Conectar in the Present Tense

Conectar means “to connect”, and this page covers exactly one thing: conectar 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 conectar, 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 conectar in the present. For example: “Yo conecto el ordenador a internet.” — I connect the computer to the internet. Everything on this page uses the forms of conectar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Conectar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo conecto
tú conectas
él/ella/Ud. conecta
nosotros/as conectamos
vosotros/as conectáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. conectan

Gerund: conectando · Past participle: conectado

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

How the present of conectar is formed

Conectar is regular in the present tense. Take the stem conect and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving conecto, conectas, conecta, conectamos, conectáis, conectan. Watch the accents: the yo form is conecto and the él/ella/Ud. form is conecta.

When to use the present of conectar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use conectar 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 conectar is no exception. Example: “Yo conecto el ordenador a internet todos los días.” — I connect the computer to the internet 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 conectar means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Conecta el móvil al wifi.” — He/she connects the phone to the wifi.

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 conecto los cables del televisor ahora.” — I connect the television cables 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 conectamos con sus amigos en línea.” — We connect with his friends online.

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 conectas el ordenador a internet.” — You connect the computer to the internet.

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 conecto el ordenador a internet todos los días.” — I connect the computer to the internet every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo conecté el ordenador a internet.” — Yesterday, I connected the computer to the internet.

  • 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 conecta el móvil al wifi cada semana.” — He/she connects the phone to the wifi every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él conectó el móvil al wifi.” — Last week, he connected the phone to the wifi.

  • 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 conectamos los cables del televisor a menudo.” — We connect the television cables often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros conectamos los cables del televisor.” — Yesterday, we connected the television cables.

  • 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: conectar 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. “Conecto el ordenador a internet.” — I connect the computer to the internet.

  2. “Conectas el móvil al wifi.” — You connect the phone to the wifi.

  3. “Conecta los cables del televisor.” — He/she connects the television cables.

  4. “Conectamos con sus amigos en línea.” — We connect with his friends online.

  5. “Conectáis el ordenador a internet.” — You connect the computer to the internet.

  6. “Conectan el móvil al wifi.” — They connect the phone to the wifi.

  7. “Conecto los cables del televisor.” — I connect the television cables.

  8. “Conecta con sus amigos en línea.” — He/she connects with his friends online.

Common mistakes with conectar 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 conecta el ordenador a internet.” Right: “Ellos conectan el ordenador a internet.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form conectan. The singular conecta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Yo conecto el móvil al wifi ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo conecté el móvil al wifi.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to conecté.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros conectas los cables del televisor.” Right: “Nosotros conectamos los cables del televisor.” Why: Nosotros needs conectamos. The tú form conectas belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos conecto con sus amigos en línea todos los días.” Right: “Ellos conectan con sus amigos en línea todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form conectan, not the yo form conecto. 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: conectar 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 ______ el ordenador a internet.” (The computer to the internet.)

  • (a) conecto
  • (b) conectas
  • (c) conecta

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

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ el móvil al wifi?” (The phone to the wifi.)

  • (a) conecto
  • (b) conecta
  • (c) conectas

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

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ los cables del televisor.” (The television cables.)

  • (a) conectas
  • (b) conecta
  • (c) conecto

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

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ con sus amigos en línea.” (With his friends online.)

  • (a) conectamos
  • (b) conecto
  • (c) conectas

Answer: conectamos — The nosotros/as form of conectar in the present is conectamos. 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 conectar in the present?

  • (a) conecto
  • (b) conectas
  • (c) conectáis

Answer: conectáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes conectáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros conectáis el ordenador a internet.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el móvil al wifi.” (The phone to the wifi.)

  • (a) conectas
  • (b) conectan
  • (c) conecto

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

  • (a) conecto
  • (b) conectas
  • (c) conecta

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

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo conecté el ordenador a internet todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros conectaremos el ordenador a internet mañana.
  • (c) Yo conecto el ordenador a internet todos los días.

Answer: Yo conecto el ordenador a internet todos los días. — “Yo conecto el ordenador a internet 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 conectar regular in the present?

Yes. Conectar is regular in the present: conecto, conectas, conecta, conectamos, conectáis, conectan. 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 conectar?

The past participle is conectado: 'He conectado' means 'I have connected'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is conectando.

Does conectar take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Conectar is fully regular: conecté, conectaba, conectaré. Conectar a internet is to connect to the internet. In the examples on this page, conectar appears with complements such as el ordenador a internet and el móvil al wifi, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of conectar?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo conecto, tú conectas, él/ella/Ud. conecta, nosotros/as conectamos, vosotros/as conectáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. conectan. Then write three of your own sentences with conectar in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

Related pages