Colaborar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of colaborar — “to collaborate” 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 colaborar 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. Colaborar means to collaborate, and it is used for working together on a project, helping a charity, writing for a magazine and working with colleagues. It takes con for the partner and en for the project, as in colaborar con el equipo en el proyecto. Colaborar 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: Colaboro con el equipo en el proyecto.
Present tense conjugation table: colaborar
Every person of colaborar in the present tense. The gerund is colaborando and the past participle is colaborado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | colaboro |
| tú | colaboras |
| él/ella/Ud. | colabora |
| nosotros/as | colaboramos |
| vosotros/as | colaboráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colaboran |
How the present of colaborar is formed
The present of colaborar is built from the stem colabor- 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 | colaboro |
| tú | -as | colaboras |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | colabora |
| nosotros/as | -amos | colaboramos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | colaboráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | colaboran |
For colaborar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem colabor- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with colaborar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo colaboro con el equipo en el proyecto. — I collaborate with the team on the project.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella colabora con la Cruz Roja. — He collaborates with the Red Cross.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as colaboramos en la revista del barrio. — Right now, We collaborate in the neighbourhood magazine.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú colaboras con mis compañeros. — Tomorrow, You collaborate with my colleagues.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella colabora con el equipo en el proyecto. — He collaborates with the team on the 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 colaborar.
- Yo colaboro con el equipo en el proyecto. — I collaborate with the team on the project. / Ayer, Yo colaboré con el equipo en el proyecto. — Yesterday, I collaborated with the team on the project.
- Yo colaboro con la Cruz Roja. — I collaborate with the Red Cross. / Ayer, Yo colaboré con la Cruz Roja. — Yesterday, I collaborated with the Red Cross.
- Yo colaboro en la revista del barrio. — I collaborate in the neighbourhood magazine. / Ayer, Yo colaboré en la revista del barrio. — Yesterday, I collaborated in the neighbourhood magazine.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with colaborar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo colaboro con el equipo en el proyecto. — I collaborate with the team on the project.
- Tú colaboras con la Cruz Roja. — You collaborate with the Red Cross.
- Él/Ella colabora en la revista del barrio. — He collaborates in the neighbourhood magazine.
- Nosotros/as colaboramos con mis compañeros. — We collaborate with my colleagues.
- Vosotros/as colaboráis con el equipo en el proyecto. — You collaborate with the team on the project.
- Ellos/as colaboran con la Cruz Roja. — They collaborate with the Red Cross.
- Yo colaboro en la revista del barrio. — I collaborate in the neighbourhood magazine.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo colabora con el equipo en el proyecto. — Right: Yo colaboro con el equipo en el proyecto. — The person matters: colabora is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is colaboro.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo colaboro con la Cruz Roja. — Right: Ayer, yo colaboré con la Cruz Roja. — With ayer, use the preterite (colaboré), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using colaborar where cooperar belongs. — Right: Colaborar means to collaborate, while cooperar means to cooperate with someone. — Check the meaning before you choose: colaborar fits Colaboro con el equipo en el proyecto.
- Wrong: Espero que él colabora con la Cruz Roja. — Right: Espero que él colabore con la Cruz Roja. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: colabore, not the present indicative colabora.
Quiz: the present tense of colaborar
Eight questions on the present tense of colaborar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con el equipo en el proyecto. (present tense, yo) A. colaboro B. colaboras C. colabora D. colaboramos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ con la Cruz Roja. (present tense, tú) A. colaboro B. colabora C. colaboramos D. colaboras
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ en la revista del barrio. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. colaboras B. colaboramos C. colabora D. colaboro
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ con mis compañeros. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. colabora B. colaboramos C. colaboro D. colaboras
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ con el equipo en el proyecto. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. colaboráis B. colaboro C. colaboras D. colabora
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ con la Cruz Roja. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. colaboro B. colaboras C. colabora D. colaboran
Which is the gerund of colaborar? A. colaboro B. colaboré C. colaborando D. colaborado
Which is the past participle of colaborar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. colaboré B. colaborado C. colaborando D. colaboro
Answer key
- colaboro — The yo present form of colaborar is colaboro.
- colaboras — The tú present form of colaborar is colaboras.
- colabora — The él/ella/Ud. present form of colaborar is colabora.
- colaboramos — The nosotros/as present form of colaborar is colaboramos.
- colaboráis — The vosotros/as present form of colaborar is colaboráis.
- colaboran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of colaborar is colaboran.
- colaborando — The gerund of colaborar is colaborando: estoy colaborando.
- colaborado — The past participle of colaborar is colaborado: he colaborado, has colaborado, ha colaborado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of colaborar formed?
Take the infinitive colaborar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem colabor-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of colaborar is fully regular: the stem colabor- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of colaborar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Colaboro con el equipo en el proyecto.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of colaborar?
The present (colaboro) and the preterite (colaboré) 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 colaborar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of colaborar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the colaborar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Colaborar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for colaborar.
- Colaborar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for colaborar.
- 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.