Introduction
desplazar means “to move, to displace”, and this page covers exactly one thing: desplazar 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 desplazar, 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 desplazar in the present. For example: “Yo desplazo la mesa todos los días.” — “I move the table.” Everything on this page uses the forms of desplazar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
desplazar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | desplazo |
| tú | desplazas |
| él/ella/Ud. | desplaza |
| nosotros/as | desplazamos |
| vosotros/as | desplazáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | desplazan |
Gerund: desplazando · Past participle: desplazado
The gerund is desplazando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy desplazando” means the action of desplazar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is desplazado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he desplazado” 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 desplazar is used.
How the present of desplazar is formed
desplazar is a -ar verb. Take the stem desplaz and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving desplazo, desplazas, desplaza, desplazamos, desplazáis and desplazan. desplazar is regular in the present, so once you know the endings you can build all six forms from the stem.
The present of desplazar rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form desplazo 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 desplazamos and the ellos form desplazan 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 desplazar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use desplazar 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
desplazar in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about the table is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo desplazo la mesa cada día.” — “I move the table.”
2. A fact or general truth
General truths about the table also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él desplaza la mesa siempre.” — “He moves the table.”
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 desplazamos la mesa ahora mismo.” — “We move the table.”
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 desplazan la mesa mañana.” — “They move the table.”
5. Instructions and explanations
When you explain how something works — how to talk about the table — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú desplazas la mesa normalmente.” — “you move the table.”
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 desplazo la mesa cada día.” — “I move the table.”
Preterite: “Yo desplacé la mesa ayer.” — “I moved the table.”
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 desplaza la mesa siempre.” — “He moves the table.”
Preterite: “Él desplazó la mesa ayer.” — “He moved the table.”
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 desplazamos la mesa todos los días.” — “We move the table.”
Preterite: “Nosotros desplazamos la mesa ayer.” — “We moved the table.”
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: desplazar 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 desplazo la mesa cada día.” — “I move the table.”
- “Tú desplazas la mesa cada día.” — “you move the table.”
- “Él desplaza la mesa siempre.” — “He moves the table.”
- “Nosotros desplazamos la mesa todos los días.” — “We move the table.”
- “Vosotros desplazáis la mesa cada semana.” — “You move the table.”
- “Ellos desplazan la mesa normalmente.” — “They move the table.”
- “Yo desplazo la mesa ahora mismo.” — “I move the table.”
- “Él desplaza la mesa cada día.” — “He moves the table.”
Common mistakes
Confusing desplazar with descubrir
desplazar 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 desplazar — move — the sentence needs desplazar; 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 desplace la mesa. Using the indicative — Espero que yo desplazo — is one of the most frequent learner errors with desplazar. 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 desplacé, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — desplace — 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 desplazar.
Mixing up present and preterite nosotros
For desplazar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: desplazamos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.
Using the wrong tense for desplazar
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 desplazar in the present tense?
- A. desplazas
- B. desplaza
- C. desplazamos
- D. desplazo
2. What is the tu form of desplazar in the present tense?
- A. desplazas
- B. desplazo
- C. desplaza
- D. desplazamos
3. What is the el form of desplazar in the present tense?
- A. desplazamos
- B. desplaza
- C. desplazo
- D. desplazas
4. What is the nosotros form of desplazar in the present tense?
- A. desplazas
- B. desplaza
- C. desplazamos
- D. desplazo
5. What is the vosotros form of desplazar in the present tense?
- A. desplazo
- B. desplazas
- C. desplaza
- D. desplazáis
6. What is the ellos form of desplazar in the present tense?
- A. desplazan
- B. desplazo
- C. desplazas
- D. desplaza
7. What is the yo form of desplazar in the present tense?
- A. desplazamos
- B. desplazo
- C. desplazas
- D. desplaza
8. What is the el form of desplazar in the present tense?
- A. desplazas
- B. desplazamos
- C. desplaza
- D. desplazo
Answer key
- desplazo — The present table gives yo = desplazo.
- desplazas — The present table gives tu = desplazas.
- desplaza — The present table gives el = desplaza.
- desplazamos — The present table gives nosotros = desplazamos.
- desplazáis — The present table gives vosotros = desplazáis.
- desplazan — The present table gives ellos = desplazan.
- desplazo — The present table gives yo = desplazo.
- desplaza — The present table gives el = desplaza.
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the present of desplazar?
Take the stem desplaz and add the present endings for -ar verbs. The six forms are desplazo, desplazas, desplaza, desplazamos, desplazáis and desplazan. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.
When should I use the present of desplazar?
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 desplazar?
The present form for yo is desplazo and the preterite form is desplacé — 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 desplazar regular in the present?
Yes — desplazar is regular in the present and follows the standard -ar endings. The full conjugation of desplazar is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.
Related links
- desplazar conjugation — the full conjugation of desplazar in every tense.
- desplazar 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.