Embellecer Present Tense in Spanish
embellecer means "to beautify" 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 embellecer, 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 embellezco el jardín con flores. — "Every day, I beautify the garden with flowers." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of embellecer: full table
Every person of embellecer in the present tense. The gerund is embelleciendo and the past participle is embellecido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | embellezco |
| tú | embelleces |
| él/ella/Ud. | embellece |
| nosotros/as | embellecemos |
| vosotros/as | embellecéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | embellecen |
The gerund of embellecer is embelleciendo and the past participle is embellecido. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy embelleciendo), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he embellecido).
How the present tense of embellecer is formed
The present tense of embellecer is built from the stem embellec- plus the regular -er endings: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en. Take the infinitive, remove the -er ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo embellezco, tú embelleces, él embellece, nosotros embellecemos, vosotros embellecéis and ellos embellecen. Once you know the pattern for one regular -er verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | embellezco |
| tú | -es | embelleces |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | embellece |
| nosotros/as | -emos | embellecemos |
| vosotros/as | -éis | embellecéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | embellecen |
Watch the spelling: the c becomes zc before o and a, so the yo form is embellezco and the subjunctive forms start with zc, for example embellezca.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is embelleciendo, used for the progressive with estar: estoy embelleciendo. The past participle is embellecido, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he embellecido. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with embellecer
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo embellezco el jardín con flores. — "Every day, I beautify the garden with flowers." The complement in this sentence is about the garden with flowers, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear embellecer in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú embelleces la casa con cuadros nuevos. — "Now, you beautify the house with new pictures." The complement in this sentence is about the house with new pictures, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear embellecer 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 embellece el salón con luces. — "Normally, he/she beautifies the living room with lights." The complement in this sentence is about the living room with lights, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear embellecer 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 embellecemos la ciudad con parques. — "Tomorrow, we beautify the city with parks." The complement in this sentence is about the city with parks, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear embellecer 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 embellecen el jardín con flores. — "Always, they beautify the garden with flowers." The complement in this sentence is about the garden with flowers, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear embellecer in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: embellecer
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 embellecer.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo embellezco el jardín con flores. — "Every day, I beautify the garden with flowers."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo embellecí el jardín con flores. — "Yesterday, I beautified the garden with flowers."
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 embelleces la casa con cuadros nuevos. — "Every day, you beautify the house with new pictures."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú embelleciste la casa con cuadros nuevos. — "Yesterday, you beautified the house with new pictures."
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 embellece el salón con luces. — "Every day, he/she beautifies the living room with lights."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él embelleció el salón con luces. — "Yesterday, he/she beautified the living room with lights."
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: embellecer in the present tense
These eight sentences show embellecer 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 embellezco el jardín con flores. — "I beautify the garden with flowers."
- Tú embelleces la casa con cuadros nuevos. — "you beautify the house with new pictures."
- Él embellece el salón con luces. — "he/she beautifies the living room with lights."
- Nosotros embellecemos la ciudad con parques. — "we beautify the city with parks."
- Vosotros embellecéis el jardín con flores. — "you (plural) beautify the garden with flowers."
- Ellos embellecen la casa con cuadros nuevos. — "they beautify the house with new pictures."
- Yo embellezco el salón con luces. — "I beautify the living room with lights."
- Tú embelleces la ciudad con parques. — "you beautify the city with parks."
Common mistakes with embellecer in the present tense
Mistake 1: Forgetting the zc spelling change
- Wrong: Yo embelleco el jardín con flores.
- Right: Yo embellezco el jardín con flores.
- Why: In the present tense the c becomes zc before o: the yo form is embellezco, never embelleco. The other persons keep the plain c: embelleces, embellece.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me embellezco el jardín con flores.
- Right: Yo embellezco el jardín con flores.
- Why: embellecer 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 embellezco la casa con cuadros nuevos.
- Right: Ayer, yo embellecí la casa con cuadros nuevos.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo embellecí la casa con cuadros nuevos. — "Yesterday, I beautified the house with new pictures." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo embellezco el salón con luces.
- Right: Antes, yo embellecía el salón con luces.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo embellecía el salón con luces. — "In the past, I used to beautify the living room with lights." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros embellece el jardín con flores.
- Right: Nosotros embellecemos el jardín con flores.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes embellecemos, while embellece belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of embellecer
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of embellecer. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of embellecer in the present tense?
- (a) embellecemos
- (b) embellezco
- (c) embelleces
- (d) embellece
Answer: (b) embellezco. The yo form is embellezco. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of embellecer in the present tense?
- (a) embelleces
- (b) embellezco
- (c) embellece
- (d) embellecemos
Answer: (a) embelleces. The tú form is embelleces. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of embellecer in the present tense?
- (a) embellezco
- (b) embelleces
- (c) embellecemos
- (d) embellece
Answer: (d) embellece. The él/ella form is embellece. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of embellecer in the present tense?
- (a) embelleces
- (b) embellece
- (c) embellecemos
- (d) embellezco
Answer: (c) embellecemos. The nosotros form is embellecemos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of embellecer in the present tense?
- (a) embellece
- (b) embellecen
- (c) embellezco
- (d) embelleces
Answer: (b) embellecen. The ellos/ellas form is embellecen. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ el jardín con flores.
- (a) embellezco
- (b) embelleces
- (c) embellece
- (d) embellecemos
Answer: (a) embellezco. The sentence needs the yo form embellezco (Every day, I beautify the garden with flowers.)
7. What is the gerund of embellecer?
- (a) embelleciendo
- (b) embellecido
- (c) embellezco
- (d) embellecer
Answer: (a) embelleciendo. The gerund is embelleciendo, used for the progressive: estoy embelleciendo.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Antes, yo embellecía la casa con cuadros nuevos.
- (b) Ayer, yo embellecí la casa con cuadros nuevos.
- (c) Mañana, yo embelleceré la casa con cuadros nuevos.
- (d) Cada día, yo embellezco la casa con cuadros nuevos.
Answer: (d) Cada día, yo embellezco la casa con cuadros nuevos.. Cada día, yo embellezco la casa con cuadros nuevos. (Every day, I beautify the house with new pictures.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo embellecí la casa con cuadros nuevos. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo embelleceré la casa con cuadros nuevos. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of embellecer
Is embellecer regular in the present tense?
Almost. embellecer is a spelling-changing (c → zc before o and a) -er verb, so its endings are regular, but watch the spelling: Watch the spelling: the c becomes zc before o and a, so the yo form is embellezco and the subjunctive forms start with zc, for example embellezca.
How do you say 'beautify' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo embellezco el jardín con flores. — "Every day, I beautify the garden with flowers." 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 embellecer?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo embellezco la casa con cuadros nuevos. — "Every day, I beautify the house with new pictures." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo embellecí la casa con cuadros nuevos. — "Yesterday, I beautified the house with new pictures." 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 embellecer?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros embellecemos la ciudad con parques. — "Tomorrow, we beautify the city with parks." 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.