Descifrar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of descifrar — “to decipher” 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 descifrar 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. Descifrar means to decipher, to work out the meaning of a code, a handwriting or a puzzle. It is used for codes, old letters and mysteries, and it is fully regular. To see it in a real sentence: Descifro el código secreto del mensaje. — “I decipher the secret code in the message.” Learn the six forms in the table below, and the present tense of descifrar will be ready for everyday conversation.
Present tense conjugation table: descifrar
Every person of descifrar in the present tense. The gerund is descifrando and the past participle is descifrado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | descifro |
| tú | descifras |
| él/ella/Ud. | descifra |
| nosotros/as | desciframos |
| vosotros/as | descifráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | descifran |
How the present indicative of descifrar is formed
The present indicative of descifrar 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 | descifro |
| tú | -as | descifras |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | descifra |
| nosotros/as | -amos | desciframos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | descifráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | descifran |
Descifrar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is descifr- 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 descifrar is descifrando and the past participle is descifrado. 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 descifrar
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and descifrar 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 descifrar fits naturally into daily life.
“Yo descifro el código secreto del mensaje todos los días.” — “I decipher the secret code in the message 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 descifra la letra de la carta antigua.” — “He/she deciphers the handwriting in the old letter.”
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 descifro can mean both “I decipher” and “I am deciphering”.
“Ahora mismo, yo descifro el enigma del libro.” — “Right now, I decipher the riddle in the book.”
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 descifro el jeroglífico del museo.” — “Tomorrow, I will decipher the hieroglyph in the museum.”
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 descifras el código secreto del mensaje?” — “Do you decipher the secret code in the message?”
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: Descifra la letra de la carta antigua. — “He/she deciphers the handwriting in the old letter.”
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Descifró la letra de la carta antigua. — 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: Descifran el enigma del libro. — “They decipher the riddle in the book.”
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Descifraban el enigma del libro. — 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: Descifras el jeroglífico del museo. — “You decipher the hieroglyph in the museum.”
- Future — what will happen: Descifrarás el jeroglífico del museo. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: descifrar in the present tense
Seven sentences that show descifrar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo descifro el código secreto del mensaje. — “I decipher the secret code in the message.”
- Tú descifras la letra de la carta antigua. — “You decipher the handwriting in the old letter.”
- Él descifra el enigma del libro. — “He deciphers the riddle in the book.”
- Nosotros desciframos el jeroglífico del museo. — “We decipher the hieroglyph in the museum.”
- Vosotros descifráis el código secreto del mensaje. — “You (plural) decipher the secret code in the message.”
- Ellos descifran la letra de la carta antigua. — “They decipher the handwriting in the old letter.”
- ¿Tú descifras el enigma del libro? — “Do you decipher the riddle in the book?”
Common mistakes with descifrar in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with descifrar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ Yo descifrar el código secreto del mensaje. (using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form).
✓ Correct: Yo descifro el código secreto del mensaje.
The infinitive is not a conjugated form. With yo, the present tense of descifrar is descifro, not the infinitive descifrar.
✗ Vosotros descifrais el código secreto del mensaje. (forgetting the accent on the vosotros form).
✓ Correct: Vosotros descifráis el código secreto del mensaje.
The vosotros present form carries a written accent: descifráis, not descifrais. The accent marks the stressed vowel, and leaving it out is a spelling mistake.
✗ Ayer, yo descifro la letra de la carta antigua. (using the present for a finished past action).
✓ Correct: Ayer, yo descifré la letra de la carta antigua.
The present and the preterite are different tenses: descifro is happening now, while descifré is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
✗ Treating descifrar and interpretar as identical in every context. (confusing descifrar with interpretar).
✓ Correct: Descifrar means to decipher, while interpretar means to interpret.
They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: descifrar fits sentences such as Descifro el código secreto del mensaje, while interpretar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Quiz: descifrar in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of descifrar. 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 descifrar for tú?
- a) descifras
- b) descifro
- c) descifra
- d) descifran
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el código secreto del mensaje. — “I decipher the secret code in the message.”
- a) descifra
- b) desciframos
- c) descifras
- d) descifro
3. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la letra de la carta antigua. — “He/she deciphers the handwriting in the old letter.” (present tense)
- a) descifraba
- b) descifrará
- c) descifra
- d) descifró
4. Which is the correct present tense form of descifrar for nosotros?
- a) descifran
- b) desciframos
- c) descifro
- d) descifra
5. Which sentence uses descifrar correctly in the present tense?
- a) Él descifró la letra de la carta antigua.
- b) Él descifra la letra de la carta antigua.
- c) Él descifrará la letra de la carta antigua.
- d) Ellos descifra la letra de la carta antigua.
6. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ el enigma del libro. — “They decipher the riddle in the book.”
- a) descifro
- b) descifra
- c) desciframos
- d) descifran
7. Complete the question: ¿Tú ______ el jeroglífico del museo? — “Do you decipher the hieroglyph in the museum?”
- a) descifra
- b) descifrarás
- c) descifras
- d) descifro
8. What is the gerund of descifrar?
- a) descifré
- b) descifrando
- c) descifrado
- d) descifro
Answer key
a) descifras — The tú form is descifras. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; descifro is yo, descifra is él/ella and descifran is ellos/ellas.
d) descifro — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: descifro. The other options are the wrong person.
c) descifra — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: descifra. The other options are the preterite, the imperfect and the future.
b) desciframos — Nosotros takes desciframos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem.
b) Él descifra la letra de la carta antigua. — Él descifra la letra de la carta antigua. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) descifran — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is descifran.
c) descifras — The question needs the tú form in the present: descifras.
b) descifrando — The gerund is descifrando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle descifrado.
Frequently asked questions
Is descifrar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Descifrar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the forms follow the standard endings: descifro, descifras, descifra, desciframos, descifráis and descifran.
What is the gerund and the past participle of descifrar?
The gerund is descifrando and the past participle is descifrado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say “I decipher” in Spanish?
Say descifro. For example: Descifro el código secreto del mensaje. — “I decipher the secret code in the message.”
What is the difference between descifrar and interpretar?
Descifrar means “to decipher”, while interpretar means “to interpret”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use descifrar when you mean “to decipher” and interpretar when you mean “to interpret”. The full conjugation of descifrar is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of descifrar — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- descifrar examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a longer quiz.
- Spanish Present tense guide — how the present tense works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Derivar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with descifrar.
- Denunciar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with descifrar.
- Dialogar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with descifrar.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise this verb in the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on Spanish verbs.