Table of Contents |
|
| 1. Definition of Present Tense | |
| 2. Present perfect Tense or Presente Perfecto | |
| 3. Present Simple Tenses | |
| 4. Near Future Tenses | |
| 5. Additional Tips | |
The present tenses of the verbs categorically represent a fact that is happening in the current moment, in other words, it tells us about everything that is happening in the now. Their range of action is divided into three categories known in Spanish as "el ante-presente" or "presente perfecto" (present perfect), "el presente" or "presente simple" (present simple), and "el futuro próximo" (near future). Let's see what they consist of next.
The action represented in this section is of a recent nature with immediate effects and consequences in the present. We can informally say that it consists of events that preceded the present. A clear example of this are those expressed below:
| Pedro se ha enfermado, por eso no va a trabajar | Peter has fallen ill, so he is not going to work |
| Yo he estudiado | I have studied |
| Tu has estudiado | You have studied |
| El ha estudiado | He has studied |
| Eso ha estudiado | It has studied |
| Usted a estudiado | You have studied |
| Ellos han estudiado | They have studied |
| Ella ha terminado su comida | She has finished her food |
Presente simple (Present simple)
It simply speaks to us or indicates to us that mode of expression that relates an event that occurred at the current moment. It is important to note that the present simple represents one of the most commonly used verb tenses in any language, including Spanish, since it allows us to maintain a lively communication by reflecting the everyday life of people. Let's see how this develops in practice below.
| Solemos jugar fútbol. | We usually play soccer. |
| Mi tío pinta hoteles en su ciudad. | My uncle paints hotels in his city. |
| ¿Disfrutas mi presencia? | Do you enjoy my presence? |
| Mis mejores amigos son estos dos de mi derecha. | My best friends are these two on my right. |
| Lavo mis zapatos cada sábado. | I wash my shoes every Saturday. |
| Mis primos no son veganos. | My cousins are not vegan. |
| No tengas celos de Will, es solo un amigo. | Don't be jealous of Will, he's just a friend. |
| Hoy no juega Messi. | Today Messi doesn't play. |
Futuro próximo (near future)
When we want to transmit the idea of an action or event that will happen in an immediate or near instant, it is what is known as the "near future", a mode composed of the verb "ir" in the present tense, joined to the connective "a" and finally the main verb in the infinitive as shown below.
| Mañana va a ser un día de mucho sol para mi ciudad. | Tomorrow is going to be a very sunny day for my city. |
| Por la mañana voy a bailar zumba desde las 7:00 hasta las 9:00. | In the morning I will dance zumba from 7:00 to 9:00. |
| Voy a comer a las 10:00 un rico desayuno en el restaurante que hay al lado de mi oficina. | I will eat a delicious breakfast at 10:00 in the restaurant next to my office. |
| Voy a pedir que me traigan una pizza y un jugo tropical. | I will ask for a pizza and a tropical juice. |
| Voy a ir al médico porque él va a hacerme unos análisis de generales, presión arterial y hemoglobina. | I'm going to go to the doctor because he's going to do some general, blood pressure, and hemoglobin tests. |
| Más tarde voy a ir a una carrera de caballos. | Later I'm going to go to a horse race. |
| MI amigo David es un jinete muy famoso y va a competir mañana el hipódromo, yo voy a acompañarlo. | My friend David is a very famous rider and he's going to compete tomorrow at the racetrack, I'm going to accompany him. |
| Vamos a regresar a casa muy agotados si decides acompañarme en esta aventura. | We will return home very exhausted if you decide to join me in this adventure. |
| Conjugation of the verb "ir" in the present tense of Spanish: voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van. |
