Distribuir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of distribuir — “to distribute” 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 distribuir 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. Distribuir means to distribute, and it is used for handing out food, money, leaflets and work: distribuir la comida, distribuir el trabajo. It is a -uir verb: yo distribuyo, él distribuye, with y before the vowel endings. To see it in a real sentence: Distribuyo la comida entre los niños. — “I distribute food among the children.”
Present tense conjugation table: distribuir
Every person of distribuir in the present tense. The gerund is distribuyendo and the past participle is distribuido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | distribuyo |
| tú | distribuyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | distribuye |
| nosotros/as | distribuimos |
| vosotros/as | distribuís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | distribuyen |
The gerund is distribuyendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy distribuyendo” means the action of distribuir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is distribuido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he distribuido” 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 distribuir is used.
How the present of distribuir is formed
The present of distribuir is built from the stem distribu 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 | distribuyo |
| tú | -es | distribuyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | distribuye |
| nosotros/as | -imos | distribuimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | distribuís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | distribuyen |
distribuir 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 distribuyo and distribuye, and the gerund is distribuyendo. 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 distribuyo and distribuye.
The gerund of distribuir is distribuyendo and the past participle is distribuido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of distribuir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use distribuir 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 distribuir 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 distribuir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” — I distribute food among the children.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what distribuir 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: “Distribuye el trabajo en el equipo.” — He/she distributes work in the team.
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: “Distribuyo folletos en la calle.” — I distribute leaflets in the street.
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 distribuir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros distribuimos el dinero entre todos.” — Tomorrow, we distribute money among everyone.
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: “¿Distribuyes el trabajo en el equipo?” — Do you distribute work in the team?
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: “Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” — I distribute food among the children.
Preterite: “Distribuí la comida entre los niños.” — I distributed food among the children.
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: “Distribuye el trabajo en el equipo.” — He/she distributes work in the team.
Preterite: “Distribuyó el trabajo en el equipo.” — He/she distributed work in the team.
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: “Distribuimos folletos en la calle.” — We distribute leaflets in the street.
Preterite: “Distribuimos folletos en la calle.” — We distributed leaflets in the street.
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: distribuir 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.
“Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” — I distribute food among the children.
“Distribuyes el trabajo en el equipo.” — You distribute work in the team.
“Distribuye folletos en la calle.” — He/she distributes leaflets in the street.
“Distribuimos el dinero entre todos.” — We distribute money among everyone.
“Distribuís la comida entre los niños.” — You distribute food among the children.
“Distribuyen el trabajo en el equipo.” — They distribute work in the team.
“Distribuyo folletos en la calle.” — I distribute leaflets in the street.
“Distribuye el dinero entre todos.” — He/she distributes money among everyone.
Common mistakes with distribuir 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 distribuye la comida entre los niños.” Right: “Yo distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” Why: Yo needs the yo form distribuyo. The form distribuye belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo distribuo el trabajo en el equipo.” Right: “Yo distribuyo el trabajo en el equipo.” Why: Distribuir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is distribuyo and distribuye, and the gerund is distribuyendo, so the first-person present is distribuyo, not distribuo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo distribuyo el trabajo en el equipo.” Right: “Ayer yo distribuí el trabajo en el equipo.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to distribuí.
Wrong: “Ellos distribuye el trabajo en el equipo.” Right: “Ellos distribuyen el trabajo en el equipo.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form distribuyen. The singular distribuye belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: distribuir 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 ___ la comida entre los niños.”
- (a) distribuyo
- (b) distribuyes
- (c) distribuye
Answer: distribuyo — The yo form of distribuir in the present is distribuyo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el trabajo en el equipo.”
- (a) distribuyo
- (b) distribuye
- (c) distribuyes
Answer: distribuyes — The tú form of distribuir in the present is distribuyes.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ folletos en la calle.”
- (a) distribuyes
- (b) distribuye
- (c) distribuyo
Answer: distribuye — The él/ella form of distribuir in the present is distribuye.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ el dinero entre todos.”
- (a) distribuimos
- (b) distribuyo
- (c) distribuyes
Answer: distribuimos — The nosotros/as form of distribuir in the present is distribuimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ la comida entre los niños.”
- (a) distribuyo
- (b) distribuyes
- (c) distribuís
Answer: distribuís — The vosotros/as form of distribuir in the present is distribuís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ el trabajo en el equipo.”
- (a) distribuyes
- (b) distribuyen
- (c) distribuyo
Answer: distribuyen — The ellos/ellas form of distribuir in the present is distribuyen.
7. What does distribuir mean in English?
- (a) to distribute
- (b) to share out
- (c) to be about
Answer: to distribute — Distribuir means to distribute.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Distribuí la comida entre los niños.
- (b) Distribuiré la comida entre los niños.
- (c) Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.
Answer: Distribuyo la comida entre los niños. — “Distribuyo la comida entre los niños.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is distribuir regular in the present?
Distribuir 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 distribuyo and distribuye, and the gerund is distribuyendo. The endings are the regular -ir endings, so the table above follows the pattern exactly.
What is the gerund and the past participle of distribuir?
The gerund is distribuyendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy distribuyendo. The past participle is distribuido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he distribuido.
What should I watch out for with distribuir?
Distribuir is a -uir verb: yo distribuyo, él distribuye, with y before the vowel endings. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is distribuyo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise distribuir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the distribuir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of distribuir — every tense of distribuir in one place.
- Distribuir examples and quiz — more sentences with distribuir 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 distribuir and other verbs.