Distinguir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of distinguir — “to distinguish” 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 distinguir 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. Distinguir means to distinguish, and it is used for telling two things apart and for standing out: distinguir a los gemelos, distinguirse en el trabajo. It is a -guir verb: the u drops before o and a, so yo distingo and the subjunctive distinga. To see it in a real sentence: Distingo a los gemelos en clase. — “I distinguish the twins in class.”
Present tense conjugation table: distinguir
Every person of distinguir in the present tense. The gerund is distinguiendo and the past participle is distinguido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | distingo |
| tú | distingues |
| él/ella/Ud. | distingue |
| nosotros/as | distinguimos |
| vosotros/as | distinguís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | distinguen |
The gerund is distinguiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy distinguiendo” means the action of distinguir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is distinguido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he distinguido” 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 distinguir is used.
How the present of distinguir is formed
The present of distinguir is built from the stem distingu plus the present endings for -ir verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ir 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 | distingo |
| tú | -es | distingues |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | distingue |
| nosotros/as | -imos | distinguimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | distinguís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | distinguen |
distinguir is not fully regular in form: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is distingo and distingue, and the gerund is distinguiendo. The endings in the table above are the regular -ir endings, so once you know the pattern, the whole tense follows. The forms that show the pattern most clearly are distingo and distingue.
The gerund of distinguir is distinguiendo and the past participle is distinguido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of distinguir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use distinguir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of distinguir is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and distinguir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Distingo a los gemelos en clase.” — I distinguish the twins in class.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what distinguir means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Distingue el bien del mal.” — He/she distinguishes good from evil.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Distingo los colores en la oscuridad.” — I distinguish colours in the dark.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and distinguir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros distinguimos a su hermano por la voz.” — Tomorrow, we distinguish his brother by his voice.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Distingues el bien del mal?” — Do you distinguish good from evil?
The present vs the preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Distingo a los gemelos en clase.” — I distinguish the twins in class.
Preterite: “Distinguí a los gemelos en clase.” — I distinguished the twins in class.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Distingue el bien del mal.” — He/she distinguishes good from evil.
Preterite: “Distinguió el bien del mal.” — He/she distinguished good from evil.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Distinguimos los colores en la oscuridad.” — We distinguish colours in the dark.
Preterite: “Distinguimos los colores en la oscuridad.” — We distinguished colours in the dark.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: distinguir 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.
“Distingo a los gemelos en clase.” — I distinguish the twins in class.
“Distingues el bien del mal.” — You distinguish good from evil.
“Distingue los colores en la oscuridad.” — He/she distinguishes colours in the dark.
“Distinguimos a su hermano por la voz.” — We distinguish his brother by his voice.
“Distinguís a los gemelos en clase.” — You distinguish the twins in class.
“Distinguen el bien del mal.” — They distinguish good from evil.
“Distingo los colores en la oscuridad.” — I distinguish colours in the dark.
“Distingue a su hermano por la voz.” — He/she distinguishes his brother by his voice.
Common mistakes with distinguir in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo distingue a los gemelos en clase.” Right: “Yo distingo a los gemelos en clase.” Why: Yo needs the yo form distingo. The form distingue belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo distinguo el bien del mal.” Right: “Yo distingo el bien del mal.” Why: Distinguir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is distingo and distingue, and the gerund is distinguiendo, so the first-person present is distingo, not distinguo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo distingo el bien del mal.” Right: “Ayer yo distinguí el bien del mal.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to distinguí.
Wrong: “Ellos distingue el bien del mal.” Right: “Ellos distinguen el bien del mal.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form distinguen. The singular distingue belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: distinguir in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ a los gemelos en clase.”
- (a) distingo
- (b) distingues
- (c) distingue
Answer: distingo — The yo form of distinguir in the present is distingo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el bien del mal.”
- (a) distingo
- (b) distingue
- (c) distingues
Answer: distingues — The tú form of distinguir in the present is distingues.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ los colores en la oscuridad.”
- (a) distingues
- (b) distingue
- (c) distingo
Answer: distingue — The él/ella form of distinguir in the present is distingue.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ a su hermano por la voz.”
- (a) distinguimos
- (b) distingo
- (c) distingues
Answer: distinguimos — The nosotros/as form of distinguir in the present is distinguimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ a los gemelos en clase.”
- (a) distingo
- (b) distingues
- (c) distinguís
Answer: distinguís — The vosotros/as form of distinguir in the present is distinguís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ el bien del mal.”
- (a) distingues
- (b) distinguen
- (c) distingo
Answer: distinguen — The ellos/ellas form of distinguir in the present is distinguen.
7. What does distinguir mean in English?
- (a) to distinguish
- (b) to differentiate
- (c) to be about
Answer: to distinguish — Distinguir means to distinguish.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Distinguí a los gemelos en clase.
- (b) Distinguiré a los gemelos en clase.
- (c) Distingo a los gemelos en clase.
Answer: Distingo a los gemelos en clase. — “Distingo a los gemelos en clase.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is distinguir regular in the present?
Distinguir is a spelling-change verb in the present: it is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is distingo and distingue, and the gerund is distinguiendo. The endings are the regular -ir endings, so the table above follows the pattern exactly.
What is the gerund and the past participle of distinguir?
The gerund is distinguiendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy distinguiendo. The past participle is distinguido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he distinguido.
What should I watch out for with distinguir?
Distinguir is a -guir verb: the u drops before o and a, so yo distingo and the subjunctive distinga. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is distingo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise distinguir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the distinguir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of distinguir — every tense of distinguir in one place.
- Distinguir examples and quiz — more sentences with distinguir and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on distinguir and other verbs.