Aguardar in the Present Tense

Aguardar means “to wait for”, and this page covers exactly one thing: aguardar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about routines, facts and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for aguardar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about aguardar in the present. For example: “Yo aguardo el tren en la estación.” — I wait for the train at the station. Everything on this page uses the forms of aguardar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Aguardar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo aguardo
tú aguardas
él/ella/Ud. aguarda
nosotros/as aguardamos
vosotros/as aguardáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. aguardan

Gerund: aguardando · Past participle: aguardado

The gerund is aguardando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy aguardando” means the action of aguardar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is aguardado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he aguardado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how aguardar is used.

How the present of aguardar is formed

Aguardar is regular in the present tense. Take the stem aguard and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving aguardo, aguardas, aguarda, aguardamos, aguardáis, aguardan. Watch the accents: the yo form is aguardo and the él/ella/Ud. form is aguarda.

When to use the present of aguardar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use aguardar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present tense is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the right choice, and aguardar is no exception. Example: “Yo aguardo el tren en la estación todos los días.” — I wait for the train at the station every day.

2. Facts and general truths

The present states facts that are true in general, not just right now. Use it to say what aguardar means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Aguarda la respuesta del jefe.” — He/she waits for the boss's reply.

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes actions in progress at this very moment. When something is happening as you speak, the present tense says so directly. Example: “Yo aguardo a su amigo en la puerta ahora.” — I wait for his friend at the door now.

4. Scheduled events in the near future

Spanish often uses the present for things that are already arranged, such as plans for tomorrow or next week. The present sounds more certain than the future in these cases. Example: “Nosotros aguardamos el momento adecuado.” — We wait for the right moment.

5. Instructions and everyday speech

In everyday speech the present gives instructions, makes offers and states what someone does. It is the tense you will hear most often in conversation. Example: “Tú aguardas el tren en la estación.” — You wait for the train at the station.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present describes routines, facts and what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo aguardo el tren en la estación todos los días.” — I wait for the train at the station every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo aguardé el tren en la estación.” — Yesterday, I waited for the train at the station.

  • The present sentence describes a habit; the preterite sentence reports one finished action. Todos los días points to the present, ayer points to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Él aguarda la respuesta del jefe cada semana.” — He/she waits for the boss's reply every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él aguardó la respuesta del jefe.” — Last week, he waited for the boss's reply.

  • Cada semana describes a routine, so the present is right; la semana pasada names one finished week, so the preterite is right.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros aguardamos a su amigo en la puerta a menudo.” — We wait for his friend at the door often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros aguardamos a su amigo en la puerta.” — Yesterday, we waited for his friend at the door.

  • The present sentence counts no single event; the preterite sentence counts one finished action. That difference — habit versus finished event — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: aguardar in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Aguardo el tren en la estación.” — I wait for the train at the station.

  2. “Aguardas la respuesta del jefe.” — You wait for the boss's reply.

  3. “Aguarda a su amigo en la puerta.” — He/she waits for his friend at the door.

  4. “Aguardamos el momento adecuado.” — We wait for the right moment.

  5. “Aguardáis el tren en la estación.” — You wait for the train at the station.

  6. “Aguardan la respuesta del jefe.” — They wait for the boss's reply.

  7. “Aguardo a su amigo en la puerta.” — I wait for his friend at the door.

  8. “Aguarda el momento adecuado.” — He/she waits for the right moment.

Common mistakes with aguardar in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Ellos aguarda el tren en la estación.” Right: “Ellos aguardan el tren en la estación.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form aguardan. The singular aguarda belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Yo aguardo la respuesta del jefe ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo aguardé la respuesta del jefe.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to aguardé.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros aguardas a su amigo en la puerta.” Right: “Nosotros aguardamos a su amigo en la puerta.” Why: Nosotros needs aguardamos. The tú form aguardas belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos aguardo el momento adecuado todos los días.” Right: “Ellos aguardan el momento adecuado todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form aguardan, not the yo form aguardo. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.

Quiz: aguardar in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ el tren en la estación.” (The train at the station.)

  • (a) aguardo
  • (b) aguardas
  • (c) aguarda

Answer: aguardo — The yo form of aguardar in the present is aguardo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ la respuesta del jefe?” (The boss's reply.)

  • (a) aguardo
  • (b) aguarda
  • (c) aguardas

Answer: aguardas — The tú form of aguardar in the present is aguardas. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ a su amigo en la puerta.” (His friend at the door.)

  • (a) aguardas
  • (b) aguarda
  • (c) aguardo

Answer: aguarda — The él/ella/Ud. form of aguardar in the present is aguarda. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ el momento adecuado.” (The right moment.)

  • (a) aguardamos
  • (b) aguardo
  • (c) aguardas

Answer: aguardamos — The nosotros/as form of aguardar in the present is aguardamos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

5. What is the vosotros/as form of aguardar in the present?

  • (a) aguardo
  • (b) aguardas
  • (c) aguardáis

Answer: aguardáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes aguardáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros aguardáis el tren en la estación.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ la respuesta del jefe.” (The boss's reply.)

  • (a) aguardas
  • (b) aguardan
  • (c) aguardo

Answer: aguardan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of aguardar in the present is aguardan. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

7. Which is the correct yo form of aguardar in the present?

  • (a) aguardo
  • (b) aguardas
  • (c) aguarda

Answer: aguardo — The yo form is aguardo. The other two options are the forms for other persons.

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo aguardé el tren en la estación todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros aguardaremos el tren en la estación mañana.
  • (c) Yo aguardo el tren en la estación todos los días.

Answer: Yo aguardo el tren en la estación todos los días. — “Yo aguardo el tren en la estación todos los días.” describes a habit, so it takes the present. The second option reports a finished action in the past, and the third looks to the future.

Frequently asked questions

Is aguardar regular in the present?

Yes. Aguardar is regular in the present: aguardo, aguardas, aguarda, aguardamos, aguardáis, aguardan. Watch the accents on the yo and él forms, and remember that only context tells the nosotros form apart from the present-tense nosotros form when they are identical.

What is the past participle of aguardar?

The past participle is aguardado: 'He aguardado' means 'I have waited for'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is aguardando.

Does aguardar take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Aguardar takes a direct object with no preposition: aguardo el tren, not aguardo por el tren. In the examples on this page, aguardar appears with complements such as el tren en la estación and la respuesta del jefe, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of aguardar?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo aguardo, tú aguardas, él/ella/Ud. aguarda, nosotros/as aguardamos, vosotros/as aguardáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. aguardan. Then write three of your own sentences with aguardar in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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