Apelar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of apelar — “to appeal” 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 apelar 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. Apelar means to appeal, and it is used in law for appealing against a sentence and in everyday life for appealing to someone's kindness, common sense or generosity. It takes a for the person appealed to and contra for the decision appealed against. Apelar is a regular -ar verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Apelo la sentencia del juez.
Present tense conjugation table: apelar
Every person of apelar in the present tense. The gerund is apelando and the past participle is apelado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | apelo |
| tú | apelas |
| él/ella/Ud. | apela |
| nosotros/as | apelamos |
| vosotros/as | apeláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | apelan |
How the present of apelar is formed
The present of apelar is built from the stem apel- 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 | apelo |
| tú | -as | apelas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | apela |
| nosotros/as | -amos | apelamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | apeláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | apelan |
For apelar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem apel- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with apelar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo apelo la sentencia del juez. — I appeal the judge's sentence.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella apela a su buen corazón. — He appeals to his kind heart.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as apelamos la decisión ante el tribunal. — Right now, We appeal the decision before the court.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú apelas al sentido común. — Tomorrow, You appeal to common sense.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella apela la sentencia del juez. — He appeals the judge's sentence.
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 apelar.
- Yo apelo la sentencia del juez. — I appeal the judge's sentence. / Ayer, Yo apelé la sentencia del juez. — Yesterday, I appealed the judge's sentence.
- Yo apelo a su buen corazón. — I appeal to his kind heart. / Ayer, Yo apelé a su buen corazón. — Yesterday, I appealed to his kind heart.
- Yo apelo la decisión ante el tribunal. — I appeal the decision before the court. / Ayer, Yo apelé la decisión ante el tribunal. — Yesterday, I appealed the decision before the court.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with apelar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo apelo la sentencia del juez. — I appeal the judge's sentence.
- Tú apelas a su buen corazón. — You appeal to his kind heart.
- Él/Ella apela la decisión ante el tribunal. — He appeals the decision before the court.
- Nosotros/as apelamos al sentido común. — We appeal to common sense.
- Vosotros/as apeláis la sentencia del juez. — You appeal the judge's sentence.
- Ellos/as apelan a su buen corazón. — They appeal to his kind heart.
- Yo apelo la decisión ante el tribunal. — I appeal the decision before the court.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo apela la sentencia del juez. — Right: Yo apelo la sentencia del juez. — The person matters: apela is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is apelo.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo apelo a su buen corazón. — Right: Ayer, yo apelé a su buen corazón. — With ayer, use the preterite (apelé), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using apelar where recurrir belongs. — Right: Apelar means to appeal, while recurrir means to appeal to a higher court or authority. — Check the meaning before you choose: apelar fits Apelo la sentencia del juez.
- Wrong: Espero que él apela a su buen corazón. — Right: Espero que él apele a su buen corazón. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: apele, not the present indicative apela.
Quiz: the present tense of apelar
Eight questions on the present tense of apelar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la sentencia del juez. (present tense, yo) A. apelo B. apelas C. apela D. apelamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ a su buen corazón. (present tense, tú) A. apelo B. apela C. apelamos D. apelas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ la decisión ante el tribunal. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. apelas B. apelamos C. apela D. apelo
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ al sentido común. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. apela B. apelamos C. apelo D. apelas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ la sentencia del juez. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. apeláis B. apelo C. apelas D. apela
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ a su buen corazón. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. apelo B. apelas C. apela D. apelan
Which is the gerund of apelar? A. apelo B. apelé C. apelando D. apelado
Which is the past participle of apelar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. apelé B. apelado C. apelando D. apelo
Answer key
- apelo — The yo present form of apelar is apelo.
- apelas — The tú present form of apelar is apelas.
- apela — The él/ella/Ud. present form of apelar is apela.
- apelamos — The nosotros/as present form of apelar is apelamos.
- apeláis — The vosotros/as present form of apelar is apeláis.
- apelan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of apelar is apelan.
- apelando — The gerund of apelar is apelando: estoy apelando.
- apelado — The past participle of apelar is apelado: he apelado, has apelado, ha apelado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of apelar formed?
Take the infinitive apelar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem apel-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of apelar is fully regular: the stem apel- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of apelar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Apelo la sentencia del juez.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of apelar?
The present (apelo) and the preterite (apelé) 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 apelar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of apelar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the apelar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Apelar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for apelar.
- Apelar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for apelar.
- 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.