Derivar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of derivar — “to derive, to drift” 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 derivar 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. Derivar means to derive or to drift, for a word coming from another word, a river changing course, or a conversation drifting to another topic. It is a fully regular verb used in language, geography and discussion. To see it in a real sentence: Derivo del latín como muchas palabras. — “I derive from Latin, like many words.” Learn the six forms in the table below, and the present tense of derivar will be ready for everyday conversation.

Present tense conjugation table: derivar

Every person of derivar in the present tense. The gerund is derivando and the past participle is derivado.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo derivo
tú derivas
él/ella/Ud. deriva
nosotros/as derivamos
vosotros/as deriváis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derivan

How the present indicative of derivar is formed

The present indicative of derivar is built from the stem plus the present indicative 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 derivo
tú -as derivas
él/ella/Ud. -a deriva
nosotros/as -amos derivamos
vosotros/as -áis deriváis
ellos/ellas/Uds. -an derivan

Derivar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is deriv- and the endings are the normal -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page.

The gerund of derivar is derivando and the past participle is derivado. Both are regular for this verb, and the participle is the form you need for all the perfect tenses with haber.

When to use the present tense of derivar

The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and derivar appears in all of them. The five uses below are the ones you will meet most often, each with an example that shows the verb in a natural sentence.

Routines and habits

Use the present for things you do regularly, every day or every week. The present is the tense of routine, and derivar fits naturally into daily life.

“Yo derivo del latín como muchas palabras todos los días.” — “I derive from Latin, like many words every day.”

General facts

Use the present for facts that are true in general, not just today. When you state how something is, the present is the tense to use.

“Él deriva hacia el norte por el viento.” — “He/she derives northwards because of the wind.”

What is happening right now

Use the present for what is happening at this moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English uses the progressive, so derivo can mean both “I derive” and “I am deriveing”.

“Ahora mismo, yo derivo en una discusión sin fin.” — “Right now, I derive into an endless discussion.”

Fixed plans in the near future

Use the present for a plan that is already fixed, such as something arranged for tomorrow. Spanish uses the present for near-future plans much more freely than English does.

“Mañana, yo derivo de una idea antigua.” — “Tomorrow, I will derive from an old idea.”

Questions and negatives

Use the present to ask about habits and to say what does not happen. The question and the negative use exactly the same forms as the statement.

“¿Tú derivas del latín como muchas palabras?” — “Do you derive from Latin, like many words?”

The present tense vs the closest tenses

Present — habit or general fact vs Preterite — one finished occasion

The present describes a habit, a routine or a general fact — something that happens again and again or that is true in general. The preterite reports one finished occasion in the past. Use the present when the action repeats or is still true, and the preterite when you are telling what happened once, on a specific day.

  • Present — habit or general fact: Deriva hacia el norte por el viento. — “He/she derives northwards because of the wind.”
  • Preterite — one finished occasion: Derivó hacia el norte por el viento. — the same idea, placed in the preterite.

Present — now vs Imperfect — a past habit or background

The present talks about now. The imperfect talks about the past as a background — a repeated habit, an ongoing situation, something that used to happen. If you can add “used to” in English, the imperfect is usually the right choice; if it is happening now or always, use the present.

  • Present — now: Derivan en una discusión sin fin. — “They derive into an endless discussion.”
  • Imperfect — a past habit or background: Derivaban en una discusión sin fin. — the same idea, placed in the imperfect.

Present — now or a fixed plan vs Future — what will happen

The present describes what happens now, what you do regularly, or a plan that is already fixed. The future describes what will happen later — a promise, a prediction, a plan that is not yet under way. Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans, but the future is the form for a clear statement about tomorrow.

  • Present — now or a fixed plan: Derivas de una idea antigua. — “You derive from an old idea.”
  • Future — what will happen: Derivarás de una idea antigua. — the same idea, placed in the future.

Examples: derivar in the present tense

Seven sentences that show derivar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.

