, you’ll hear common stem-change verbs quite often and it will sound correct to you. But for unfamiliar verbs you can reference them in a good Spanish-English dictionary which has conjugation charts and example sentences.
Bonus tip: If a verb has two “e”s in the stem, like preferir (to prefer), you always change the one closest to the ending.
Common stem-change verbs in the present indicative
| Spanish | English | Él/Ella Form |
| cerrar (e>ie) | to close | cierra |
| comenzar (e>ie) | to begin/to start | comienza |
| costar (o>ue) | to cost | cuesta |
| dormir (o>ue) | to sleep | duerme |
| jugar (u>ue) | to play | juega |
| morir (o>ue) | to die | muere |
| perder (e>ie) | to lose | pierde |
| preferir (e>ie) | to prefer | prefiere |
| querer (e>ie) | to want | quiere |
| seguir (e>i) | to follow | sigue |
Verbs with irregular yo forms in the present indicative
These present tense verbs in Spanish follow regular present tense Spanish patterns except for the yo form of the verb. A great example is the conjugation of hacer. Two of them, saber and conocer both translate to “to know” in English, but one is used for facts, and the other for familiarity.
- ¿Sabes si él va a venir al museo? = Do you know if he’s going to come to the museum?
- No, no sé si él va a venir. = No, I don’t know if it’s going to come.
- ¿Conoces a mi esposa Julia? = Do you know my wife Julia?
- No, no la conozco. Me llamo Alejandro. = No, I don’t know her. My name is Alejandro.
Verbs with irregular yo forms
| Spanish Subject Pronoun | hacerto do/to make | conocerto be familiar with | escogerto choose |
| yo I | hago | conozco | escojo |
| tú you (informal) | haces | conoces | escoges |
| él/ella he/she usted you (formal) | hace | conoce | escoge |
| nosotros we | hacemos | conocemos | escogemos |
| vosotros you all (informal – Spain) | hacéis | conocéis | escogéis |
| ellos/ellas they ustedes you all | hacen | conocen | escogen |
There are some present tense verbs in Spanish that have both a stem-change and an irregular yo form, like in the verb tener. You’ve probably already used forms of tener a lot in basic Spanish conversation to describe things you have, some feelings, and your age.
- ¿Cuántos años tienes? = How old are you? (How many years do you have?)
- Tengo nueve años. = I’m nine. (I have nine years.)
- ¿Tienes hambre? = Are you hungry? (Do you have hunger?)
- No. No tengo hambre. = No, I’m not hungry. (No, I don’t have hunger).
Common verbs with irregular yo forms in the present indicative
| Spanish | English | Yo Form |
| conducir | to drive | conduzco |
| conocer | to know/to be familiar with | conozco |
| hacer | to do/to make | hago |
| poner | to put | pongo |
| saber | to know facts/how to | sé |
| salir | to leave | salgo |
| tener (e-ie) | to have | tengo |
| traducir | to translate | traduzco |
| traer | to bring | traigo |
| venir (e-ie) | to come | vengo |
The presente progresivo (present progressive) emphasizes the current moment
If you wish to draw even more attention to an action that is currently happening at this moment, or even in a mindfulness practice where you’re focusing on the present moment, you can use the presente progresivo de indicativo (present progressive), also known as the presente continuo (present continuous).This translates to the “-ing” form of the verb in English, known as the gerundio (gerund).
- ¡Perdón por llegar tarde! ¿Están trabajando todavía? = Sorry for arriving late? Are you still working?
- Sí, estamos trabajando todavía. = Yes, we are still working.
- ¿Qué estás haciendo? = What are you doing?
- Estoy escribiendo. = I am writing.
- ¿Estás durmiendo? = Are you sleeping?
- Estoy leyendo. = I’m reading.
To form this structure, use the present tense conjugation of estar and add the gerundio of the main action verb.
- For -AR verbs, remove “-ar” and add “-ando.”
- For -ER and -IR verbs, remove “-er/-ir” and add “-iendo.”
A few gerunds have spelling changes. These are some of the more common ones you’ll encounter.
| Spanish Infinitive | English Meaning | Gerund With Spell Change |
| decir | to say | diciendo |
| dormir | to sleep | durmiendo |
| ir | to go | yendo |
| leer | to read | leyendo |
| pedir | to ask for | pidiendo |
| servir | to serve | sirviendo |
| traer | to bring | trayendo |
One key difference is that while in English we can discuss preferences by saying “I like swimming,” most of the time Spanish speakers will use the infinitive instead.
- Me gusta nadar. = I like to swim. (I like swimming).
Only use the present progressive when you want to emphasize that an action is occurring right now. English speakers use this structure far more often than Spanish speakers do, since the simple present can mean the same thing.
- Nado. = I am swimming./I swim.
El presente de subjuntivo (the present subjunctive) for beginners
Have you ever seen a verb ending that looked very different from what you’d expect in the present tense? The Spanish present tense subjunctive mood is a very common way for Spanish-speakers to change the nuance of the verb in the sentence, even though most of the time they are usually translated the same way in English as the Spanish present indicative.
- Dudo que podamos jugar al béisbol hoy. = I doubt that we can play baseball today.
