Introduction

Conseguir means “to get, to achieve”, and this page covers exactly one thing: conseguir in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for conseguir, 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 conseguir in the present. Conseguir is the verb for getting something: a job, a ticket, a discount. The thing got is the direct object, with no preposition. For example: “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” — I get a new job. Everything on this page uses the forms of conseguir exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Conseguir in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo consigo
tú consigues
él/ella/Ud. consigue
nosotros/as conseguimos
vosotros/as conseguís
ellos/ellas/Uds. consiguen

Gerund: consiguiendo · Past participle: conseguido

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

How the present of conseguir is formed

Conseguir is a stem-changing -ir verb: the stem vowel changes from e → i in the stressed forms. That means yo, tú, él/ella/Ud. and ellos/ellas/Uds. take the changed stem, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. Start from the stem consegu and add the regular -ir endings -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en: you get consigo, consigues, consigue, then back to the unchanged stem for conseguimos and conseguís, and the changed stem again for consiguen. The nosotros and vosotros forms are the ones learners most often get wrong, because they expect the change everywhere — it is not there. Learn the four changed forms and the two unchanged forms as two groups and the pattern becomes automatic.

The stem change e → i also affects the gerund (consiguiendo) and the present subjunctive (consiga, consigas), so learn it as a property of the verb. The preterite has its own change: consiguió and consiguieron carry the i in the third person, while conseguí, conseguiste and conseguimos keep the e. There is also a spelling detail: the gu of the stem becomes g before an o or an a, which is why the yo form is consigo, not consiguo.

When to use the present of conseguir

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use conseguir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Getting something

Conseguir is the verb for getting something: a job, a ticket, a discount. The thing got is the direct object, with no preposition. Example: “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” — I get a new job.

2. Managing to do something

Conseguir + infinitive means to manage to do something. It is a near-synonym of lograr, and the two overlap in most sentences. Example: “¿Tú consigues hablar español?” — Do you manage to speak Spanish?

3. Getting someone to do something

Conseguir que + subjunctive means to get someone to do something. It is how you describe persuading or arranging. Example: “Mi jefe consigue que trabajemos el sábado.” — My boss gets us to work on Saturday.

4. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and conseguir is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” — I get a new job.

5. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with conseguir in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros conseguimos entradas para el concierto.” — We get tickets for the concert.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo cada año.” — I get a new job every year.

  • Preterite: “Ayer yo conseguí un trabajo nuevo.” — Yesterday I got a new job.

  • Cada año describes a routine, so the present is right; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite is right.

  • Present Tense: “El estudiante consigue aprobar el examen siempre.” — The student always manages to pass the exam.

  • Preterite: “El estudiante consiguió aprobar el examen ayer.” — The student managed to pass the exam yesterday.

  • Siempre signals repetition, so the present fits; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite fits.

  • Present Tense: “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” — I get a new job.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo conseguí un trabajo nuevo.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.

  • The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: conseguir 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. “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” — I get a new job.

  2. “¿Tú consigues hablar español?” — Do you manage to speak Spanish?

  3. “Mi jefe consigue que trabajemos el sábado.” — My boss gets us to work on Saturday.

  4. “Nosotros conseguimos entradas para el concierto.” — We get tickets for the concert.

  5. “Vosotros conseguís un descuento.” — You get a discount.

  6. “Ellos consiguen resolver el problema.” — They manage to solve the problem.

  7. “Yo consigo dormir ocho horas.” — I manage to sleep eight hours.

  8. “El estudiante consigue aprobar el examen.” — The student manages to pass the exam.

Common mistakes with conseguir 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: “Yo conseguimos un trabajo nuevo.” Right: “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo.” Why: The yo form is consigo, with the e → i change, not conseguimos. The change appears in yo, tú, él and ellos, while nosotros and vosotros keep the e: conseguimos, conseguís.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros consiguen entradas.” Right: “Nosotros conseguimos entradas para el concierto.” Why: Nosotros keeps the unchanged stem: conseguimos, not consiguen. The stem change never applies to nosotros or vosotros.

  • Wrong: “Yo consigo un trabajo ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo conseguí un trabajo nuevo.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished achievement yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to conseguí.

  • Wrong: “Ellos consigue resolver el problema.” Right: “Ellos consiguen resolver el problema.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form consiguen. The singular consigue belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el estudiante.

Quiz: conseguir 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 ______ un trabajo nuevo.” (I get a new job.)

  • (a) consigues
  • (b) consigue
  • (c) consigo

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

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ hablar español?” (Do you manage to speak Spanish?)

  • (a) consigue
  • (b) consigues
  • (c) consigo

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

3. Complete the sentence: “Mi jefe ______ que trabajemos el sábado.” (My boss gets us to work on Saturday.)

  • (a) consigue
  • (b) consigo
  • (c) consigues

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

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ entradas para el concierto.” (We get tickets for the concert.)

  • (a) consigo
  • (b) consigues
  • (c) conseguimos

Answer: conseguimos — The nosotros/as form of conseguir in the present is conseguimos. 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 conseguir in the present?

  • (a) consigues
  • (b) conseguís
  • (c) consigo

Answer: conseguís — From the table above: vosotros/as takes conseguís. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros conseguís un descuento.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ resolver el problema.” (They manage to solve the problem.)

  • (a) consigo
  • (b) consigues
  • (c) consiguen

Answer: consiguen — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is consiguen.

7. Conseguir is a stem-changing verb (e → i). Which form keeps the ORIGINAL stem?

  • (a) conseguimos
  • (b) consigo
  • (c) consiguen

Answer: conseguimos — In a e → i stem-changing verb, nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem, while yo, tú, él and ellos take the changed stem. So conseguimos is the unchanged form.

8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?

  • (a) Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo cada año.
  • (b) Ayer yo conseguí un trabajo nuevo.
  • (c) Ayer yo conseguí un trabajo nuevo.

Answer: Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo cada año. — “Yo consigo un trabajo nuevo cada año.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.

Frequently asked questions

Is conseguir regular in the present tense?

No. Conseguir is a stem-changing -ir verb: the e of the stem becomes i in the stressed forms yo, tú, él and ellos (consigo, consigues, consigue, consiguen), while nosotros and vosotros keep the e (conseguimos, conseguís). The endings are the regular -ir endings.

What is the gerund of conseguir?

The gerund is consiguiendo, with the same e → i change: the stem vowel changes before the -iendo ending. You use it with estar: 'Estoy consiguiendo entradas' (I am getting tickets).

What is the difference between conseguir and lograr?

The two are near-synonyms for achieving or getting something. Conseguir is more common for getting a thing or a result ('Consigo el trabajo'), while lograr is more common for achieving a goal after effort ('Logro aprobar el examen'). In most sentences they overlap.

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