Introduction

desarrollarse means “to develop (oneself)”, and this page covers exactly one thing: desarrollarse in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for desarrollarse, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about desarrollarse in the present. For example: “Yo me desarrollo en la empresa todos los días.” — “I develop in the company.” Everything on this page uses the forms of desarrollarse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

desarrollarse in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo desarrollo
tú desarrollas
él/ella/Ud. desarrolla
nosotros/as desarrollamos
vosotros/as desarrolláis
ellos/ellas/Uds. desarrollan

Gerund: desarrollando · Past participle: desarrollado

The gerund is desarrollando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy desarrollando” means the action of desarrollarse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is desarrollado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he desarrollado” 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 desarrollarse is used.

How the present of desarrollarse is formed

desarrollarse is a -ar verb. Take the stem desarroll and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving desarrollo, desarrollas, desarrolla, desarrollamos, desarrolláis and desarrollan. desarrollarse is regular in the present, so once you know the endings you can build all six forms from the stem.

The present of desarrollarse rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form desarrollo is the form you will use most when you talk about yourself, so say it out loud until it comes without thinking. Second, the nosotros form desarrollamos and the ellos form desarrollan are the ones learners confuse most often, because they are the forms used for groups. Practise the six forms in order — yo, tú, él, nosotros, vosotros, ellos — and the pattern will settle.

When to use the present of desarrollarse

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use desarrollarse in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. A habit or routine

desarrollarse in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about in the company is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo me desarrollo en la empresa cada día.” — “I develop in the company.”

2. A fact or general truth

General truths about in the company also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él se desarrolla en la empresa siempre.” — “He develops in the company.”

3. Something happening right now

Use the present for what is happening at this moment. It is the simplest way to describe an action in progress when you do not need the gerund. Example: “Nosotros nos desarrollamos en la empresa ahora mismo.” — “We develop in the company.”

4. A scheduled near-future event

Spanish often uses the present for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense. Example: “Ellos se desarrollan en la empresa mañana.” — “They develop in the company.”

5. Instructions and explanations

When you explain how something works — how to talk about in the company — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú te desarrollas en la empresa normalmente.” — “you develop in the company.”

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the hardest decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the tense. Time words help: cada día and siempre point to the present, while ayer points to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo me desarrollo en la empresa cada día.” — “I develop in the company.”

  • Preterite: “Yo me desarrollé en la empresa ayer.” — “I developed in the company.”

  • The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él se desarrolla en la empresa siempre.” — “He develops in the company.”

  • Preterite: “Él se desarrolló en la empresa ayer.” — “He developed in the company.”

  • The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros nos desarrollamos en la empresa todos los días.” — “We develop in the company.”

  • Preterite: “Nosotros nos desarrollamos en la empresa ayer.” — “We developed in the company.”

  • The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.

Example sentences: desarrollarse 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.

  1. “Yo me desarrollo en la empresa cada día.” — “I develop in the company.”
  2. “Tú te desarrollas en la empresa cada día.” — “you develop in the company.”
  3. “Él se desarrolla en la empresa siempre.” — “He develops in the company.”
  4. “Nosotros nos desarrollamos en la empresa todos los días.” — “We develop in the company.”
  5. “Vosotros os desarrolláis en la empresa cada semana.” — “You develop in the company.”
  6. “Ellos se desarrollan en la empresa normalmente.” — “They develop in the company.”
  7. “Yo me desarrollo en la empresa ahora mismo.” — “I develop in the company.”
  8. “Él se desarrolla en la empresa cada día.” — “He develops in the company.”

Common mistakes

Dropping the reflexive pronoun

Because desarrollarse is reflexive, it always needs its pronoun: yo me desarrollo en la empresa, not yo desarrollo en la empresa. Without me, the sentence either means something else or means nothing at all. The pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os, se — learn them with the verb, not as an afterthought.

Confusing desarrollarse with descubrir

desarrollarse and descubrir look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of desarrollarse — develop — the sentence needs desarrollarse; if it needs the meaning of descubrir, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo desarrolle en la empresa. Using the indicative — Espero que yo desarrollo — is one of the most frequent learner errors with desarrollarse. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is desarrollé, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — desarrolle — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of desarrollarse.

Using the wrong tense for desarrollarse

The most general mistake is choosing the wrong tense altogether: using the present where Spanish needs the preterite, or the other way round. Check the time words first — ayer and la semana pasada point to the past, cada día and siempre point to the present — and then check whether the action is finished or ongoing. If you can answer those two questions, the tense usually chooses itself.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of desarrollarse in the present tense?

  • A. desarrollas
  • B. desarrolla
  • C. desarrollamos
  • D. desarrollo

2. What is the tu form of desarrollarse in the present tense?

  • A. desarrollas
  • B. desarrollo
  • C. desarrolla
  • D. desarrollamos

3. What is the el form of desarrollarse in the present tense?

  • A. desarrollamos
  • B. desarrolla
  • C. desarrollo
  • D. desarrollas

4. What is the nosotros form of desarrollarse in the present tense?

  • A. desarrollas
  • B. desarrolla
  • C. desarrollamos
  • D. desarrollo

5. What is the vosotros form of desarrollarse in the present tense?

  • A. desarrollo
  • B. desarrollas
  • C. desarrolla
  • D. desarrolláis

6. What is the ellos form of desarrollarse in the present tense?

  • A. desarrollan
  • B. desarrollo
  • C. desarrollas
  • D. desarrolla

7. What is the yo form of desarrollarse in the present tense?

  • A. desarrollamos
  • B. desarrollo
  • C. desarrollas
  • D. desarrolla

8. What is the el form of desarrollarse in the present tense?

  • A. desarrollas
  • B. desarrollamos
  • C. desarrolla
  • D. desarrollo

Answer key

  1. desarrollo — The present table gives yo = desarrollo.
  2. desarrollas — The present table gives tu = desarrollas.
  3. desarrolla — The present table gives el = desarrolla.
  4. desarrollamos — The present table gives nosotros = desarrollamos.
  5. desarrolláis — The present table gives vosotros = desarrolláis.
  6. desarrollan — The present table gives ellos = desarrollan.
  7. desarrollo — The present table gives yo = desarrollo.
  8. desarrolla — The present table gives el = desarrolla.

Frequently asked questions

How do you form the present of desarrollarse?

Take the stem desarroll and add the present endings for -ar verbs. The six forms are desarrollo, desarrollas, desarrolla, desarrollamos, desarrolláis and desarrollan. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.

When should I use the present of desarrollarse?

Use it for habits, facts and things happening now. The five rules in the section above cover the situations you will meet most often. If the action is a routine or a present fact, the present is the right choice.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite of desarrollarse?

The present form for yo is desarrollo and the preterite form is desarrollé — different forms for different meanings. The present reports what happens regularly or now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The contrasted pairs above show the same situation in both tenses, so compare them side by side.

Is desarrollarse regular in the present?

Yes — desarrollarse is regular in the present and follows the standard -ar endings. The full conjugation of desarrollarse is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.

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