- Espero que mis padres tengan otro hijo algún día. No me gusta ser hija única. = I hope that my parents have another child someday. I don’t like being an only child.
The reason for these differences is the modo (mood) has changed from the indicative to the subjunctive mood owing to the level of doubt that the speaker has. These future events are not guaranteed, from the speaker’s perspective.
Conjugating the presente de subjuntivo (present subjunctive)
Forming regular present subjunctive involves using the yo form of the verb in the present indicative, minus the “o.” Then, add these endings that seem “swapped” as compared to the present indicative.
Regular Present Subjunctive Endings
| Spanish Subject Pronoun | -AR Verb Endings | -ER and -IR Verb Endings |
| yo I | -e | -a |
| tú you (informal) | -es | -as |
| él/ella he/she usted you (formal) | -e | -a |
| nosotros we | -emos | -amos |
| vosotros you all (informal – Spain) | -éis | -áis |
| ellos/ellas they ustedes you all | -en | -an |
In this mood, the verb in the subjunctive carries a shade of meaning that makes it unclear if it’s true in reality. It could be someone’s attitude of disbelief or opinion, or it could be a request or recommendation that may or may not come true in the near future.
- No creo que tengas suficiente dinero. = I don’t believe you have enough money.
- Ella insiste que estudies. = She insists that you study.
- Es importante que los estudiantes me hagan caso. = It’s important that the students pay attention to me.
Notice the irregular changes to the forms of ir (to go), decir (to say/to tell), and ser (to be) in these sentences.
- Depende del tiempo. Quizás vaya a nadar más tarde. = It depends on the weather. Maybe I’m going to swim later.
- Es importante que nos diga la verdad. = It’s important that you tell us the truth.
- ¡No puedo creer que mi hermana ya sea madre y que yo sea tío! = I can’t believe that my sister is a mother and I’m an uncle!
El imperativo (the imperative) commands
Since you can’t go back and command something to have already happened in the past, the Spanish imperative mood is considered part of the present timeframe.
Like the other moods, there are both regular and irregular endings. There are also two kinds of commands:
- afirmativo (affirmative): telling someone to do something
- Come esto. = Eat this.
- negativo (negative): telling someone not to do something
- No comas esto. = Don’t eat this.
Since using the imperative is very direct, most beginners start with the tú forms since you’re most likely to use this with a friend, family member, or pet. It’s one very direct way to give advice.
The regular tú imperative uses the present tense third person (él/ella/usted) form:
- Ahorra tu dinero. = Save your money.
- Lee esta página. = Read this page.
- Duerme más de seis horas. = Sleep more than six hours.
There are eight irregular tú forms in the affirmative.
| Spanish Infinitive | Spanish Example | English Example |
| venir (to come) | Ven aquí. | Come here. |
| decir (to say/to tell) | Di la verdad. | Tell the truth. |
| salir (to go out) | Sal por la puerta izquierda. | Exit through the left door. |
| hacer (to do/to make) | Haz la tarea. | Do your homework. |
| tener (to have) | Ten cuidado. | Be careful. |
| ir (to go) | Ve a tu cuarto. | Go to your room. |
| poner (to put/to place) | Pon la mesa. | Set the table. |
| ser (to be) | Sé bueno. | Be good. |
The negative commands are related to the Spanish subjunctive. They are formed starting with the yo form of the present tense as the stem, and using the tú ending with the opposite vowel.
- No gastes todo tu dinero. = Don’t spend all your money.
- No bebas refrescos. = Don’t drink soda.
- No digas mentiras. = Don’t tell lies.
- No hagas ruido. = Don’t make noise.
- No seas así. = Don’t be like that.
Is the present perfect tense in Spanish really a present tense?
It’s a past tense, but it does have an effect on the present. The preterito perfecto compuesto (in English, “the present perfect”) is a past tense in Spanish that continues to influence the present moment. This tense says what “has” happened. Think of it like a bridge between the past and the present. The action begins in the past but continues to have an effect on the present.
- ¿Has visto la nueva película de Tom Hanks? = Have you seen the new Tom Hanks movie?
If you’ve seen the movie, that already happened in the past. But it’s still true in the present that you have seen it, so you can give your opinion of it. If you haven’t seen it, you didn’t see it in the past and you still haven’t seen it.
You can learn to form the present and past perfect tenses in both the indicative and subjunctive moods along with the other Spanish past tenses. Peninsular Spanish favors this structure in place of the simple preterite tense for recent past events.
Key takeaways for the Spanish present tense
The Spanish present tense is full of important concepts to learn as you study Spanish grammar. Mastering these concepts and skills is a springboard to the intermediate level of Spanish where you’ll be able to discuss past and future timeframes with ease.
- Start with regular verbs in the present indicative. Learn the patterns to conjugate -AR, -ER, and -IR verbs.
- Begin noticing the verbs that have slight changes in the stem, such as e>ie, o>ue, and e>i stem-changing verbs, or verbs that are irregular in the yo form only.
- Focus on the most common irregular verbs such as ser, estar, and ir. The verb estar will also help you form the present progressive tense, or “-ing” form.
- Pay attention to pattern differences that you see in authentic Spanish, as they might be related to the present tense subjunctive or imperative mood.
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