Cometer Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of cometer — “to commit” 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 cometer 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. Cometer means to commit, and it is used for committing errors, crimes, offences and indiscretions: you commit a mistake in an exam, a serious crime, a spelling error, an imprudence at the wheel. It is a formal verb, and it almost always takes a negative object. Cometer is a regular -er verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Cometo un error en el examen.
Present tense conjugation table: cometer
Every person of cometer in the present tense. The gerund is cometiendo and the past participle is cometido.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cometo |
| tú | cometes |
| él/ella/Ud. | comete |
| nosotros/as | cometemos |
| vosotros/as | cometéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cometen |
How the present of cometer is formed
The present of cometer is built from the stem comet- plus the present endings for -er verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -er 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 | cometo |
| tú | -es | cometes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | comete |
| nosotros/as | -emos | cometemos |
| vosotros/as | -éis | cometéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | cometen |
For cometer there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem comet- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with cometer
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo cometo un error en el examen. — I commit a mistake in the exam.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella comete un delito grave. — He commits a serious crime.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as cometemos una falta de ortografía. — Right now, We commit a spelling mistake.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú cometes una imprudencia al volante. — Tomorrow, You commit an imprudence at the wheel.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella comete un error en el examen. — He commits a mistake in the exam.
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 cometer.
- Yo cometo un error en el examen. — I commit a mistake in the exam. / Ayer, Yo cometí un error en el examen. — Yesterday, I committed a mistake in the exam.
- Yo cometo un delito grave. — I commit a serious crime. / Ayer, Yo cometí un delito grave. — Yesterday, I committed a serious crime.
- Yo cometo una falta de ortografía. — I commit a spelling mistake. / Ayer, Yo cometí una falta de ortografía. — Yesterday, I committed a spelling mistake.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with cometer in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo cometo un error en el examen. — I commit a mistake in the exam.
- Tú cometes un delito grave. — You commit a serious crime.
- Él/Ella comete una falta de ortografía. — He commits a spelling mistake.
- Nosotros/as cometemos una imprudencia al volante. — We commit an imprudence at the wheel.
- Vosotros/as cometéis un error en el examen. — You commit a mistake in the exam.
- Ellos/as cometen un delito grave. — They commit a serious crime.
- Yo cometo una falta de ortografía. — I commit a spelling mistake.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo comete un error en el examen. — Right: Yo cometo un error en el examen. — The person matters: comete is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cometo.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo cometo un delito grave. — Right: Ayer, yo cometí un delito grave. — With ayer, use the preterite (cometí), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using cometer where realizar belongs. — Right: Cometer means to commit, while realizar means to carry out something. — Check the meaning before you choose: cometer fits Cometo un error en el examen.
- Wrong: Espero que él comete un delito grave. — Right: Espero que él cometa un delito grave. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: cometa, not the present indicative comete.
Quiz: the present tense of cometer
Eight questions on the present tense of cometer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un error en el examen. (present tense, yo) A. cometo B. cometes C. comete D. cometemos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ un delito grave. (present tense, tú) A. cometo B. comete C. cometemos D. cometes
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ una falta de ortografía. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. cometes B. cometemos C. comete D. cometo
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ una imprudencia al volante. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. comete B. cometemos C. cometo D. cometes
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ un error en el examen. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. cometéis B. cometo C. cometes D. comete
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ un delito grave. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. cometo B. cometes C. comete D. cometen
Which is the gerund of cometer? A. cometo B. cometí C. cometiendo D. cometido
Which is the past participle of cometer, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. cometí B. cometido C. cometiendo D. cometo
Answer key
- cometo — The yo present form of cometer is cometo.
- cometes — The tú present form of cometer is cometes.
- comete — The él/ella/Ud. present form of cometer is comete.
- cometemos — The nosotros/as present form of cometer is cometemos.
- cometéis — The vosotros/as present form of cometer is cometéis.
- cometen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of cometer is cometen.
- cometiendo — The gerund of cometer is cometiendo: estoy cometiendo.
- cometido — The past participle of cometer is cometido: he cometido, has cometido, ha cometido.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of cometer formed?
Take the infinitive cometer, drop the -er ending to get the stem comet-, then add the present endings: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of cometer is fully regular: the stem comet- plus the standard -er endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of cometer?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Cometo un error en el examen.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of cometer?
The present (cometo) and the preterite (cometí) 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 cometer?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of cometer to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the cometer examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Cometer conjugation — the full conjugation tables for cometer.
- Cometer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for cometer.
- 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.