Constituir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of constituir — “to constitute” 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 constituir 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. Constituir means to constitute or to make up, and it is used for what forms a group, a majority or a problem: constituir la mayoría, constituir un problema. It is a -uir verb: yo constituyo, él constituye, with y before the vowel endings. To see it in a real sentence: Constituyo la mayoría del grupo. — “I constitute the majority of the group.”
Present tense conjugation table: constituir
Every person of constituir in the present tense. The gerund is constituyendo and the past participle is constituido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | constituyo |
| tú | constituyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | constituye |
| nosotros/as | constituimos |
| vosotros/as | constituís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | constituyen |
The gerund is constituyendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy constituyendo” means the action of constituir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is constituido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he constituido” 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 constituir is used.
How the present of constituir is formed
The present of constituir is built from the stem constitu plus the present endings for -ir verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ir 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 | constituyo |
| tú | -es | constituyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | constituye |
| nosotros/as | -imos | constituimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | constituís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | constituyen |
constituir is not fully regular in form: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo. The endings in the table above are the regular -ir endings, so once you know the pattern, the whole tense follows. The forms that show the pattern most clearly are constituyo and constituye.
The gerund of constituir is constituyendo and the past participle is constituido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of constituir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use constituir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of constituir is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and constituir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Constituyo la mayoría del grupo.” — I constitute the majority of the group.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what constituir means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Constituye un problema para la empresa.” — He/she constitutes a problem for the company.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Constituyo el equipo de trabajo.” — I constitute the work team.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and constituir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros constituimos una amenaza para la salud.” — Tomorrow, we constitute a threat to health.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Constituyes un problema para la empresa?” — Do you constitute a problem for the company?
The present vs the 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 reports what happens now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Constituyo la mayoría del grupo.” — I constitute the majority of the group.
Preterite: “Constituí la mayoría del grupo.” — I constituted the majority of the group.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Constituye un problema para la empresa.” — He/she constitutes a problem for the company.
Preterite: “Constituyó un problema para la empresa.” — He/she constituted a problem for the company.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Constituimos el equipo de trabajo.” — We constitute the work team.
Preterite: “Constituimos el equipo de trabajo.” — We constituted the work team.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: constituir 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.
“Constituyo la mayoría del grupo.” — I constitute the majority of the group.
“Constituyes un problema para la empresa.” — You constitute a problem for the company.
“Constituye el equipo de trabajo.” — He/she constitutes the work team.
“Constituimos una amenaza para la salud.” — We constitute a threat to health.
“Constituís la mayoría del grupo.” — You constitute the majority of the group.
“Constituyen un problema para la empresa.” — They constitute a problem for the company.
“Constituyo el equipo de trabajo.” — I constitute the work team.
“Constituye una amenaza para la salud.” — He/she constitutes a threat to health.
Common mistakes with constituir 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 constituye la mayoría del grupo.” Right: “Yo constituyo la mayoría del grupo.” Why: Yo needs the yo form constituyo. The form constituye belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo constituo un problema para la empresa.” Right: “Yo constituyo un problema para la empresa.” Why: Constituir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo, so the first-person present is constituyo, not constituo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo constituyo un problema para la empresa.” Right: “Ayer yo constituí un problema para la empresa.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to constituí.
Wrong: “Ellos constituye un problema para la empresa.” Right: “Ellos constituyen un problema para la empresa.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form constituyen. The singular constituye belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: constituir 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 ___ la mayoría del grupo.”
- (a) constituyo
- (b) constituyes
- (c) constituye
Answer: constituyo — The yo form of constituir in the present is constituyo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ un problema para la empresa.”
- (a) constituyo
- (b) constituye
- (c) constituyes
Answer: constituyes — The tú form of constituir in the present is constituyes.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ el equipo de trabajo.”
- (a) constituyes
- (b) constituye
- (c) constituyo
Answer: constituye — The él/ella form of constituir in the present is constituye.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ una amenaza para la salud.”
- (a) constituimos
- (b) constituyo
- (c) constituyes
Answer: constituimos — The nosotros/as form of constituir in the present is constituimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ la mayoría del grupo.”
- (a) constituyo
- (b) constituyes
- (c) constituís
Answer: constituís — The vosotros/as form of constituir in the present is constituís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ un problema para la empresa.”
- (a) constituyes
- (b) constituyen
- (c) constituyo
Answer: constituyen — The ellos/ellas form of constituir in the present is constituyen.
7. What does constituir mean in English?
- (a) to constitute
- (b) to form
- (c) to be about
Answer: to constitute — Constituir means to constitute.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Constituí la mayoría del grupo.
- (b) Constituiré la mayoría del grupo.
- (c) Constituyo la mayoría del grupo.
Answer: Constituyo la mayoría del grupo. — “Constituyo la mayoría del grupo.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is constituir regular in the present?
Constituir is a spelling-change verb in the present: it is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is constituyo and constituye, and the gerund is constituyendo. The endings are the regular -ir endings, so the table above follows the pattern exactly.
What is the gerund and the past participle of constituir?
The gerund is constituyendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy constituyendo. The past participle is constituido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he constituido.
What should I watch out for with constituir?
Constituir is a -uir verb: yo constituyo, él constituye, with y before the vowel endings. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is constituyo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise constituir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the constituir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of constituir — every tense of constituir in one place.
- Constituir examples and quiz — more sentences with constituir and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on constituir and other verbs.