Elaborar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of elaborar — «to make, to prepare» — 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. elaborar 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 elaboro todos los días» — I make every day.

Elaborar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo elaboro
tú elaboras
él/ella/Ud. elabora
nosotros/as elaboramos
vosotros/as elaboráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. elaboran

Gerund: elaborando · Past participle: elaborado

How the present tense of elaborar is formed

Take the stem elabor — the infinitive elaborar 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 elabor -o elaboro
tú elabor -as elaboras
él/ella/Ud. elabor -a elabora
nosotros/as elabor -amos elaboramos
vosotros/as elabor -áis elaboráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. elabor -an elaboran

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 elaboro, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of elaborar

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 elaboro todos los días. — I make 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 elabora con mi familia. — He makes 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 elaborando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros elaboramos por la mañana. — We make 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 elaboras en el trabajo. — You make 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 elaboran a veces. — They make 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 elaboro todos los días. — I make every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo elaboré por la tarde. — Yesterday I made 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 elabora por la mañana. — He makes in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él elaboró por la tarde. — Yesterday He made in the afternoon.

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

  • Present: Nosotros elaboramos con mi familia. — We make with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros elaboramos dos veces. — Last week We made 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: elaborar in the present

  1. Yo elaboro todos los días. — I make every day.
  2. Tú elaboras en el trabajo. — You make at work.
  3. Él elabora con mi familia. — He makes with my family.
  4. Nosotros elaboramos por la mañana. — We make in the morning.
  5. Vosotros elaboráis cuando hay tiempo. — You make when there is time.
  6. Ellos elaboran a veces. — They make sometimes.
  7. Yo elaboro en el trabajo. — I make at work.
  8. Él elabora todos los días. — He makes every day.

Common mistakes with elaborar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros elaborais.

Right: Vosotros elaboráis.

The vosotros form elaboráis 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 elaboro.

Right: Ayer yo elaboré.

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

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos elaboro.

Right: Ellos elaboran.

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

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy elaboro.

Right: Estoy elaborando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy elaborando. The conjugated present elaboro never follows estar.

Quiz: elaborar in the present

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

1. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of elaborar in the present indicative?

- (a) elaboro
- (b) elaboras
- (c) elaboramos
- (d) elabora

2. What is the nosotros/as form of elaborar in the present indicative?

- (a) elaboras
- (b) elaboro
- (c) elabora
- (d) elaboramos

3. What is the vosotros/as form of elaborar in the present indicative?

- (a) elaboráis
- (b) elaboras
- (c) elabora
- (d) elaboro

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of elaborar in the present indicative?

- (a) elabora
- (b) elaboro
- (c) elaboran
- (d) elaboras

5. What is the yo form of elaborar in the present indicative?

- (a) elabora
- (b) elaboras
- (c) elaboramos
- (d) elaboro

6. What is the tú form of elaborar in the present indicative?

- (a) elabora
- (b) elaboras
- (c) elaboramos
- (d) elaboro

7. What is the gerund of elaborar?

- (a) elaborar
- (b) elaborando
- (c) elaborado
- (d) elaboro

8. What is the past participle of elaborar?

- (a) elaborando
- (b) elaborar
- (c) elaborado
- (d) elaboré

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of elaborar is elabora. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (d) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of elaborar is elaboramos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of elaborar is elaboráis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (c) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of elaborar is elaboran. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (d) — In the present indicative, the yo form of elaborar is elaboro. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (b) — In the present indicative, the tú form of elaborar is elaboras. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (b) — The gerund of elaborar is elaborando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy elaborando». 8. (c) — The past participle of elaborar is elaborado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he elaborado».

Frequently asked questions

Is elaborar regular in the present?

Yes — elaborar is regular in the present. The stem elabor 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 elaborar in the present?

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

How is the present different from the preterite for elaborar?

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

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

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

Related pages