Abarcar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of abarcar — “to cover, to encompass” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for abarcar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Abarcar means to cover or to encompass, and it is used for things that stretch over a space, a period or a subject: a bridge covers a river, a book covers a whole century, a law covers every worker. It also means to take in with the arms or with the eyes, as in abarcar con la mirada. It is a wide, general verb for scope and coverage. Abarcar is a spelling-changing verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Abarco toda la historia del siglo.
Present tense conjugation table: abarcar
Every person of abarcar in the present tense. The gerund is abarcando and the past participle is abarcado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | abarco |
| tú | abarcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | abarca |
| nosotros/as | abarcamos |
| vosotros/as | abarcáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | abarcan |
How the present of abarcar is formed
The present of abarcar is built from the stem abarc- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | abarco |
| tú | -as | abarcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | abarca |
| nosotros/as | -amos | abarcamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | abarcáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | abarcan |
For abarcar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem abarc- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with abarcar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo abarco toda la historia del siglo. — I cover the whole history of the century.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella abarca desde el río hasta la montaña. — He covers from the river to the mountain.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as abarcamos muchos temas en un solo libro. — Right now, We cover many topics in a single book.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú abarcas toda la ciudad con la mirada. — Tomorrow, You cover the whole city with one look.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella abarca toda la historia del siglo. — He covers the whole history of the century.
The present vs the preterite
The present and the preterite answer different questions: the present says what happens regularly or right now, while the preterite says what happened once and finished. Compare the same idea in both tenses with abarcar.
- Yo abarco toda la historia del siglo. — I cover the whole history of the century. / Ayer, Yo abarqué toda la historia del siglo. — Yesterday, I covered the whole history of the century.
- Yo abarco desde el río hasta la montaña. — I cover from the river to the mountain. / Ayer, Yo abarqué desde el río hasta la montaña. — Yesterday, I covered from the river to the mountain.
- Yo abarco muchos temas en un solo libro. — I cover many topics in a single book. / Ayer, Yo abarqué muchos temas en un solo libro. — Yesterday, I covered many topics in a single book.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with abarcar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo abarco toda la historia del siglo. — I cover the whole history of the century.
- Tú abarcas desde el río hasta la montaña. — You cover from the river to the mountain.
- Él/Ella abarca muchos temas en un solo libro. — He covers many topics in a single book.
- Nosotros/as abarcamos toda la ciudad con la mirada. — We cover the whole city with one look.
- Vosotros/as abarcáis toda la historia del siglo. — You cover the whole history of the century.
- Ellos/as abarcan desde el río hasta la montaña. — They cover from the river to the mountain.
- Yo abarco muchos temas en un solo libro. — I cover many topics in a single book.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo abarca toda la historia del siglo. — Right: Yo abarco toda la historia del siglo. — The person matters: abarca is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is abarco.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo abarco desde el río hasta la montaña. — Right: Ayer, yo abarqué desde el río hasta la montaña. — With ayer, use the preterite (abarqué), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using abarcar where cubrir belongs. — Right: Abarcar means to cover, to encompass, while cubrir means to cover something physically. — Check the meaning before you choose: abarcar fits Abarco toda la historia del siglo.
- Wrong: Espero que él abarca desde el río hasta la montaña. — Right: Espero que él abarque desde el río hasta la montaña. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: abarque, not the present indicative abarca.
Quiz: the present tense of abarcar
Eight questions on the present tense of abarcar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ toda la historia del siglo. (present tense, yo) A. abarco B. abarcas C. abarca D. abarcamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ desde el río hasta la montaña. (present tense, tú) A. abarco B. abarca C. abarcamos D. abarcas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ muchos temas en un solo libro. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. abarcas B. abarcamos C. abarca D. abarco
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ toda la ciudad con la mirada. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. abarca B. abarcamos C. abarco D. abarcas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ toda la historia del siglo. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. abarcáis B. abarco C. abarcas D. abarca
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ desde el río hasta la montaña. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. abarco B. abarcas C. abarca D. abarcan
Which is the gerund of abarcar? A. abarco B. abarqué C. abarcando D. abarcado
Which is the past participle of abarcar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. abarqué B. abarcado C. abarcando D. abarco
Answer key
- abarco — The yo present form of abarcar is abarco.
- abarcas — The tú present form of abarcar is abarcas.
- abarca — The él/ella/Ud. present form of abarcar is abarca.
- abarcamos — The nosotros/as present form of abarcar is abarcamos.
- abarcáis — The vosotros/as present form of abarcar is abarcáis.
- abarcan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of abarcar is abarcan.
- abarcando — The gerund of abarcar is abarcando: estoy abarcando.
- abarcado — The past participle of abarcar is abarcado: he abarcado, has abarcado, ha abarcado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of abarcar formed?
Take the infinitive abarcar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem abarc-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of abarcar is fully regular: the stem abarc- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of abarcar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Abarco toda la historia del siglo.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of abarcar?
The present (abarco) and the preterite (abarqué) answer different questions: the present is for habits and for right now, while the preterite is for one finished action. Compare them in the contrast section above.
How do I practise the present of abarcar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of abarcar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the abarcar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Abarcar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for abarcar.
- Abarcar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for abarcar.
- Spanish present tense guide — when and how to use the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Present-Tense Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in the present tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.