Devolver Present Tense in Spanish
Introduction
devolver means "to return (something)" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for devolver, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca. — "Every day, I return the book to the library." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of devolver: full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| Yo | devuelvo |
| Tú | devuelves |
| Él / Ella | devuelve |
| Nosotros | devolvemos |
| Vosotros | devolvéis |
| Ellos | devuelven |
The gerund of devolver is devolviendo and the past participle is devuelto. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy devolviendo), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he devuelto).
How the present tense of devolver is formed
The present tense of devolver is built from the stem devolv- plus the regular -er endings: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. Take the infinitive, remove the -er ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo devuelvo, tú devuelves, él devuelve, nosotros devolvemos, vosotros devolvéis and ellos devuelven. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
Devolver is a stem-changing verb: the stem vowel changes (o → ue) in the stressed forms — yo, tú, él and ellos. That is why you see devuelvo, devuelves, devuelve and devuelven, while the nosotros and vosotros forms keep the original stem: devolvemos and devolvéis. This is the single most important thing to memorise about devolver: learn the four changed forms first, and the other two follow the regular pattern.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is devolviendo, used for the progressive with estar: estoy devolviendo. The past participle is devuelto, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he devuelto. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with devolver
1. Returning a library book
Devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca is the most ordinary use of this verb. It means you give back what you borrowed, and it is a sentence about responsibility and routine. For example: Yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca. — "I return the book to the library."
2. Returning money
Devuelvo el dinero a mi amigo shows the verb with a personal debt. It means you pay back what you owe, and it is a sentence about trust between friends. For example: Tú devuelves el dinero a mi amigo. — "You return the money to my friend."
3. Returning a call
Devuelvo la llamada de mi madre is the telephone use: it means you call back. It is one of the most frequent sentences in everyday Spanish. For example: Él / Ella devuelve la llamada de mi madre. — "He / She returns my mother's call."
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example, to talk about tomorrow's plan you can use the future — Mañana, yo devolveré el favor con ayuda. — "Tomorrow, I will return the favour with help." — but in conversation you will also hear the present used the same way.
5. General truths and routines
Finally, the present tense states general truths and routines: what usually happens, what is always true, what people normally do. It is the tense of habits and of facts that do not belong to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él / ella devuelve el libro a la biblioteca. — "Normally, he / she returns the book to the library."
Present vs preterite: devolver
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with devolver.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca. — "Every day, I return the book to the library."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo devolví el libro a la biblioteca. — "Yesterday, I returned the book to the library."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo devuelvo el dinero a mi amigo. — "Every day, I return the money to my friend."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo devolví el dinero a mi amigo. — "Yesterday, I returned the money to my friend."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo devuelvo la llamada de mi madre. — "Every day, I return my mother's call."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo devolví la llamada de mi madre. — "Yesterday, I returned my mother's call."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: devolver in the present tense
These six sentences show devolver in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca. — "I return the book to the library."
- Tú devuelves el dinero a mi amigo. — "You return the money to my friend."
- Él / Ella devuelve la llamada de mi madre. — "He / She returns my mother's call."
- Nosotros devolvemos el favor con ayuda. — "We return the favour with help."
- Vosotros devolvéis el libro a la biblioteca. — "You return the book to the library."
- Ellos devuelven el dinero a mi amigo. — "They return the money to my friend."
Common mistakes with devolver in the present tense
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo devolvo el libro.
- Right: Yo devuelvo el libro.
- Why: Devolver is a stem-changing verb: o becomes ue in the stressed forms. The yo form is devuelvo, not devolvo.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: He devolvido el libro.
- Right: He devuelto el libro.
- Why: The past participle is devuelto, not devolvido. It is one of the irregular participles you have to memorise: devuelto, like vuelto and puesto.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Devolver es lo mismo que regresar.
- Right: Devolver means to return something; regresar means to return somewhere.
- Why: Devolver takes an object: devuelvo el libro. Regresar takes a place: regreso a casa. The two verbs are not interchangeable.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca.
- Right: Ayer, yo devolví el libro a la biblioteca.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo devolveis el libro a la biblioteca.
- Right: Yo devolvéis el libro a la biblioteca.
- Why: The form is devolvéis, with a written accent. The accent is part of the spelling, and without it the word is misspelled.
Quiz: the present tense of devolver
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of devolver. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of devolver in the present tense?
- (a) devuelvo
- (b) devuelves
- (c) devuelve
- (d) devolvemos
Answer: (a) devuelvo. The i form is devuelvo. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the you form of devolver in the present tense?
- (a) devuelvo
- (b) devuelve
- (c) devolvemos
- (d) devuelves
Answer: (d) devuelves. The you form is devuelves. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the he / she form of devolver in the present tense?
- (a) devuelves
- (b) devolvemos
- (c) devuelve
- (d) devuelvo
Answer: (c) devuelve. The he / she form is devuelve. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the we form of devolver in the present tense?
- (a) devuelve
- (b) devolvemos
- (c) devuelvo
- (d) devuelves
Answer: (b) devolvemos. The we form is devolvemos. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the they form of devolver in the present tense?
- (a) devuelven
- (b) devuelvo
- (c) devuelves
- (d) devuelve
Answer: (a) devuelven. The they form is devuelven. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ el libro a la biblioteca.
- (a) devuelve
- (b) devolvemos
- (c) devuelvo
- (d) devuelves
Answer: (c) devuelvo. The sentence needs the yo form devuelvo (Every day, I return the book to the library.)
7. What is the gerund of devolver?
- (a) devuelto
- (b) devolver
- (c) devuelve
- (d) devolviendo
Answer: (d) devolviendo. The gerund is devolviendo, used for the progressive: estoy devolviendo.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo devuelvo el dinero a mi amigo.
- (b) Antes, yo devolvía el dinero a mi amigo.
- (c) Ayer, yo devolví el dinero a mi amigo.
- (d) Mañana, yo devolveré el dinero a mi amigo.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo devuelvo el dinero a mi amigo.. Cada día, yo devuelvo el dinero a mi amigo. (Every day, I return the money to my friend.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo devolví el dinero a mi amigo. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo devolveré el dinero a mi amigo. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of devolver
Is devolver a stem-changing verb?
Yes. The stem changes from o to ue in the stressed present forms: devuelvo, devuelves, devuelve, devuelven. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep o: devolvemos, devolvéis.
What is the past participle of devolver?
Devuelto. All the perfect tenses use it: he devuelto, había devuelto, habré devuelto. Do not write devolvido.
What is the difference between devolver and regresar?
Devolver returns a thing: devuelvo el libro. Regresar returns a person to a place: regreso a casa. One takes an object, the other takes a destination.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with devolver?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo devuelvo el libro a la biblioteca. — "Every day, I return the book to the library." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo devolví el libro a la biblioteca. — "Yesterday, I returned the book to the library." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.