Derramar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of derramar — «to spill» — is the form you will reach for most often. It talks about habits, facts and what is happening right now, and it is the first tense to master for this verb. derramar is a regular -ar verb verb, so the present follows the -ar endings. On this page you will find the full present-tense table, how the forms are built, five usage rules with examples, a comparison with the preterite, more example sentences, the mistakes learners make in this tense, an eight-question quiz and answers to common questions. A good first sentence is «Yo derramo todos los días» — I spill every day.

Derramar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo derramo
tú derramas
él/ella/Ud. derrama
nosotros/as derramamos
vosotros/as derramáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derraman

Gerund: derramando · Past participle: derramado

How the present tense of derramar is formed

Take the stem derram — the infinitive derramar without its -ar ending — and add the present endings. The table below shows the build for every person, using the actual stem of each form:

Person Stem Ending Form
yo derram -o derramo
tú derram -as derramas
él/ella/Ud. derram -a derrama
nosotros/as derram -amos derramamos
vosotros/as derram -áis derramáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derram -an derraman

The present is the only tense where the yo form ends in -o for all three verb classes, which makes it a useful anchor: if you know derramo, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of derramar

1. Daily routines and habits

The most common use: things you do regularly. Time words like todos los días, siempre and a veces are the giveaway.

Yo derramo todos los días. — I spill every day.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. No time expression is needed — the statement stands on its own.

Él derrama con mi familia. — He spills with my family.

3. What is happening right now

For an action in progress, the present works on its own in Spanish, and you can also use estar + the gerund derramando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros derramamos por la mañana. — We spill in the morning.

4. Scheduled near-future plans

Spanish often uses the present for a fixed plan in the near future, where English would say «going to». A time expression such as mañana or la semana que viene makes the future meaning clear.

Tú derramas en el trabajo. — You spill at work.

5. Narrating and commenting

The present is the tense of live commentary and of stories told as if they were happening now. It keeps the listener in the moment, and it is the tense of instructions and explanations.

Ellos derraman a veces. — They spill sometimes.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The present and the preterite answer different questions. The present says what happens in general or what is happening now; the preterite says what happened once and is over. Compare the pairs below — same verb, different time frame:

  • Present: Yo derramo todos los días. — I spill every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo derramé por la tarde. — Yesterday I spilled in the afternoon.

  • A routine against a single finished event. The present describes the habit; the preterite reports the one time it happened.

  • Present: Él derrama por la mañana. — He spills in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él derramó por la tarde. — Yesterday He spilled in the afternoon.

  • What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.

  • Present: Nosotros derramamos con mi familia. — We spill with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros derramamos dos veces. — Last week We spilled twice.

  • A shared habit against a shared finished event. If the action repeats, use the present; if it happened once and ended, use the preterite.

Example sentences: derramar in the present

  1. Yo derramo todos los días. — I spill every day.
  2. Tú derramas en el trabajo. — You spill at work.
  3. Él derrama con mi familia. — He spills with my family.
  4. Nosotros derramamos por la mañana. — We spill in the morning.
  5. Vosotros derramáis cuando hay tiempo. — You spill when there is time.
  6. Ellos derraman a veces. — They spill sometimes.
  7. Yo derramo en el trabajo. — I spill at work.
  8. Él derrama todos los días. — He spills every day.

Common mistakes with derramar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros derramais.

Right: Vosotros derramáis.

The vosotros form derramáis carries a written accent on the ending. Without it the word is misspelled, and in speech the stress falls in the wrong place.

2. Using the present for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo derramo.

Right: Ayer yo derramé.

Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present derramo talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs derramé.

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos derramo.

Right: Ellos derraman.

Each person has its own form: ellos take derraman, not the yo form derramo. The -n ending on derraman is what marks the third-person plural.

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy derramo.

Right: Estoy derramando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy derramando. The conjugated present derramo never follows estar.

Quiz: derramar in the present

Test yourself on the present tense of derramar. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of derramar in the present indicative?

- (a) derramas
- (b) derramamos
- (c) derramo
- (d) derrama

2. What is the tú form of derramar in the present indicative?

- (a) derrama
- (b) derramamos
- (c) derramo
- (d) derramas

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of derramar in the present indicative?

- (a) derramamos
- (b) derramas
- (c) derrama
- (d) derramo

4. What is the nosotros/as form of derramar in the present indicative?

- (a) derramamos
- (b) derrama
- (c) derramo
- (d) derramas

5. What is the vosotros/as form of derramar in the present indicative?

- (a) derrama
- (b) derramas
- (c) derramáis
- (d) derramo

6. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of derramar in the present indicative?

- (a) derramas
- (b) derramo
- (c) derraman
- (d) derrama

7. What is the gerund of derramar?

- (a) derramando
- (b) derramar
- (c) derramo
- (d) derramado

8. What is the past participle of derramar?

- (a) derramando
- (b) derramado
- (c) derramar
- (d) derramé

Answer key

1. (c) — In the present indicative, the yo form of derramar is derramo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (d) — In the present indicative, the tú form of derramar is derramas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (c) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of derramar is derrama. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of derramar is derramamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (c) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of derramar is derramáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of derramar is derraman. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (a) — The gerund of derramar is derramando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy derramando». 8. (b) — The past participle of derramar is derramado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he derramado».

Frequently asked questions

Is derramar regular in the present?

Yes — derramar is regular in the present. The stem derram never changes and the endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for -ar verbs (with the matching sets for -er and -ir verbs).

What is the yo form of derramar in the present?

It is derramo. Use it for talking about yourself right now.

How is the present different from the preterite for derramar?

The present (derramo) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (derramé) reports a single finished event. «Yo derramo todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo derramé» is one event that ended yesterday.

Can I use the present of derramar with estar and the gerund?

Yes — «Estoy derramando» means «I am spilling right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo derramo» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.

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