Adelgazar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of adelgazar — "to lose weight" 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 adelgazar 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. Adelgazar means "to lose weight" — and, as a transitive verb, "to make (something) thinner". It is the opposite of engordar, and the two are usually learned as a pair: engordas en Navidad, adelgazas en enero. The present tense is completely regular: adelgazo, adelgazas, adelgaza, adelgazamos, adelgazáis, adelgazan. The spelling change (z to c) appears only in the preterite yo form — adelgacé — to keep the soft c sound, so it never affects the present tense on this page. It is also used for clothes that make you look slimmer (este vestido adelgaza, this dress is slimming). To see it in a real sentence: Yo adelgazo con dieta y ejercicio. — "I lose weight with diet and exercise.".
Present tense conjugation table: adelgazar
Every person of adelgazar in the present tense. The gerund is adelgazando and the past participle is adelgazado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adelgazo |
| tú | adelgazas |
| él/ella/Ud. | adelgaza |
| nosotros/as | adelgazamos |
| vosotros/as | adelgazáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adelgazan |
How the present indicative of adelgazar is formed
The present indicative of adelgazar is built from the stem adelgaz- plus the present indicative 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 | adelgazo |
| tú | -as | adelgazas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | adelgaza |
| nosotros/as | -amos | adelgazamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | adelgazáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | adelgazan |
adelgazar is regular in the present indicative: the stem is adelgaz- and the endings are the normal -ar endings, giving adelgazo, adelgazas, adelgaza, adelgazamos, adelgazáis and adelgazan. The spelling change that learners associate with this verb — c to qu in adelgazar before e, or z to c — belongs to the preterite, not to the present tense, so it does not affect any form on this page. In the present, just use the plain stem and the regular endings, and watch the written accent on the vosotros form, adelgazáis.
The gerund of adelgazar is adelgazando and the past participle is adelgazado. Both are regular for this verb, and the participle is the form you need for all the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present tense of adelgazar
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and adelgazar appears in all of them. The five uses below are the ones you will meet most often, each with an example that shows the verb in a natural sentence.
Losing weight with a diet
The present describes weight loss happening now.
"Yo adelgazo con dieta y ejercicio." — "I lose weight with diet and exercise."
Losing a specific amount
Adelgazar + amount names how much weight is lost.
"Tú adelgazas dos kilos al mes." — "You lose two kilos a month."
Clothes being slimming
Este vestido adelgaza states a general fact about the garment.
"Este vestido adelgaza mucho." — "This dress is very slimming."
Losing weight slowly
The present describes a gradual process.
"Nosotros adelgazamos poco a poco." — "We lose weight little by little."
Losing weight after the holidays
The present states a seasonal pattern.
"Ellos adelgazan en enero." — "They lose weight in January."
The present tense vs the closest tenses
Present — habit or general fact vs Preterite — one finished occasion
The present describes a habit, a routine or a general fact — something that happens again and again or that is true in general. The preterite reports one finished occasion in the past. Use the present when the action repeats or is still true, and the preterite when you are telling what happened once, on a specific day.
- Present — habit or general fact: Yo adelgazo un kilo por semana. — "I lose one kilo a week."
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Yo adelgacé un kilo por semana. — the same idea, placed in the preterite.
Present — now vs Imperfect — a past habit or background
The present talks about now. The imperfect talks about the past as a background — a repeated habit, an ongoing situation, something that used to happen. If you can add "used to" in English, the imperfect is usually the right choice; if it is happening now or always, use the present.
- Present — now: Tú adelgazas muy rápido. — "You lose weight very fast."
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Tú adelgazabas muy rápido. — the same idea, placed in the imperfect.
Present — now or a fixed plan vs Future — what will happen
The present describes what happens now, what you do regularly, or a plan that is already fixed. The future describes what will happen later — a promise, a prediction, a plan that is not yet under way. Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans, but the future is the form for a clear statement about tomorrow.
- Present — now or a fixed plan: Mi padre adelgaza con la dieta. — "My father loses weight with the diet."
- Future — what will happen: Mi padre adelgazará con la dieta. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: adelgazar in the present tense
Seven sentences that show adelgazar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo adelgazo un kilo por semana. — "I lose one kilo a week."
