The Simple Present Tense: Spanish Indicative

The present indicative tense is a foundational component of the Spanish language, allowing you to express actions and states in the present moment. It serves as a vital tool for describing ongoing events, stating facts, and expressing general truths. 

This article will explore the intricacies of the Spanish present indicative tense, examining its formation, usage, common irregularities, and providing practical examples to help you master this essential aspect of Spanish grammar.

In this article we will cover: 

• When to use the simple present tense
• Conjugations 
• Practice time 

When to use the Simple Present Tense

The simple present indicative in Spanish is used in several situations:

• Normal activities and routines
• General truths
• Near future events
• If clauses
• Ordering

Normal activities or routines

Similar to English, we use the present indicative in Spanish to talk about habitual actions or habits. 

For example:

• We go to the park every weekend 
  Nosotros vamos al parque cada fin de semana 

• I wash my hair every 3 days 
  Yo me lavo  el cabello cada 3 días 

• My brother always watch videos before going to bed 
  Mi hermano siempre ve vídeos antes de ir a la cama

General truths 

Also similar to English, we use the present indicative to talk about general truths. 

For example: 

• The speed of light is faster than the speed of sound 
  La velocidad de la luz es más rápida que la velocidad del sonido 

• When it rains, everything gets wet 
  Cuando llueve, todo se moja 

• The sun comes out every day 
  El sol sale todos los días

Near future events

Yes, it can sound a little weird to use simple present indicative when we are talking about the near future but this is quite common in Spanish. 

For example:

• I’m going to your house tomorrow 
  Mañana voy a tu casa 

• I pay the insurance next week 
  Yo pago el seguro el próximo mes 

• We travel to mexico tomorrow
  Nosotros viajamos a México mañana

If clauses 

We use the present simple indicative, paired up with the if clause to talk about hypothetical situations and outcomes. 

For example:

• If it rains, I won’t go to the party 
  Si llueve, no voy a la fiesta 

• If I fail the test, I can’t go out 
  Si pierdo el examen, no puedo salir 

• If I arrive late, the teacher don’t let me in 
  Si llego tarde, el maestro no me deja entrar 

Ordering 

There are multiple ways of ordering in a restaurant or a club. We use simple present indicative to do so. 

For example: 

• I want a hamburger, please
  Yo quiero una hamburguesa, por favor 

• Can you bring me a glass of water?
  ¿Me trae un vaso con agua?

• I want some chicken wings, please
  Yo quiero alitas de pollo, por favor 

Conjugations 

Ok, now that you know what we use the simple present for, here’s how to conjugate verbs in this tense. 

Regular verbs 

Here is the conjugation chart for regular verbs:

Subject pronoun	-ar  (Trabajar)	-er  (Comer)	-ir  (vivir)
Yo	Trabajo	Como	Vivo
Tú	Trabajas	Comes	Vives
Él/Ella/usted	Trabaja	Come	Vive
Ellos/ellas/ustedes	Trabajan	Comen	Viven
Nosotros/nosotras	Trabajamos	Comemos	Vivimos

For example: 

• We work in latin america 
  Nosotros trabajamos en Latinoamérica 

• I never eat pork 
  Yo nunca como carne de cerdo 

• My father lives in Europe 
  Mi padre vive en Europa 

Stem changing verbs 

The following verbs are the most common stem changing verbs in the present indicative. 

• Decir – to say
• Dormir – to sleep
• Querer – to want
• Jugar – play

Subject pronoun	Decir	Dormir	Querer	Jugar
Yo	Digo	Duermo	Quiero	Juego
Tú	Dices	Duermes	Quieres	Juegas
Él/Ella/usted	Dice	Duerme	Quiere	Juega
Ellos/ellas/ustedes	Dicen	Duermen	Quieren	Juegan
Nosotros/nosotras	Decimos	Dormimos	Queremos	Jugamos

For example: 

• I always dream about you 
  Yo siempre sueño contigo 

• They always play in the dirt
  Ellos siempre juegan en la tierra 

• My parents want some biscuits 
  Mis padres quieren algunos postres 

The Spanish present indicative tense is a fundamental aspect of Spanish grammar, enabling you to describe ongoing actions, state facts, express habits, and provide vivid descriptions. 

By understanding its formation, usage, and common irregularities, you can effectively communicate in the present tense and navigate everyday conversations with confidence. 

So, embrace the power of the present and unlock new opportunities for effective communication in the Spanish language.

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Practice time 

A. Fill in the blanks with the right verb conjugations:

1. Daniela studies a lot
   Daniela ________ (estudiar) mucho 

2. Christopher columbus arrive to america in 1492
   Cristobal Colon ________ (llegar) a América en 1492

3. My boyfriend sleeps all day
   Mi novio _______ (dormir) todo el día

4. I normally dream about bugs
   Yo normalmente __________ (soñar) con insectos 

5. My husband and I always buy gifts for my nephews
   Mi esposo y yo siempre __________ (comprar) regalos para mis sobrinos 

6. My grandma believes in ghosts
   Mi abuela ________ (creer) en fantasmas 

7. My mom buys everything she sees
   Mi mamá _________ (buys) everything she sees 

8. The baby walks really fast
   El bebé ______ (caminar) muy bien 

B. Conjugate the following verbs according to the subject pronoun:

1. Ella (Caminar) _________
2. Nosotros (Construir) _________
3. Ustedes (Cocinar) _______
4. Yo (tener) ________
5. Mi madre (hacer) ______
6. Mis hermanos (escribir) _________
7. Usted (hablar) __________
8. TÚ (bailar) _________

Answers

A. Fill in the blanks with the right verb conjugations:

1. Daniela studies a lot
   Daniela estudia (estudiar) mucho 

2. Christopher columbus arrive to america in 1492
   Cristóbal Colón llega (llegar) a América en 1492

3. My boyfriend sleeps all day
   Mi novio duerme (dormir) todo el día

4. I normally dream about bugs
   Yo normalmente sueño (soñar) con insectos 

5. My husband and I always buy gifts for my nephews
   Mi esposo y yo siempre compramos (comprar) regalos para mis sobrinos 

6. My grandma believes in ghosts
   Mi abuela cree (creer) en fantasmas 

7. My mom buys everything she sees
   Mi mamá compra (buys) todo lo que ve

8. The baby walks really fast
   El bebé camina (caminar) muy rápido

B. Conjugate the following verbs according to the subject pronoun:

1. Ella (Caminar) camina

2. Nosotros (Construir) construimos 

3. Ustedes (Cocinar) cocinan

4. Yo (tener) tengo 

5. Mi madre (hacer) hace

6. Mis hermanos (escribir) escriben 

7. Usted (hablar) habla 

Tú (bailar) bailas