Apreciar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of apreciar — “to appreciate” 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 apreciar 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. Apreciar means to appreciate, and it covers appreciating a favour, appreciating art, appreciating a person's qualities and noticing a small detail, as in apreciar la diferencia. It is a polite verb of gratitude and of taste, common in letters and in careful speech. Apreciar 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: Aprecio tu ayuda en este proyecto.
Present tense conjugation table: apreciar
Every person of apreciar in the present tense. The gerund is apreciando and the past participle is apreciado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aprecio |
| tú | aprecias |
| él/ella/Ud. | aprecia |
| nosotros/as | apreciamos |
| vosotros/as | apreciáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aprecian |
How the present of apreciar is formed
The present of apreciar is built from the stem apreci- 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 | aprecio |
| tú | -as | aprecias |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | aprecia |
| nosotros/as | -amos | apreciamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | apreciáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | aprecian |
For apreciar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem apreci- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with apreciar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo aprecio tu ayuda en este proyecto. — I appreciate your help with this project.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella aprecia la diferencia entre los dos vinos. — He appreciates the difference between the two wines.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as apreciamos el arte moderno del museo. — Right now, We appreciate the modern art in the museum.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú aprecias a mis amigos de verdad. — Tomorrow, You appreciate my true friends.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella aprecia tu ayuda en este proyecto. — He appreciates your help with this project.
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 apreciar.
- Yo aprecio tu ayuda en este proyecto. — I appreciate your help with this project. / Ayer, Yo aprecié tu ayuda en este proyecto. — Yesterday, I appreciated your help with this project.
- Yo aprecio la diferencia entre los dos vinos. — I appreciate the difference between the two wines. / Ayer, Yo aprecié la diferencia entre los dos vinos. — Yesterday, I appreciated the difference between the two wines.
- Yo aprecio el arte moderno del museo. — I appreciate the modern art in the museum. / Ayer, Yo aprecié el arte moderno del museo. — Yesterday, I appreciated the modern art in the museum.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with apreciar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo aprecio tu ayuda en este proyecto. — I appreciate your help with this project.
- Tú aprecias la diferencia entre los dos vinos. — You appreciate the difference between the two wines.
- Él/Ella aprecia el arte moderno del museo. — He appreciates the modern art in the museum.
- Nosotros/as apreciamos a mis amigos de verdad. — We appreciate my true friends.
- Vosotros/as apreciáis tu ayuda en este proyecto. — You appreciate your help with this project.
- Ellos/as aprecian la diferencia entre los dos vinos. — They appreciate the difference between the two wines.
- Yo aprecio el arte moderno del museo. — I appreciate the modern art in the museum.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo aprecia tu ayuda en este proyecto. — Right: Yo aprecio tu ayuda en este proyecto. — The person matters: aprecia is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aprecio.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo aprecio la diferencia entre los dos vinos. — Right: Ayer, yo aprecié la diferencia entre los dos vinos. — With ayer, use the preterite (aprecié), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using apreciar where valorar belongs. — Right: Apreciar means to appreciate, while valorar means to value something or someone. — Check the meaning before you choose: apreciar fits Aprecio tu ayuda en este proyecto.
- Wrong: Espero que él aprecia la diferencia entre los dos vinos. — Right: Espero que él aprecie la diferencia entre los dos vinos. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: aprecie, not the present indicative aprecia.
Quiz: the present tense of apreciar
Eight questions on the present tense of apreciar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ tu ayuda en este proyecto. (present tense, yo) A. aprecio B. aprecias C. aprecia D. apreciamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ la diferencia entre los dos vinos. (present tense, tú) A. aprecio B. aprecia C. apreciamos D. aprecias
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ el arte moderno del museo. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. aprecias B. apreciamos C. aprecia D. aprecio
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ a mis amigos de verdad. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. aprecia B. apreciamos C. aprecio D. aprecias
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ tu ayuda en este proyecto. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. apreciáis B. aprecio C. aprecias D. aprecia
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ la diferencia entre los dos vinos. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. aprecio B. aprecias C. aprecia D. aprecian
Which is the gerund of apreciar? A. aprecio B. aprecié C. apreciando D. apreciado
Which is the past participle of apreciar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. aprecié B. apreciado C. apreciando D. aprecio
Answer key
- aprecio — The yo present form of apreciar is aprecio.
- aprecias — The tú present form of apreciar is aprecias.
- aprecia — The él/ella/Ud. present form of apreciar is aprecia.
- apreciamos — The nosotros/as present form of apreciar is apreciamos.
- apreciáis — The vosotros/as present form of apreciar is apreciáis.
- aprecian — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of apreciar is aprecian.
- apreciando — The gerund of apreciar is apreciando: estoy apreciando.
- apreciado — The past participle of apreciar is apreciado: he apreciado, has apreciado, ha apreciado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of apreciar formed?
Take the infinitive apreciar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem apreci-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of apreciar is fully regular: the stem apreci- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of apreciar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Aprecio tu ayuda en este proyecto.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of apreciar?
The present (aprecio) and the preterite (aprecié) 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 apreciar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of apreciar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the apreciar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Apreciar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for apreciar.
- Apreciar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for apreciar.
- 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.