Arrastrar in the Present Tense

Arrastrar means “to drag”, and this page covers exactly one thing: arrastrar 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 arrastrar, 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 arrastrar in the present. For example: “Yo arrastro la maleta por el aeropuerto.” — I drag the suitcase through the airport. Everything on this page uses the forms of arrastrar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Arrastrar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo arrastro
tú arrastras
él/ella/Ud. arrastra
nosotros/as arrastramos
vosotros/as arrastráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. arrastran

Gerund: arrastrando · Past participle: arrastrado

The gerund is arrastrando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy arrastrando” means the action of arrastrar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is arrastrado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he arrastrado” 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 arrastrar is used.

How the present of arrastrar is formed

Arrastrar is regular in the present tense. Take the stem arrastr and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving arrastro, arrastras, arrastra, arrastramos, arrastráis, arrastran. Watch the accents: the yo form is arrastro and the él/ella/Ud. form is arrastra.

When to use the present of arrastrar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use arrastrar 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 arrastrar is no exception. Example: “Yo arrastro la maleta por el aeropuerto todos los días.” — I drag the suitcase through the airport 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 arrastrar means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Arrastra la silla hasta la ventana.” — He/she drags the chair to the window.

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 arrastro los pies de cansancio ahora.” — I drag my feet with tiredness 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 arrastramos el sofá a la otra habitación.” — We drag the sofa to the other room.

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 arrastras la maleta por el aeropuerto.” — You drag the suitcase through the airport.

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 arrastro la maleta por el aeropuerto todos los días.” — I drag the suitcase through the airport every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo arrastré la maleta por el aeropuerto.” — Yesterday, I dragged the suitcase through the airport.

  • 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 arrastra la silla hasta la ventana cada semana.” — He/she drags the chair to the window every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él arrastró la silla hasta la ventana.” — Last week, he dragged the chair to the window.

  • 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 arrastramos los pies de cansancio a menudo.” — We drag my feet with tiredness often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros arrastramos los pies de cansancio.” — Yesterday, we dragged my feet with tiredness.

  • 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: arrastrar 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. “Arrastro la maleta por el aeropuerto.” — I drag the suitcase through the airport.

  2. “Arrastras la silla hasta la ventana.” — You drag the chair to the window.

  3. “Arrastra los pies de cansancio.” — He/she drags my feet with tiredness.

  4. “Arrastramos el sofá a la otra habitación.” — We drag the sofa to the other room.

  5. “Arrastráis la maleta por el aeropuerto.” — You drag the suitcase through the airport.

  6. “Arrastran la silla hasta la ventana.” — They drag the chair to the window.

  7. “Arrastro los pies de cansancio.” — I drag my feet with tiredness.

  8. “Arrastra el sofá a la otra habitación.” — He/she drags the sofa to the other room.

Common mistakes with arrastrar 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 arrastra la maleta por el aeropuerto.” Right: “Ellos arrastran la maleta por el aeropuerto.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form arrastran. The singular arrastra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Yo arrastro la silla hasta la ventana ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo arrastré la silla hasta la ventana.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to arrastré.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros arrastras los pies de cansancio.” Right: “Nosotros arrastramos los pies de cansancio.” Why: Nosotros needs arrastramos. The tú form arrastras belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos arrastro el sofá a la otra habitación todos los días.” Right: “Ellos arrastran el sofá a la otra habitación todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form arrastran, not the yo form arrastro. 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: arrastrar 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 ______ la maleta por el aeropuerto.” (The suitcase through the airport.)

  • (a) arrastro
  • (b) arrastras
  • (c) arrastra

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

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ la silla hasta la ventana?” (The chair to the window.)

  • (a) arrastro
  • (b) arrastra
  • (c) arrastras

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

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ los pies de cansancio.” (My feet with tiredness.)

  • (a) arrastras
  • (b) arrastra
  • (c) arrastro

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

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ el sofá a la otra habitación.” (The sofa to the other room.)

  • (a) arrastramos
  • (b) arrastro
  • (c) arrastras

Answer: arrastramos — The nosotros/as form of arrastrar in the present is arrastramos. 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 arrastrar in the present?

  • (a) arrastro
  • (b) arrastras
  • (c) arrastráis

Answer: arrastráis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes arrastráis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros arrastráis la maleta por el aeropuerto.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ la silla hasta la ventana.” (The chair to the window.)

  • (a) arrastras
  • (b) arrastran
  • (c) arrastro

Answer: arrastran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of arrastrar in the present is arrastran. 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 arrastrar in the present?

  • (a) arrastro
  • (b) arrastras
  • (c) arrastra

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

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo arrastré la maleta por el aeropuerto todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros arrastraremos la maleta por el aeropuerto mañana.
  • (c) Yo arrastro la maleta por el aeropuerto todos los días.

Answer: Yo arrastro la maleta por el aeropuerto todos los días. — “Yo arrastro la maleta por el aeropuerto 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 arrastrar regular in the present?

Yes. Arrastrar is regular in the present: arrastro, arrastras, arrastra, arrastramos, arrastráis, arrastran. 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 arrastrar?

The past participle is arrastrado: 'He arrastrado' means 'I have dragged'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is arrastrando.

Does arrastrar take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Arrastrar is fully regular: arrastré, arrastraba, arrastraré. Arrastrar los pies means to drag your feet. In the examples on this page, arrastrar appears with complements such as la maleta por el aeropuerto and la silla hasta la ventana, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of arrastrar?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo arrastro, tú arrastras, él/ella/Ud. arrastra, nosotros/as arrastramos, vosotros/as arrastráis, ellos/ellas/Uds. arrastran. Then write three of your own sentences with arrastrar in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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