  • Yo derivo del latín como muchas palabras. — “I derive from Latin, like many words.”
  • Tú derivas hacia el norte por el viento. — “You derive northwards because of the wind.”
  • Él deriva en una discusión sin fin. — “He derives into an endless discussion.”
  • Nosotros derivamos de una idea antigua. — “We derive from an old idea.”
  • Vosotros deriváis del latín como muchas palabras. — “You (plural) derive from Latin, like many words.”
  • Ellos derivan hacia el norte por el viento. — “They derive northwards because of the wind.”
  • ¿Tú derivas en una discusión sin fin? — “Do you derive into an endless discussion?”

Common mistakes with derivar in the present tense

These are the errors learners actually make with derivar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo derivar del latín como muchas palabras. (using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form).

✓ Correct: Yo derivo del latín como muchas palabras.

The infinitive is not a conjugated form. With yo, the present tense of derivar is derivo, not the infinitive derivar.

✗ Vosotros derivais del latín como muchas palabras. (forgetting the accent on the vosotros form).

✓ Correct: Vosotros deriváis del latín como muchas palabras.

The vosotros present form carries a written accent: deriváis, not derivais. The accent marks the stressed vowel, and leaving it out is a spelling mistake.

✗ Ayer, yo derivo hacia el norte por el viento. (using the present for a finished past action).

✓ Correct: Ayer, yo derivé hacia el norte por el viento.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: derivo is happening now, while derivé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating derivar and proceder as identical in every context. (confusing derivar with proceder).

✓ Correct: Derivar means to derive, to drift, while proceder means to come from.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: derivar fits sentences such as Derivo del latín como muchas palabras, while proceder belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

Quiz: derivar in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of derivar. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below — every answer is explained.

1. Which is the correct present tense form of derivar for tú?

  • a) derivas
  • b) derivo
  • c) deriva
  • d) derivan

2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ del latín como muchas palabras. — “I derive from Latin, like many words.”

  • a) deriva
  • b) derivamos
  • c) derivas
  • d) derivo

3. Complete the sentence: Él ______ hacia el norte por el viento. — “He/she derives northwards because of the wind.” (present tense)

  • a) derivaba
  • b) derivará
  • c) deriva
  • d) derivó

4. Which is the correct present tense form of derivar for nosotros?

  • a) derivan
  • b) derivamos
  • c) derivo
  • d) deriva

5. Which sentence uses derivar correctly in the present tense?

  • a) Él derivó hacia el norte por el viento.
  • b) Él deriva hacia el norte por el viento.
  • c) Él derivará hacia el norte por el viento.
  • d) Ellos deriva hacia el norte por el viento.

6. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ en una discusión sin fin. — “They derive into an endless discussion.”

  • a) derivo
  • b) deriva
  • c) derivamos
  • d) derivan

7. Complete the question: ¿Tú ______ de una idea antigua? — “Do you derive from an old idea?”

  • a) deriva
  • b) derivarás
  • c) derivas
  • d) derivo

8. What is the gerund of derivar?

  • a) derivé
  • b) derivando
  • c) derivado
  • d) derivo

Answer key

  1. a) derivas — The tú form is derivas. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; derivo is yo, deriva is él/ella and derivan is ellos/ellas.

  2. d) derivo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: derivo. The other options are the wrong person.

  3. c) deriva — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: deriva. The other options are the preterite, the imperfect and the future.

  4. b) derivamos — Nosotros takes derivamos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem.

  5. b) Él deriva hacia el norte por el viento. — Él deriva hacia el norte por el viento. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.

  6. d) derivan — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is derivan.

  7. c) derivas — The question needs the tú form in the present: derivas.

  8. b) derivando — The gerund is derivando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle derivado.

Frequently asked questions

Is derivar regular in the present tense?

Yes. Derivar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the forms follow the standard endings: derivo, derivas, deriva, derivamos, deriváis and derivan.

What is the gerund and the past participle of derivar?

The gerund is derivando and the past participle is derivado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do you say “I derive” in Spanish?

Say derivo. For example: Derivo del latín como muchas palabras. — “I derive from Latin, like many words.”

What is the difference between derivar and proceder?

Derivar means “to derive, to drift”, while proceder means “to come from”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use derivar when you mean “to derive, to drift” and proceder when you mean “to come from”. The full conjugation of derivar is on its own page.

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