Derrotar in the Present Tense
Introduction
The present tense of derrotar — «to defeat» — 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. derrotar 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 derroto todos los días» — I defeat every day.
Derrotar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | derroto |
| tú | derrotas |
| él/ella/Ud. | derrota |
| nosotros/as | derrotamos |
| vosotros/as | derrotáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | derrotan |
Gerund: derrotando · Past participle: derrotado
How the present tense of derrotar is formed
Take the stem derrot — the infinitive derrotar 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 | derrot | -o | derroto |
| tú | derrot | -as | derrotas |
| él/ella/Ud. | derrot | -a | derrota |
| nosotros/as | derrot | -amos | derrotamos |
| vosotros/as | derrot | -áis | derrotáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | derrot | -an | derrotan |
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 derroto, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.
When to use the present tense of derrotar
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 derroto todos los días. — I defeat 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 derrota con mi familia. — He defeats 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 derrotando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.
Nosotros derrotamos por la mañana. — We defeat 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 derrotas en el trabajo. — You defeat 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 derrotan a veces. — They defeat 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 derroto todos los días. — I defeat every day.
Preterite: Ayer yo derroté por la tarde. — Yesterday I defeated 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 derrota por la mañana. — He defeats in the morning.
Preterite: Ayer él derrotó por la tarde. — Yesterday He defeated in the afternoon.
What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.
Present: Nosotros derrotamos con mi familia. — We defeat with my family.
Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros derrotamos dos veces. — Last week We defeated 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: derrotar in the present
- Yo derroto todos los días. — I defeat every day.
- Tú derrotas en el trabajo. — You defeat at work.
- Él derrota con mi familia. — He defeats with my family.
- Nosotros derrotamos por la mañana. — We defeat in the morning.
- Vosotros derrotáis cuando hay tiempo. — You defeat when there is time.
- Ellos derrotan a veces. — They defeat sometimes.
- Yo derroto en el trabajo. — I defeat at work.
- Él derrota todos los días. — He defeats every day.
Common mistakes with derrotar in the present
1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form
Wrong: Vosotros derrotais.
Right: Vosotros derrotáis.
The vosotros form derrotáis 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 derroto.
Right: Ayer yo derroté.
Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present derroto talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs derroté.
3. Using the yo form for every person
Wrong: Ellos derroto.
Right: Ellos derrotan.
Each person has its own form: ellos take derrotan, not the yo form derroto. The -n ending on derrotan is what marks the third-person plural.
4. Using the present instead of the progressive
Wrong: Estoy derroto.
Right: Estoy derrotando.
After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy derrotando. The conjugated present derroto never follows estar.
Quiz: derrotar in the present
Test yourself on the present tense of derrotar. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of derrotar in the present indicative?
- (a) derroto
- (b) derrota
- (c) derrotamos
- (d) derrotas
2. What is the nosotros/as form of derrotar in the present indicative?
- (a) derrota
- (b) derrotamos
- (c) derroto
- (d) derrotas
3. What is the vosotros/as form of derrotar in the present indicative?
- (a) derroto
- (b) derrota
- (c) derrotáis
- (d) derrotas
4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of derrotar in the present indicative?
- (a) derrotas
- (b) derrotan
- (c) derrota
- (d) derroto
5. What is the yo form of derrotar in the present indicative?
- (a) derrotas
- (b) derrota
- (c) derroto
- (d) derrotamos
6. What is the tú form of derrotar in the present indicative?
- (a) derrotamos
- (b) derrotas
- (c) derroto
- (d) derrota
7. What is the gerund of derrotar?
- (a) derrotando
- (b) derrotado
- (c) derroto
- (d) derrotar
8. What is the past participle of derrotar?
- (a) derrotar
- (b) derroté
- (c) derrotando
- (d) derrotado
Answer key
1. (b) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of derrotar is derrota. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (b) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of derrotar is derrotamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (c) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of derrotar is derrotáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of derrotar is derrotan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (c) — In the present indicative, the yo form of derrotar is derroto. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (b) — In the present indicative, the tú form of derrotar is derrotas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (a) — The gerund of derrotar is derrotando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy derrotando». 8. (d) — The past participle of derrotar is derrotado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he derrotado».
Frequently asked questions
Is derrotar regular in the present?
Yes — derrotar is regular in the present. The stem derrot 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 derrotar in the present?
It is derroto. Use it for talking about yourself right now.
How is the present different from the preterite for derrotar?
The present (derroto) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (derroté) reports a single finished event. «Yo derroto todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo derroté» is one event that ended yesterday.
Can I use the present of derrotar with estar and the gerund?
Yes — «Estoy derrotando» means «I am defeating right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo derroto» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.
Related pages
- Full conjugation: derrotar
- More examples and a quiz: derrotar-examples-and-quiz
- Present tense guide: spanish-present-tense-guide
- Browse all Spanish verbs: /spanish/