Aprovechar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of aprovechar — “to take advantage of” 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 aprovechar 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. Aprovechar means to take advantage of, and it is used for making the most of an opportunity, an offer, free time or good weather: you take advantage of a sale, of a holiday, of a chance to learn. It is a positive verb of seizing the moment, and it is very frequent in everyday Spanish. Aprovechar 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: Aprovecho la oferta del supermercado.
Present tense conjugation table: aprovechar
Every person of aprovechar in the present tense. The gerund is aprovechando and the past participle is aprovechado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aprovecho |
| tú | aprovechas |
| él/ella/Ud. | aprovecha |
| nosotros/as | aprovechamos |
| vosotros/as | aprovecháis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | aprovechan |
How the present of aprovechar is formed
The present of aprovechar is built from the stem aprovech- 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 | aprovecho |
| tú | -as | aprovechas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | aprovecha |
| nosotros/as | -amos | aprovechamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | aprovecháis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | aprovechan |
For aprovechar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem aprovech- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with aprovechar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo aprovecho la oferta del supermercado. — I take advantage of the supermarket offer.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella aprovecha el tiempo libre para leer. — He takes advantage of free time to read.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as aprovechamos la oportunidad de viajar. — Right now, We take advantage of the chance to travel.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú aprovechas el buen tiempo del fin de semana. — Tomorrow, You take advantage of the good weather at the weekend.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella aprovecha la oferta del supermercado. — He takes advantage of the supermarket offer.
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 aprovechar.
- Yo aprovecho la oferta del supermercado. — I take advantage of the supermarket offer. / Ayer, Yo aproveché la oferta del supermercado. — Yesterday, I took advantage of the supermarket offer.
- Yo aprovecho el tiempo libre para leer. — I take advantage of free time to read. / Ayer, Yo aproveché el tiempo libre para leer. — Yesterday, I took advantage of free time to read.
- Yo aprovecho la oportunidad de viajar. — I take advantage of the chance to travel. / Ayer, Yo aproveché la oportunidad de viajar. — Yesterday, I took advantage of the chance to travel.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with aprovechar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo aprovecho la oferta del supermercado. — I take advantage of the supermarket offer.
- Tú aprovechas el tiempo libre para leer. — You take advantage of free time to read.
- Él/Ella aprovecha la oportunidad de viajar. — He takes advantage of the chance to travel.
- Nosotros/as aprovechamos el buen tiempo del fin de semana. — We take advantage of the good weather at the weekend.
- Vosotros/as aprovecháis la oferta del supermercado. — You take advantage of the supermarket offer.
- Ellos/as aprovechan el tiempo libre para leer. — They take advantage of free time to read.
- Yo aprovecho la oportunidad de viajar. — I take advantage of the chance to travel.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo aprovecha la oferta del supermercado. — Right: Yo aprovecho la oferta del supermercado. — The person matters: aprovecha is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is aprovecho.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo aprovecho el tiempo libre para leer. — Right: Ayer, yo aproveché el tiempo libre para leer. — With ayer, use the preterite (aproveché), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using aprovechar where disfrutar belongs. — Right: Aprovechar means to take advantage of, while disfrutar means to enjoy something. — Check the meaning before you choose: aprovechar fits Aprovecho la oferta del supermercado.
- Wrong: Espero que él aprovecha el tiempo libre para leer. — Right: Espero que él aproveche el tiempo libre para leer. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: aproveche, not the present indicative aprovecha.
Quiz: the present tense of aprovechar
Eight questions on the present tense of aprovechar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la oferta del supermercado. (present tense, yo) A. aprovecho B. aprovechas C. aprovecha D. aprovechamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ el tiempo libre para leer. (present tense, tú) A. aprovecho B. aprovecha C. aprovechamos D. aprovechas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ la oportunidad de viajar. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. aprovechas B. aprovechamos C. aprovecha D. aprovecho
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ el buen tiempo del fin de semana. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. aprovecha B. aprovechamos C. aprovecho D. aprovechas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ la oferta del supermercado. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. aprovecháis B. aprovecho C. aprovechas D. aprovecha
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ el tiempo libre para leer. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. aprovecho B. aprovechas C. aprovecha D. aprovechan
Which is the gerund of aprovechar? A. aprovecho B. aproveché C. aprovechando D. aprovechado
Which is the past participle of aprovechar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. aproveché B. aprovechado C. aprovechando D. aprovecho
Answer key
- aprovecho — The yo present form of aprovechar is aprovecho.
- aprovechas — The tú present form of aprovechar is aprovechas.
- aprovecha — The él/ella/Ud. present form of aprovechar is aprovecha.
- aprovechamos — The nosotros/as present form of aprovechar is aprovechamos.
- aprovecháis — The vosotros/as present form of aprovechar is aprovecháis.
- aprovechan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of aprovechar is aprovechan.
- aprovechando — The gerund of aprovechar is aprovechando: estoy aprovechando.
- aprovechado — The past participle of aprovechar is aprovechado: he aprovechado, has aprovechado, ha aprovechado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of aprovechar formed?
Take the infinitive aprovechar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem aprovech-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of aprovechar is fully regular: the stem aprovech- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of aprovechar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Aprovecho la oferta del supermercado.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of aprovechar?
The present (aprovecho) and the preterite (aproveché) 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 aprovechar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of aprovechar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the aprovechar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Aprovechar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for aprovechar.
- Aprovechar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for aprovechar.
- 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.