Edificar Present Tense in Spanish
edificar means "to build, to erect" 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 edificar, 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 edifico una casa en el pueblo. — "Every day, I build a house in the village." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of edificar: full table
Every person of edificar in the present tense. The gerund is edificando and the past participle is edificado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | edifico |
| tú | edificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | edifica |
| nosotros/as | edificamos |
| vosotros/as | edificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | edifican |
The gerund of edificar is edificando and the past participle is edificado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy edificando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he edificado).
How the present tense of edificar is formed
The present tense of edificar is built from the stem edific- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo edifico, tú edificas, él edifica, nosotros edificamos, vosotros edificáis and ellos edifican. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | edifico |
| tú | -as | edificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | edifica |
| nosotros/as | -amos | edificamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | edificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | edifican |
Watch the spelling: the c becomes qu before e, so the yo preterite is edifiqué and the subjunctive forms start with qu, for example edifique.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is edificando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy edificando. The past participle is edificado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he edificado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with edificar
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo edifico una casa en el pueblo. — "Every day, I build a house in the village." The complement in this sentence is about a house in the village, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear edificar in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú edificas un templo en la colina. — "Now, you build a temple on the hill." The complement in this sentence is about a temple on the hill, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear edificar in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él edifica una escuela en el barrio. — "Normally, he/she builds a school in the neighbourhood." The complement in this sentence is about a school in the neighbourhood, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear edificar in the present tense.
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: Mañana, nosotros edificamos un muro alrededor del jardín. — "Tomorrow, we build a wall around the garden." The complement in this sentence is about a wall around the garden, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear edificar in the present tense.
5. Frequent actions
With words such as siempre, a menudo and todos los días, the present tense shows how often something happens. For example: Siempre, ellos edifican una casa en el pueblo. — "Always, they build a house in the village." The complement in this sentence is about a house in the village, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear edificar in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: edificar
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 edificar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo edifico una casa en el pueblo. — "Every day, I build a house in the village."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo edifiqué una casa en el pueblo. — "Yesterday, I built a house in the village."
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, tú edificas un templo en la colina. — "Every day, you build a temple on the hill."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú edificaste un templo en la colina. — "Yesterday, you built a temple on the hill."
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, él edifica una escuela en el barrio. — "Every day, he/she builds a school in the neighbourhood."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él edificó una escuela en el barrio. — "Yesterday, he/she built a school in the neighbourhood."
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: edificar in the present tense
These eight sentences show edificar 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 edifico una casa en el pueblo. — "I build a house in the village."
- Tú edificas un templo en la colina. — "you build a temple on the hill."
- Él edifica una escuela en el barrio. — "he/she builds a school in the neighbourhood."
- Nosotros edificamos un muro alrededor del jardín. — "we build a wall around the garden."
- Vosotros edificáis una casa en el pueblo. — "you (plural) build a house in the village."
- Ellos edifican un templo en la colina. — "they build a temple on the hill."
- Yo edifico una escuela en el barrio. — "I build a school in the neighbourhood."
- Tú edificas un muro alrededor del jardín. — "you build a wall around the garden."
Common mistakes with edificar in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros edificais una casa en el pueblo.
- Right: Vosotros edificáis una casa en el pueblo.
- Why: The vosotros form edificáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me edifico una casa en el pueblo.
- Right: Yo edifico una casa en el pueblo.
- Why: edificar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add. The extra pronoun changes the meaning of the sentence.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo edifico un templo en la colina.
- Right: Ayer, yo edifiqué un templo en la colina.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo edifiqué un templo en la colina. — "Yesterday, I built a temple on the hill." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo edifico una escuela en el barrio.
- Right: Antes, yo edificaba una escuela en el barrio.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo edificaba una escuela en el barrio. — "In the past, I used to build a school in the neighbourhood." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros edifica una casa en el pueblo.
- Right: Nosotros edificamos una casa en el pueblo.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes edificamos, while edifica belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of edificar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of edificar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of edificar in the present tense?
- (a) edifica
- (b) edificamos
- (c) edifico
- (d) edificas
Answer: (c) edifico. The yo form is edifico. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of edificar in the present tense?
- (a) edificamos
- (b) edificas
- (c) edifico
- (d) edifica
Answer: (b) edificas. The tú form is edificas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of edificar in the present tense?
- (a) edifica
- (b) edifico
- (c) edificas
- (d) edificamos
Answer: (a) edifica. The él/ella form is edifica. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of edificar in the present tense?
- (a) edifico
- (b) edificas
- (c) edifica
- (d) edificamos
Answer: (d) edificamos. The nosotros form is edificamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of edificar in the present tense?
- (a) edificas
- (b) edifica
- (c) edifican
- (d) edifico
Answer: (c) edifican. The ellos/ellas form is edifican. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ una casa en el pueblo.
- (a) edificamos
- (b) edifico
- (c) edificas
- (d) edifica
Answer: (b) edifico. The sentence needs the yo form edifico (Every day, I build a house in the village.)
7. What is the gerund of edificar?
- (a) edificar
- (b) edificando
- (c) edificado
- (d) edifico
Answer: (b) edificando. The gerund is edificando, used for the progressive: estoy edificando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo edifico un templo en la colina.
- (b) Antes, yo edificaba un templo en la colina.
- (c) Ayer, yo edifiqué un templo en la colina.
- (d) Mañana, yo edificaré un templo en la colina.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo edifico un templo en la colina.. Cada día, yo edifico un templo en la colina. (Every day, I build a temple on the hill.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo edifiqué un templo en la colina. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo edificaré un templo en la colina. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of edificar
Is edificar regular in the present tense?
Almost. edificar is a spelling-changing (c → qu before e) -ar verb, so its endings are regular, but watch the spelling: Watch the spelling: the c becomes qu before e, so the yo preterite is edifiqué and the subjunctive forms start with qu, for example edifique.
How do you say 'build' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo edifico una casa en el pueblo. — "Every day, I build a house in the village." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with edificar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo edifico un templo en la colina. — "Every day, I build a temple on the hill." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo edifiqué un templo en la colina. — "Yesterday, I built a temple on the hill." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.
Can I use the present tense for the future with edificar?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros edificamos un muro alrededor del jardín. — "Tomorrow, we build a wall around the garden." Spanish often uses the present for a plan that feels certain, where English would use the future. Add a time word such as mañana so the listener knows you mean the future.