Ahorrar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of ahorrar — "to save (money)" 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 ahorrar 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. Ahorrar means "to save" — money, time, energy, water. It is the verb for putting something aside instead of spending it: ahorras dinero cada mes, you save money every month; ahorras agua, you save water. It is also used for sparing someone trouble (ahorrar un disgusto). It is a fully regular -ar verb, and its present tense is the everyday language of budgets, shopping and good habits. Note the double r: ahorrar, ahorro, ahorras — learners often write it with one r. To see it in a real sentence: Yo ahorro cien euros al mes. — "I save one hundred euros a month.".
Present tense conjugation table: ahorrar
Every person of ahorrar in the present tense. The gerund is ahorrando and the past participle is ahorrado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ahorro |
| tú | ahorras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ahorra |
| nosotros/as | ahorramos |
| vosotros/as | ahorráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ahorran |
How the present indicative of ahorrar is formed
The present indicative of ahorrar is built from the stem ahorr- 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 | ahorro |
| tú | -as | ahorras |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | ahorra |
| nosotros/as | -amos | ahorramos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | ahorráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | ahorran |
Because ahorrar is a regular -ar verb, there are no surprises in the present indicative: the stem ahorr- never changes, and every person takes its normal ending. The only spelling detail to watch is the written accent on the vosotros form, ahorráis, which carries an accent on the vowel of the ending. Learn the six endings once and you can conjugate any regular -ar verb the same way.
The gerund of ahorrar is ahorrando and the past participle is ahorrado. 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 ahorrar
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and ahorrar 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.
Saving money regularly
The present describes a saving habit — every month, every week.
"Yo ahorro cien euros al mes." — "I save one hundred euros a month."
Saving time
Ahorrar tiempo is a fixed expression for saving time.
"Tú ahorras tiempo con el tren." — "You save time with the train."
Saving water and energy
The present states a household habit of saving resources.
"Nosotros ahorramos agua en casa." — "We save water at home."
Saving for something
Ahorrar para + noun or infinitive names the goal of the saving.
"Mi hijo ahorra para un coche." — "My son saves for a car."
Saving effort
Ahorrar esfuerzo means to spare yourself unnecessary work.
"Ellos ahorran esfuerzo con esta máquina." — "They save effort with this machine."
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 ahorro para las vacaciones. — "I save for the holidays."
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Yo ahorré para las vacaciones. — 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 ahorras mucho con las ofertas. — "You save a lot with the offers."
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Tú ahorrabas mucho con las ofertas. — 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 ahorra desde joven. — "My father has saved since he was young."
- Future — what will happen: Mi padre ahorrará desde joven. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: ahorrar in the present tense
Seven sentences that show ahorrar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo ahorro para las vacaciones. — "I save for the holidays."
- Tú ahorras mucho con las ofertas. — "You save a lot with the offers."
- Mi padre ahorra desde joven. — "My father has saved since he was young."
- Nosotros ahorramos electricidad con luces LED. — "We save electricity with LED lights."
- Vosotros ahorráis poco porque gastáis mucho. — "You save little because you spend a lot."
- Ellos ahorran para la universidad de sus hijos. — "They save for their children's university."
- Ella ahorra cada euro que gana. — "She saves every euro she earns."
Common mistakes with ahorrar in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with ahorrar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ *Yo ahorro dinero (written with one r: *ahoro).
✓ Correct: Yo ahorro cien euros al mes.
Ahorrar has a double r in every form: ahorro, ahorras, ahorra. One r is a spelling error.
✗ *Yo ahorro a las vacaciones.
✓ Correct: Yo ahorro para las vacaciones.
The goal of saving takes para: ahorrar para las vacaciones, never ahorrar a las vacaciones.
✗ *Vosotros ahorráis poco (written without the accent: ahorrais).
✓ Correct: Vosotros ahorráis poco porque gastáis mucho.
Ahorráis needs the written accent on the á.
✗ *Nosotros ahorramos a agua en casa.
✓ Correct: Nosotros ahorramos agua en casa.
Water is a thing: ahorrar agua, with no a before it.
Quiz: ahorrar in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of ahorrar. 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 ahorrar for tú?
- a) ahorras
- b) ahorran
- c) ahorra
- d) ahorro
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ para las vacaciones. — "I save for the holidays."
- a) ahorras
- b) ahorran
- c) ahorré
- d) ahorro
3. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ tiempo con el tren. — "You save time with the train."
- a) ahorra
- b) ahorramos
- c) ahorras
- d) ahorraste
4. Which is the correct present tense form of ahorrar for nosotros?
- a) ahorramos
- b) ahorras
- c) ahorran
- d) ahorro
5. Which sentence uses ahorrar correctly in the present tense?
- a) Mi padre ahorra desde joven.
- b) Mi padre ahorras desde joven.
- c) Mi padre ahorró desde joven.
6. Which is the correct present tense form of ahorrar for vosotros?
- a) ahorras
- b) ahorráis
- c) ahorro
- d) ahorra
7. Complete the sentence: Mi hijo ______ para un coche. — "My son saves for a car."
- a) ahorro
- b) ahorra
- c) ahorró
- d) ahorran
8. What is the gerund of ahorrar?
- a) ahorramos
- b) ahorrando
- c) ahorrado
- d) ahorro
Answer key
a) ahorras — The tú form is ahorras. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; ahorro is yo, ahorra is él/ella and ahorran is ellos/ellas.
d) ahorro — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: ahorro. The other options are the wrong person or the wrong tense.
c) ahorras — The subject is tú, so the present form is ahorras.
a) ahorramos — Nosotros takes ahorramos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem ahorr-.
a) Mi padre ahorra desde joven. — Mi padre ahorra desde joven. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
b) ahorráis — Vosotros takes ahorráis. Remember the written accent on the ending — it is part of the correct spelling.
b) ahorra — The subject is él/ella/Ud., so the present form is ahorra.
b) ahorrando — The gerund is ahorrando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle ahorrado.
Frequently asked questions
Is ahorrar regular in the present tense?
Yes. ahorrar is a regular -ar verb, so its present tense follows the standard endings exactly: ahorro, ahorras, ahorra, ahorramos, ahorráis and ahorran.
What is the gerund and the past participle of ahorrar?
The gerund is ahorrando and the past participle is ahorrado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say "I to save (money)" in Spanish?
Say ahorro. For example: Yo ahorro para las vacaciones. — "I save for the holidays.".
What is the difference between ahorrar and gastar?
ahorrar means "to save (money)", while gastar means "to spend". They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use ahorrar when you mean "to save (money)" and gastar when you mean "to spend". The full conjugation of gastar is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of ahorrar — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- ahorrar 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.