- Tú adelgazas muy rápido. — "You lose weight very fast."
- Mi padre adelgaza con la dieta. — "My father loses weight with the diet."
- Nosotros adelgazamos haciendo deporte. — "We lose weight by doing sport."
- Vosotros adelgazáis en verano. — "You lose weight in summer."
- Ellos adelgazan con el gimnasio. — "They lose weight with the gym."
- El negro adelgaza mucho. — "Black is very slimming."
Common mistakes with adelgazar in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with adelgazar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ *Yo adelgazo a dos kilos al mes (adding a before the amount).
✓ Correct: Tú adelgazas dos kilos al mes.
The amount is a direct object with no preposition: adelgazar dos kilos, not adelgazar a dos kilos.
✗ *Tú adelgaces dos kilos al mes (using the subjunctive form as a present).
✓ Correct: Tú adelgazas dos kilos al mes.
Adelgaces is the present subjunctive. The present indicative for tú is adelgazas, with a z.
✗ *Vosotros adelgazáis en verano (written without the accent: adelgazais).
✓ Correct: Vosotros adelgazáis en verano.
Adelgazáis needs the written accent on the á.
✗ *Nosotros adelgazamos a haciendo deporte.
✓ Correct: Nosotros adelgazamos haciendo deporte.
The gerund follows directly: adelgazar haciendo deporte, with no preposition between them.
Quiz: adelgazar in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of adelgazar. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below — every answer is explained.
1. Which is the correct present tense form of adelgazar for tú?
- a) adelgazas
- b) adelgazo
- c) adelgaza
- d) adelgazan
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ un kilo por semana. — "I lose one kilo a week."
- a) adelgazo
- b) adelgazan
- c) adelgazas
- d) adelgacé
3. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ dos kilos al mes. — "You lose two kilos a month."
- a) adelgazaste
- b) adelgazas
- c) adelgaza
- d) adelgazamos
4. Which is the correct present tense form of adelgazar for nosotros?
- a) adelgazo
- b) adelgazas
- c) adelgazan
- d) adelgazamos
5. Which sentence uses adelgazar correctly in the present tense?
- a) Mi padre adelgazas con la dieta.
- b) Mi padre adelgazó con la dieta.
- c) Mi padre adelgaza con la dieta.
6. Which is the correct present tense form of adelgazar for vosotros?
- a) adelgazo
- b) adelgaza
- c) adelgazas
- d) adelgazáis
7. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ poco a poco. — "We lose weight little by little."
- a) adelgazamos
- b) adelgazan
- c) adelgazo
- d) adelgazamos
8. What is the gerund of adelgazar?
- a) adelgazado
- b) adelgazamos
- c) adelgazo
- d) adelgazando
Answer key
a) adelgazas — The tú form is adelgazas. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; adelgazo is yo, adelgaza is él/ella and adelgazan is ellos/ellas.
a) adelgazo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: adelgazo. The other options are the wrong person or the wrong tense.
b) adelgazas — The subject is tú, so the present form is adelgazas.
d) adelgazamos — Nosotros takes adelgazamos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem adelgaz-.
c) Mi padre adelgaza con la dieta. — Mi padre adelgaza con la dieta. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) adelgazáis — Vosotros takes adelgazáis. Remember the written accent on the ending — it is part of the correct spelling.
a) adelgazamos — The subject is nosotros/as, so the present form is adelgazamos.
d) adelgazando — The gerund is adelgazando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle adelgazado.
Frequently asked questions
Is adelgazar regular in the present tense?
Yes, in the present tense adelgazar follows the regular -ar endings. The spelling change associated with this verb belongs to the preterite, not to the present tense.
What is the gerund and the past participle of adelgazar?
The gerund is adelgazando and the past participle is adelgazado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say "I to lose weight" in Spanish?
Say adelgazo. For example: Yo adelgazo un kilo por semana. — "I lose one kilo a week.".
What is the difference between adelgazar and engordar?
adelgazar means "to lose weight", while engordar means "to gain weight". They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use adelgazar when you mean "to lose weight" and engordar when you mean "to gain weight". The full conjugation of engordar is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of adelgazar — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- adelgazar examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a longer quiz.
- Spanish Present tense guide — how the present tense works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.