Dominar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of dominar — «to dominate, to master» — is the form you will reach for most often. It talks about habits, facts and what is happening right now, and it is the first tense to master for this verb. dominar is a regular -ar verb verb, so the present follows the -ar endings. On this page you will find the full present-tense table, how the forms are built, five usage rules with examples, a comparison with the preterite, more example sentences, the mistakes learners make in this tense, an eight-question quiz and answers to common questions. A good first sentence is «Yo domino todos los días» — I dominate every day.

Dominar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo domino
tú dominas
él/ella/Ud. domina
nosotros/as dominamos
vosotros/as domináis
ellos/ellas/Uds. dominan

Gerund: dominando · Past participle: dominado

How the present tense of dominar is formed

Take the stem domin — the infinitive dominar without its -ar ending — and add the present endings. The table below shows the build for every person, using the actual stem of each form:

Person Stem Ending Form
yo domin -o domino
tú domin -as dominas
él/ella/Ud. domin -a domina
nosotros/as domin -amos dominamos
vosotros/as domin -áis domináis
ellos/ellas/Uds. domin -an dominan

The present is the only tense where the yo form ends in -o for all three verb classes, which makes it a useful anchor: if you know domino, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of dominar

1. Daily routines and habits

The most common use: things you do regularly. Time words like todos los días, siempre and a veces are the giveaway.

Yo domino todos los días. — I dominate every day.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. No time expression is needed — the statement stands on its own.

Él domina con mi familia. — He dominates with my family.

3. What is happening right now

For an action in progress, the present works on its own in Spanish, and you can also use estar + the gerund dominando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros dominamos por la mañana. — We dominate in the morning.

4. Scheduled near-future plans

Spanish often uses the present for a fixed plan in the near future, where English would say «going to». A time expression such as mañana or la semana que viene makes the future meaning clear.

Tú dominas en el trabajo. — You dominate at work.

5. Narrating and commenting

The present is the tense of live commentary and of stories told as if they were happening now. It keeps the listener in the moment, and it is the tense of instructions and explanations.

Ellos dominan a veces. — They dominate sometimes.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The present and the preterite answer different questions. The present says what happens in general or what is happening now; the preterite says what happened once and is over. Compare the pairs below — same verb, different time frame:

  • Present: Yo domino todos los días. — I dominate every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo dominé por la tarde. — Yesterday I dominated in the afternoon.

  • A routine against a single finished event. The present describes the habit; the preterite reports the one time it happened.

  • Present: Él domina por la mañana. — He dominates in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él dominó por la tarde. — Yesterday He dominated in the afternoon.

  • What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.

  • Present: Nosotros dominamos con mi familia. — We dominate with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros dominamos dos veces. — Last week We dominated twice.

  • A shared habit against a shared finished event. If the action repeats, use the present; if it happened once and ended, use the preterite.

Example sentences: dominar in the present

  1. Yo domino todos los días. — I dominate every day.
  2. Tú dominas en el trabajo. — You dominate at work.
  3. Él domina con mi familia. — He dominates with my family.
  4. Nosotros dominamos por la mañana. — We dominate in the morning.
  5. Vosotros domináis cuando hay tiempo. — You dominate when there is time.
  6. Ellos dominan a veces. — They dominate sometimes.
  7. Yo domino en el trabajo. — I dominate at work.
  8. Él domina todos los días. — He dominates every day.

Common mistakes with dominar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros dominais.

Right: Vosotros domináis.

The vosotros form domináis carries a written accent on the ending. Without it the word is misspelled, and in speech the stress falls in the wrong place.

2. Using the present for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo domino.

Right: Ayer yo dominé.

Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present domino talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs dominé.

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos domino.

Right: Ellos dominan.

Each person has its own form: ellos take dominan, not the yo form domino. The -n ending on dominan is what marks the third-person plural.

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy domino.

Right: Estoy dominando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy dominando. The conjugated present domino never follows estar.

Quiz: dominar in the present

Test yourself on the present tense of dominar. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of dominar in the present indicative?

- (a) dominan
- (b) dominas
- (c) domina
- (d) domino

2. What is the yo form of dominar in the present indicative?

- (a) domina
- (b) dominamos
- (c) dominas
- (d) domino

3. What is the tú form of dominar in the present indicative?

- (a) dominas
- (b) dominamos
- (c) domino
- (d) domina

4. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of dominar in the present indicative?

- (a) dominamos
- (b) domino
- (c) domina
- (d) dominas

5. What is the nosotros/as form of dominar in the present indicative?

- (a) dominamos
- (b) dominas
- (c) domino
- (d) domina

6. What is the vosotros/as form of dominar in the present indicative?

- (a) domináis
- (b) domino
- (c) domina
- (d) dominas

7. What is the gerund of dominar?

- (a) dominando
- (b) dominado
- (c) dominar
- (d) domino

8. What is the past participle of dominar?

- (a) dominé
- (b) dominando
- (c) dominar
- (d) dominado

Answer key

1. (a) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of dominar is dominan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (d) — In the present indicative, the yo form of dominar is domino. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the present indicative, the tú form of dominar is dominas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (c) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of dominar is domina. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of dominar is dominamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (a) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of dominar is domináis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (a) — The gerund of dominar is dominando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy dominando». 8. (d) — The past participle of dominar is dominado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he dominado».

Frequently asked questions

Is dominar regular in the present?

Yes — dominar is regular in the present. The stem domin never changes and the endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for -ar verbs (with the matching sets for -er and -ir verbs).

What is the yo form of dominar in the present?

It is domino. Use it for talking about yourself right now.

How is the present different from the preterite for dominar?

The present (domino) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (dominé) reports a single finished event. «Yo domino todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo dominé» is one event that ended yesterday.

Can I use the present of dominar with estar and the gerund?

Yes — «Estoy dominando» means «I am dominating right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo domino» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.

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