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