Derribar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of derribar — «to knock down, to demolish» — 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. derribar 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 derribo todos los días» — I knock down every day.

Derribar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo derribo
tú derribas
él/ella/Ud. derriba
nosotros/as derribamos
vosotros/as derribáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derriban

Gerund: derribando · Past participle: derribado

How the present tense of derribar is formed

Take the stem derrib — the infinitive derribar 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 derrib -o derribo
tú derrib -as derribas
él/ella/Ud. derrib -a derriba
nosotros/as derrib -amos derribamos
vosotros/as derrib -áis derribáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. derrib -an derriban

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 derribo, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of derribar

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 derribo todos los días. — I knock down 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 derriba con mi familia. — He knocks down 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 derribando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros derribamos por la mañana. — We knock down 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 derribas en el trabajo. — You knock down 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 derriban a veces. — They knock down 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 derribo todos los días. — I knock down every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo derribé por la tarde. — Yesterday I knocked down 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 derriba por la mañana. — He knocks down in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él derribó por la tarde. — Yesterday He knocked down in the afternoon.

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

  • Present: Nosotros derribamos con mi familia. — We knock down with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros derribamos dos veces. — Last week We knocked down 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: derribar in the present

  1. Yo derribo todos los días. — I knock down every day.
  2. Tú derribas en el trabajo. — You knock down at work.
  3. Él derriba con mi familia. — He knocks down with my family.
  4. Nosotros derribamos por la mañana. — We knock down in the morning.
  5. Vosotros derribáis cuando hay tiempo. — You knock down when there is time.
  6. Ellos derriban a veces. — They knock down sometimes.
  7. Yo derribo en el trabajo. — I knock down at work.
  8. Él derriba todos los días. — He knocks down every day.

Common mistakes with derribar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros derribais.

Right: Vosotros derribáis.

The vosotros form derribáis 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 derribo.

Right: Ayer yo derribé.

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

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos derribo.

Right: Ellos derriban.

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

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy derribo.

Right: Estoy derribando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy derribando. The conjugated present derribo never follows estar.

Quiz: derribar in the present

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

1. What is the tú form of derribar in the present indicative?

- (a) derriba
- (b) derribamos
- (c) derribo
- (d) derribas

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of derribar in the present indicative?

- (a) derriba
- (b) derribo
- (c) derribas
- (d) derribamos

3. What is the nosotros/as form of derribar in the present indicative?

- (a) derribamos
- (b) derriba
- (c) derribo
- (d) derribas

4. What is the vosotros/as form of derribar in the present indicative?

- (a) derribo
- (b) derribas
- (c) derribáis
- (d) derriba

5. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of derribar in the present indicative?

- (a) derribo
- (b) derriba
- (c) derriban
- (d) derribas

6. What is the yo form of derribar in the present indicative?

- (a) derribas
- (b) derribamos
- (c) derriba
- (d) derribo

7. What is the gerund of derribar?

- (a) derribar
- (b) derribo
- (c) derribando
- (d) derribado

8. What is the past participle of derribar?

- (a) derribado
- (b) derribé
- (c) derribar
- (d) derribando

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the tú form of derribar is derribas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (a) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of derribar is derriba. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of derribar is derribamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (c) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of derribar is derribáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (c) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of derribar is derriban. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — In the present indicative, the yo form of derribar is derribo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (c) — The gerund of derribar is derribando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy derribando». 8. (a) — The past participle of derribar is derribado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he derribado».

Frequently asked questions

Is derribar regular in the present?

Yes — derribar is regular in the present. The stem derrib 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 derribar in the present?

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

How is the present different from the preterite for derribar?

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

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

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

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