Introduction

descontar means “to discount”, and this page covers exactly one thing: descontar 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 descontar, 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 descontar in the present. For example: “Yo descuento diez euros del precio todos los días.” — “I discount ten euros from the price.” Everything on this page uses the forms of descontar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

descontar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo descuento
tú descuentas
él/ella/Ud. descuenta
nosotros/as descontamos
vosotros/as descontáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. descuentan

Gerund: descontando · Past participle: descontado

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

How the present of descontar is formed

descontar is a -ar verb. Take the stem descont and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving descuento, descuentas, descuenta, descontamos, descontáis and descuentan. But descontar is not fully regular here: it changes its stem (o → ue), so the stem in the table is not the infinitive stem in several persons. Learn the six forms as a set rather than building them from the infinitive each time.

The present of descontar rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form descuento 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 descontamos and the ellos form descuentan 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 descontar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use descontar 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

descontar in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about ten euros from the price is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo descuento diez euros del precio cada día.” — “I discount ten euros from the price.”

2. A fact or general truth

General truths about ten euros from the price also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él descuenta diez euros del precio siempre.” — “He discounts ten euros from the price.”

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 descontamos diez euros del precio ahora mismo.” — “We discount ten euros from the price.”

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 descuentan diez euros del precio mañana.” — “They discount ten euros from the price.”

5. Instructions and explanations

When you explain how something works — how to talk about ten euros from the price — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú descuentas diez euros del precio normalmente.” — “you discount ten euros from the price.”

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 descuento diez euros del precio cada día.” — “I discount ten euros from the price.”

  • Preterite: “Yo desconté diez euros del precio ayer.” — “I discounted ten euros from the price.”

  • 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 descuenta diez euros del precio siempre.” — “He discounts ten euros from the price.”

  • Preterite: “Él descontó diez euros del precio ayer.” — “He discounted ten euros from the price.”

  • 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 descontamos diez euros del precio todos los días.” — “We discount ten euros from the price.”

  • Preterite: “Nosotros descontamos diez euros del precio ayer.” — “We discounted ten euros from the price.”

  • 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: descontar 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 descuento diez euros del precio cada día.” — “I discount ten euros from the price.”
  2. “Tú descuentas diez euros del precio cada día.” — “you discount ten euros from the price.”
  3. “Él descuenta diez euros del precio siempre.” — “He discounts ten euros from the price.”
  4. “Nosotros descontamos diez euros del precio todos los días.” — “We discount ten euros from the price.”
  5. “Vosotros descontáis diez euros del precio cada semana.” — “You discount ten euros from the price.”
  6. “Ellos descuentan diez euros del precio normalmente.” — “They discount ten euros from the price.”
  7. “Yo descuento diez euros del precio ahora mismo.” — “I discount ten euros from the price.”
  8. “Él descuenta diez euros del precio cada día.” — “He discounts ten euros from the price.”

Common mistakes

Using the unchanged stem

Learners often write desconto for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is descuento. Because descontar changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo descuento diez euros del precio — until the changed stem feels natural.

Confusing descontar with descubrir

descontar 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 descontar — discount — the sentence needs descontar; 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 descuente diez euros del precio. Using the indicative — Espero que yo descuento — is one of the most frequent learner errors with descontar. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Using the unchanged stem

Learners often write desconto for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is descuento. Because descontar changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo descuento diez euros del precio — until the changed stem feels natural.

Using the wrong tense for descontar

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 descontar in the present tense?

  • A. descuentas
  • B. descuenta
  • C. descontamos
  • D. descuento

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

  • A. descuentas
  • B. descuento
  • C. descuenta
  • D. descontamos

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

  • A. descontamos
  • B. descuenta
  • C. descuento
  • D. descuentas

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

  • A. descuentas
  • B. descuenta
  • C. descontamos
  • D. descuento

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

  • A. descuento
  • B. descuentas
  • C. descuenta
  • D. descontáis

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

  • A. descuentan
  • B. descuento
  • C. descuentas
  • D. descuenta

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

  • A. descontamos
  • B. descuento
  • C. descuentas
  • D. descuenta

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

  • A. descuentas
  • B. descontamos
  • C. descuenta
  • D. descuento

Answer key

  1. descuento — The present table gives yo = descuento.
  2. descuentas — The present table gives tu = descuentas.
  3. descuenta — The present table gives el = descuenta.
  4. descontamos — The present table gives nosotros = descontamos.
  5. descontáis — The present table gives vosotros = descontáis.
  6. descuentan — The present table gives ellos = descuentan.
  7. descuento — The present table gives yo = descuento.
  8. descuenta — The present table gives el = descuenta.

Frequently asked questions

How do you form the present of descontar?

Take the stem descont and add the present endings for -ar verbs. The six forms are descuento, descuentas, descuenta, descontamos, descontáis and descuentan. Remember the stem change (o → ue) where it applies. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.

When should I use the present of descontar?

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 descontar?

The present form for yo is descuento and the preterite form is desconté — 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 descontar regular in the present?

No — descontar is irregular in the present, so learn the six forms in the table as a set. The full conjugation of descontar is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.

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