Elevar in the Present Tense
Introduction
The present tense of elevar — «to raise, to lift» — 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. elevar 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 elevo todos los días» — I raise every day.
Elevar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | elevo |
| tú | elevas |
| él/ella/Ud. | eleva |
| nosotros/as | elevamos |
| vosotros/as | eleváis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | elevan |
Gerund: elevando · Past participle: elevado
How the present tense of elevar is formed
Take the stem elev — the infinitive elevar 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 | elev | -o | elevo |
| tú | elev | -as | elevas |
| él/ella/Ud. | elev | -a | eleva |
| nosotros/as | elev | -amos | elevamos |
| vosotros/as | elev | -áis | eleváis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | elev | -an | elevan |
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 elevo, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.
When to use the present tense of elevar
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 elevo todos los días. — I raise 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 eleva con mi familia. — He raises 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 elevando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.
Nosotros elevamos por la mañana. — We raise 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 elevas en el trabajo. — You raise 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 elevan a veces. — They raise 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 elevo todos los días. — I raise every day.
Preterite: Ayer yo elevé por la tarde. — Yesterday I raised 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 eleva por la mañana. — He raises in the morning.
Preterite: Ayer él elevó por la tarde. — Yesterday He raised in the afternoon.
What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.
Present: Nosotros elevamos con mi familia. — We raise with my family.
Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros elevamos dos veces. — Last week We raised 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: elevar in the present
- Yo elevo todos los días. — I raise every day.
- Tú elevas en el trabajo. — You raise at work.
- Él eleva con mi familia. — He raises with my family.
- Nosotros elevamos por la mañana. — We raise in the morning.
- Vosotros eleváis cuando hay tiempo. — You raise when there is time.
- Ellos elevan a veces. — They raise sometimes.
- Yo elevo en el trabajo. — I raise at work.
- Él eleva todos los días. — He raises every day.
Common mistakes with elevar in the present
1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form
Wrong: Vosotros elevais.
Right: Vosotros eleváis.
The vosotros form eleváis 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 elevo.
Right: Ayer yo elevé.
Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present elevo talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs elevé.
3. Using the yo form for every person
Wrong: Ellos elevo.
Right: Ellos elevan.
Each person has its own form: ellos take elevan, not the yo form elevo. The -n ending on elevan is what marks the third-person plural.
4. Using the present instead of the progressive
Wrong: Estoy elevo.
Right: Estoy elevando.
After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy elevando. The conjugated present elevo never follows estar.
Quiz: elevar in the present
Test yourself on the present tense of elevar. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the nosotros/as form of elevar in the present indicative?
- (a) elevas
- (b) eleva
- (c) elevo
- (d) elevamos
2. What is the vosotros/as form of elevar in the present indicative?
- (a) eleva
- (b) eleváis
- (c) elevas
- (d) elevo
3. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of elevar in the present indicative?
- (a) elevas
- (b) elevan
- (c) eleva
- (d) elevo
4. What is the yo form of elevar in the present indicative?
- (a) eleva
- (b) elevas
- (c) elevo
- (d) elevamos
5. What is the tú form of elevar in the present indicative?
- (a) elevas
- (b) eleva
- (c) elevamos
- (d) elevo
6. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of elevar in the present indicative?
- (a) elevamos
- (b) eleva
- (c) elevas
- (d) elevo
7. What is the gerund of elevar?
- (a) elevando
- (b) elevado
- (c) elevo
- (d) elevar
8. What is the past participle of elevar?
- (a) elevando
- (b) elevado
- (c) elevar
- (d) elevé
Answer key
1. (d) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of elevar is elevamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (b) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of elevar is eleváis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of elevar is elevan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (c) — In the present indicative, the yo form of elevar is elevo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the present indicative, the tú form of elevar is elevas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (b) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of elevar is eleva. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (a) — The gerund of elevar is elevando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy elevando». 8. (b) — The past participle of elevar is elevado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he elevado».
Frequently asked questions
Is elevar regular in the present?
Yes — elevar is regular in the present. The stem elev 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 elevar in the present?
It is elevo. Use it for talking about yourself right now.
How is the present different from the preterite for elevar?
The present (elevo) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (elevé) reports a single finished event. «Yo elevo todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo elevé» is one event that ended yesterday.
Can I use the present of elevar with estar and the gerund?
Yes — «Estoy elevando» means «I am raising right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo elevo» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.
Related pages
- Full conjugation: elevar
- More examples and a quiz: elevar-examples-and-quiz
- Present tense guide: spanish-present-tense-guide
- Browse all Spanish verbs: /spanish/