Introduction
desconocer means “to not know, to be unaware of”, and this page covers exactly one thing: desconocer 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 desconocer, 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 desconocer in the present. For example: “Yo desconozco la respuesta todos los días.” — “I not know the answer.” Everything on this page uses the forms of desconocer exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
desconocer in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | desconozco |
| tú | desconoces |
| él/ella/Ud. | desconoce |
| nosotros/as | desconocemos |
| vosotros/as | desconocéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desconocen |
Gerund: desconociendo · Past participle: desconocido
The gerund is desconociendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy desconociendo” means the action of desconocer is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is desconocido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he desconocido” 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 desconocer is used.
How the present of desconocer is formed
desconocer is a -er verb. Take the stem desconoc and add the present endings for -er verbs: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en, giving desconozco, desconoces, desconoce, desconocemos, desconocéis and desconocen. desconocer is regular in the present, so once you know the endings you can build all six forms from the stem.
The present of desconocer rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form desconozco 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 desconocemos and the ellos form desconocen 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 desconocer
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use desconocer 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
desconocer in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about the answer is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo desconozco la respuesta cada día.” — “I not know the answer.”
2. A fact or general truth
General truths about the answer also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él desconoce la respuesta siempre.” — “He nots know the answer.”
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 desconocemos la respuesta ahora mismo.” — “We not know the answer.”
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 desconocen la respuesta mañana.” — “They not know the answer.”
5. Instructions and explanations
When you explain how something works — how to talk about the answer — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú desconoces la respuesta normalmente.” — “you not know the answer.”
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 desconozco la respuesta cada día.” — “I not know the answer.”
Preterite: “Yo desconocí la respuesta ayer.” — “I noted know the answer.”
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 desconoce la respuesta siempre.” — “He nots know the answer.”
Preterite: “Él desconoció la respuesta ayer.” — “He noted know the answer.”
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 desconocemos la respuesta todos los días.” — “We not know the answer.”
Preterite: “Nosotros desconocimos la respuesta ayer.” — “We noted know the answer.”
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: desconocer 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.
- “Yo desconozco la respuesta cada día.” — “I not know the answer.”
- “Tú desconoces la respuesta cada día.” — “you not know the answer.”
- “Él desconoce la respuesta siempre.” — “He nots know the answer.”
- “Nosotros desconocemos la respuesta todos los días.” — “We not know the answer.”
- “Vosotros desconocéis la respuesta cada semana.” — “You not know the answer.”
- “Ellos desconocen la respuesta normalmente.” — “They not know the answer.”
- “Yo desconozco la respuesta ahora mismo.” — “I not know the answer.”
- “Él desconoce la respuesta cada día.” — “He nots know the answer.”
Common mistakes
Using the unchanged stem
Learners often write desconoco for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is desconozco. Because desconocer changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo desconozco la respuesta — until the changed stem feels natural.
Confusing desconocer with descubrir
desconocer 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 desconocer — not know — the sentence needs desconocer; 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 desconozca la respuesta. Using the indicative — Espero que yo desconozco — is one of the most frequent learner errors with desconocer. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.
Using the unchanged stem
Learners often write desconoco for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is desconozco. Because desconocer changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo desconozco la respuesta — until the changed stem feels natural.
Using the wrong tense for desconocer
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 desconocer in the present tense?
- A. desconoces
- B. desconoce
- C. desconocemos
- D. desconozco
2. What is the tu form of desconocer in the present tense?
- A. desconoces
- B. desconozco
- C. desconoce
- D. desconocemos
3. What is the el form of desconocer in the present tense?
- A. desconocemos
- B. desconoce
- C. desconozco
- D. desconoces
4. What is the nosotros form of desconocer in the present tense?
- A. desconoces
- B. desconoce
- C. desconocemos
- D. desconozco
5. What is the vosotros form of desconocer in the present tense?
- A. desconozco
- B. desconoces
- C. desconoce
- D. desconocéis
6. What is the ellos form of desconocer in the present tense?
- A. desconocen
- B. desconozco
- C. desconoces
- D. desconoce
7. What is the yo form of desconocer in the present tense?
- A. desconocemos
- B. desconozco
- C. desconoces
- D. desconoce
8. What is the el form of desconocer in the present tense?
- A. desconoces
- B. desconocemos
- C. desconoce
- D. desconozco
Answer key
- desconozco — The present table gives yo = desconozco.
- desconoces — The present table gives tu = desconoces.
- desconoce — The present table gives el = desconoce.
- desconocemos — The present table gives nosotros = desconocemos.
- desconocéis — The present table gives vosotros = desconocéis.
- desconocen — The present table gives ellos = desconocen.
- desconozco — The present table gives yo = desconozco.
- desconoce — The present table gives el = desconoce.
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the present of desconocer?
Take the stem desconoc and add the present endings for -er verbs. The six forms are desconozco, desconoces, desconoce, desconocemos, desconocéis and desconocen. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.
When should I use the present of desconocer?
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 desconocer?
The present form for yo is desconozco and the preterite form is desconocí — 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 desconocer regular in the present?
Yes — desconocer is regular in the present and follows the standard -er endings. The full conjugation of desconocer is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.
Related links
- desconocer conjugation — the full conjugation of desconocer in every tense.
- desconocer examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a second quiz.
- Spanish present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub with every verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present tense.
- Verb quiz — practise conjugations with timed questions.