Azotar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of azotar — “to whip, to lash” 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 azotar 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. Azotar means to whip or to lash, to hit with a whip, and also for wind and rain lashing a place. It is a fully regular verb used in history, weather and figurative speech. To see it in a real sentence: Azoto al caballo para que corra. — “I whip the horse to make it run.” Learn the six forms in the table below, and the present tense of azotar will be ready for everyday conversation.
Present tense conjugation table: azotar
Every person of azotar in the present tense. The gerund is azotando and the past participle is azotado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | azoto |
| tú | azotas |
| él/ella/Ud. | azota |
| nosotros/as | azotamos |
| vosotros/as | azotáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | azotan |
How the present indicative of azotar is formed
The present indicative of azotar is built from the stem 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 | azoto |
| tú | -as | azotas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | azota |
| nosotros/as | -amos | azotamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | azotáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | azotan |
Azotar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is azot- and the endings are the normal -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page.
The gerund of azotar is azotando and the past participle is azotado. 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 azotar
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and azotar 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.
Routines and habits
Use the present for things you do regularly, every day or every week. The present is the tense of routine, and azotar fits naturally into daily life.
“Yo azoto al caballo para que corra todos los días.” — “I whip the horse to make it run every day.”
General facts
Use the present for facts that are true in general, not just today. When you state how something is, the present is the tense to use.
“Él azota la costa con fuerza.” — “He/she whips the coast with force.”
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English uses the progressive, so azoto can mean both “I whip” and “I am whiping”.
“Ahora mismo, yo azoto al prisionero en la novela.” — “Right now, I whip the prisoner in the novel.”
Fixed plans in the near future
Use the present for a plan that is already fixed, such as something arranged for tomorrow. Spanish uses the present for near-future plans much more freely than English does.
“Mañana, yo azoto el barco con olas enormes.” — “Tomorrow, I will whip the ship with huge waves.”
Questions and negatives
Use the present to ask about habits and to say what does not happen. The question and the negative use exactly the same forms as the statement.
“¿Tú azotas al caballo para que corra?” — “Do you whip the horse to make it run?”
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: Azota la costa con fuerza. — “He/she whips the coast with force.”
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Azotó la costa con fuerza. — 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: Azotan al prisionero en la novela. — “They whip the prisoner in the novel.”
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Azotaban al prisionero en la novela. — 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: Azotas el barco con olas enormes. — “You whip the ship with huge waves.”
- Future — what will happen: Azotarás el barco con olas enormes. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: azotar in the present tense
Seven sentences that show azotar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo azoto al caballo para que corra. — “I whip the horse to make it run.”
- Tú azotas la costa con fuerza. — “You whip the coast with force.”
- Él azota al prisionero en la novela. — “He whips the prisoner in the novel.”
- Nosotros azotamos el barco con olas enormes. — “We whip the ship with huge waves.”
- Vosotros azotáis al caballo para que corra. — “You (plural) whip the horse to make it run.”
- Ellos azotan la costa con fuerza. — “They whip the coast with force.”
- ¿Tú azotas al prisionero en la novela? — “Do you whip the prisoner in the novel?”
Common mistakes with azotar in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with azotar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ Yo azotar al caballo para que corra. (using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form).
✓ Correct: Yo azoto al caballo para que corra.
The infinitive is not a conjugated form. With yo, the present tense of azotar is azoto, not the infinitive azotar.
✗ Vosotros azotais al caballo para que corra. (forgetting the accent on the vosotros form).
✓ Correct: Vosotros azotáis al caballo para que corra.
The vosotros present form carries a written accent: azotáis, not azotais. The accent marks the stressed vowel, and leaving it out is a spelling mistake.
✗ Ayer, yo azoto la costa con fuerza. (using the present for a finished past action).
✓ Correct: Ayer, yo azoté la costa con fuerza.
The present and the preterite are different tenses: azoto is happening now, while azoté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
✗ Treating azotar and golpear as identical in every context. (confusing azotar with golpear).
✓ Correct: Azotar means to whip, to lash, while golpear means to hit.
They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: azotar fits sentences such as Azoto al caballo para que corra, while golpear belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Quiz: azotar in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of azotar. 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 azotar for tú?
- a) azotas
- b) azoto
- c) azota
- d) azotan
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ al caballo para que corra. — “I whip the horse to make it run.”
- a) azota
- b) azotamos
- c) azotas
- d) azoto
3. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la costa con fuerza. — “He/she whips the coast with force.” (present tense)
- a) azotaba
- b) azotará
- c) azota
- d) azotó
4. Which is the correct present tense form of azotar for nosotros?
- a) azotan
- b) azotamos
- c) azoto
- d) azota
5. Which sentence uses azotar correctly in the present tense?
- a) Él azotó la costa con fuerza.
- b) Él azota la costa con fuerza.
- c) Él azotará la costa con fuerza.
- d) Ellos azota la costa con fuerza.
6. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ al prisionero en la novela. — “They whip the prisoner in the novel.”
- a) azoto
- b) azota
- c) azotamos
- d) azotan
7. Complete the question: ¿Tú ______ el barco con olas enormes? — “Do you whip the ship with huge waves?”
- a) azota
- b) azotarás
- c) azotas
- d) azoto
8. What is the gerund of azotar?
- a) azoté
- b) azotando
- c) azotado
- d) azoto
Answer key
a) azotas — The tú form is azotas. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; azoto is yo, azota is él/ella and azotan is ellos/ellas.
d) azoto — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: azoto. The other options are the wrong person.
c) azota — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: azota. The other options are the preterite, the imperfect and the future.
b) azotamos — Nosotros takes azotamos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem.
b) Él azota la costa con fuerza. — Él azota la costa con fuerza. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) azotan — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is azotan.
c) azotas — The question needs the tú form in the present: azotas.
b) azotando — The gerund is azotando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle azotado.
Frequently asked questions
Is azotar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Azotar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the forms follow the standard endings: azoto, azotas, azota, azotamos, azotáis and azotan.
What is the gerund and the past participle of azotar?
The gerund is azotando and the past participle is azotado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say “I whip” in Spanish?
Say azoto. For example: Azoto al caballo para que corra. — “I whip the horse to make it run.”
What is the difference between azotar and golpear?
Azotar means “to whip, to lash”, while golpear means “to hit”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use azotar when you mean “to whip, to lash” and golpear when you mean “to hit”. The full conjugation of azotar is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of azotar — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- azotar 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.
- Bromear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with azotar.
- Asimilar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with azotar.
- Asesorar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with azotar.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise this verb in the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on Spanish verbs.