Embarcarse in the Present Tense
Introduction
The present tense of embarcarse — «to board, to get involved» — 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. embarcarse is a spelling-changing -ar verb, reflexive 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 «Me embarco todos los días» — I board every day.
Embarcarse in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | embarco |
| tú | te | embarcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | embarca |
| nosotros/as | nos | embarcamos |
| vosotros/as | os | embarcáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | embarcan |
Gerund: embarcando · Past participle: embarcado
How the present tense of embarcarse is formed
Take the stem embarc — the infinitive embarcarse without its -ar ending and without -se — 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 | embarc | -o | embarco |
| tú | embarc | -as | embarcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | embarc | -a | embarca |
| nosotros/as | embarc | -amos | embarcamos |
| vosotros/as | embarc | -áis | embarcáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | embarc | -an | embarcan |
Because embarcarse is reflexive, put the pronoun before the form: me embarco, te embarcas, se embarca, nos embarcamos, os embarcáis, se embarcan. The pronoun changes with the person, never with the tense.
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 embarco, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.
When to use the present tense of embarcarse
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.
Me embarco todos los días. — I board 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.
Se embarca con mi familia. — He boards 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 embarcando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.
Nos embarcamos por la mañana. — We board 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.
Te embarcas en el trabajo. — You board 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.
Se embarcan a veces. — They board 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: Me embarco todos los días. — I board every day.
Preterite: Ayer me embarqué por la tarde. — Yesterday I boarded in the afternoon.
A routine against a single finished event. The present describes the habit; the preterite reports the one time it happened.
Present: Se embarca por la mañana. — He boards in the morning.
Preterite: Ayer se embarcó por la tarde. — Yesterday He boarded in the afternoon.
What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.
Present: Nos embarcamos con mi familia. — We board with my family.
Preterite: La semana pasada nos embarcamos dos veces. — Last week We boarded 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: embarcarse in the present
- Me embarco todos los días. — I board every day.
- Te embarcas en el trabajo. — You board at work.
- Se embarca con mi familia. — He boards with my family.
- Nos embarcamos por la mañana. — We board in the morning.
- Os embarcáis cuando hay tiempo. — You board when there is time.
- Se embarcan a veces. — They board sometimes.
- Me embarco en el trabajo. — I board at work.
- Se embarca todos los días. — He boards every day.
Common mistakes with embarcarse in the present
1. Dropping the reflexive pronoun
Wrong: Yo embarco todos los días.
Right: Me embarco todos los días.
Reflexive embarcarse needs its pronoun in the present as in every tense: me embarco. Without it the sentence uses the non-reflexive verb and means something else.
2. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form
Wrong: Vosotros embarcais.
Right: Vosotros embarcáis.
The vosotros form embarcáis carries a written accent on the ending. Without it the word is misspelled, and in speech the stress falls in the wrong place.
3. Using the present for a finished event
Wrong: Ayer yo embarco.
Right: Ayer yo embarqué.
Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present embarco talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs embarqué.
4. Using the yo form for every person
Wrong: Ellos embarco.
Right: Ellos embarcan.
Each person has its own form: ellos take embarcan, not the yo form embarco. The -n ending on embarcan is what marks the third-person plural.
5. Using the present instead of the progressive
Wrong: Estoy embarco.
Right: Estoy embarcando.
After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy embarcando. The conjugated present embarco never follows estar.
Quiz: embarcarse in the present
Test yourself on the present tense of embarcarse. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the tú form of embarcarse in the present indicative?
- (a) embarcamos
- (b) embarca
- (c) embarco
- (d) embarcas
2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of embarcarse in the present indicative?
- (a) embarcamos
- (b) embarcas
- (c) embarca
- (d) embarco
3. What is the nosotros/as form of embarcarse in the present indicative?
- (a) embarca
- (b) embarco
- (c) embarcas
- (d) embarcamos
4. What is the vosotros/as form of embarcarse in the present indicative?
- (a) embarco
- (b) embarcáis
- (c) embarcas
- (d) embarca
5. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of embarcarse in the present indicative?
- (a) embarcas
- (b) embarcan
- (c) embarco
- (d) embarca
6. What is the yo form of embarcarse in the present indicative?
- (a) embarcas
- (b) embarca
- (c) embarco
- (d) embarcamos
7. What is the gerund of embarcarse?
- (a) embarco
- (b) embarcando
- (c) embarcado
- (d) embarcarse
8. What is the past participle of embarcarse?
- (a) embarqué
- (b) embarcado
- (c) embarcarse
- (d) embarcando
Answer key
1. (d) — In the present indicative, the tú form of embarcarse is embarcas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (c) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of embarcarse is embarca. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (d) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of embarcarse is embarcamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of embarcarse is embarcáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (b) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of embarcarse is embarcan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — In the present indicative, the yo form of embarcarse is embarco. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (b) — The gerund of embarcarse is embarcando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy embarcando». 8. (b) — The past participle of embarcarse is embarcado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he embarcado».
Frequently asked questions
Is embarcarse regular in the present?
Almost — embarcarse takes the regular -ar endings in the present, with a spelling change in the yo form (embarco). Once you know that one form, the rest of the table is regular.
What is the yo form of embarcarse in the present?
It is embarco. With the reflexive pronoun: «Me embarco».
How is the present different from the preterite for embarcarse?
The present (embarco) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (embarqué) reports a single finished event. «Yo embarco todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo embarqué» is one event that ended yesterday.
Can I use the present of embarcarse with estar and the gerund?
Yes — «Estoy embarcando» means «I am boarding right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo embarco» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.
Related pages
- Full conjugation: embarcarse
- More examples and a quiz: embarcarse-examples-and-quiz
- Present tense guide: spanish-present-tense-guide
- Browse all Spanish verbs: /spanish/