Emitir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of emitir — “to emit, to broadcast” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for emitir with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Emitir means to emit or to broadcast, and it is used for radio and television programmes, sounds, light and opinions: emitir un programa, emitir un sonido. It is a regular -ir verb, common in media and science. To see it in a real sentence: Emito un programa de radio. — “I emit a radio programme.”
Present tense conjugation table: emitir
Every person of emitir in the present tense. The gerund is emitiendo and the past participle is emitido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | emito |
| tú | emites |
| él/ella/Ud. | emite |
| nosotros/as | emitimos |
| vosotros/as | emitís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | emiten |
The gerund is emitiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy emitiendo” means the action of emitir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is emitido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he emitido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how emitir is used.
How the present of emitir is formed
The present of emitir is built from the stem emit plus the present endings for -ir verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ir ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | emito |
| tú | -es | emites |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | emite |
| nosotros/as | -imos | emitimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | emitís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | emiten |
emitir is a regular -ir verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is emit and the endings are the normal -ir endings, so there are no surprises to memorise in this tense — the challenge is only using the forms naturally.
The gerund of emitir is emitiendo and the past participle is emitido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of emitir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use emitir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of emitir is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and emitir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Emito un programa de radio.” — I emit a radio programme.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what emitir means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Emite un sonido extraño.” — He/she emits a strange sound.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Emito una opinión en la reunión.” — I emit an opinion in the meeting.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and emitir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros emitimos luz en la oscuridad.” — Tomorrow, we emit light in the dark.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Emites un sonido extraño?” — Do you emit a strange sound?
The present vs the preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Emito un programa de radio.” — I emit a radio programme.
Preterite: “Emití un programa de radio.” — I emitted a radio programme.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Emite un sonido extraño.” — He/she emits a strange sound.
Preterite: “Emitió un sonido extraño.” — He/she emitted a strange sound.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Emitimos una opinión en la reunión.” — We emit an opinion in the meeting.
Preterite: “Emitimos una opinión en la reunión.” — We emitted an opinion in the meeting.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: emitir in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Emito un programa de radio.” — I emit a radio programme.
“Emites un sonido extraño.” — You emit a strange sound.
“Emite una opinión en la reunión.” — He/she emits an opinion in the meeting.
“Emitimos luz en la oscuridad.” — We emit light in the dark.
“Emitís un programa de radio.” — You emit a radio programme.
“Emiten un sonido extraño.” — They emit a strange sound.
“Emito una opinión en la reunión.” — I emit an opinion in the meeting.
“Emite luz en la oscuridad.” — He/she emits light in the dark.
Common mistakes with emitir in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo emite un programa de radio.” Right: “Yo emito un programa de radio.” Why: Yo needs the yo form emito. The form emite belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo emitir un sonido extraño.” Right: “Yo emito un sonido extraño.” Why: The infinitive emitir cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving emito.
Wrong: “Ayer yo emito un sonido extraño.” Right: “Ayer yo emití un sonido extraño.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to emití.
Wrong: “Ellos emite un sonido extraño.” Right: “Ellos emiten un sonido extraño.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form emiten. The singular emite belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: emitir in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ un programa de radio.”
- (a) emito
- (b) emites
- (c) emite
Answer: emito — The yo form of emitir in the present is emito.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ un sonido extraño.”
- (a) emito
- (b) emite
- (c) emites
Answer: emites — The tú form of emitir in the present is emites.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ una opinión en la reunión.”
- (a) emites
- (b) emite
- (c) emito
Answer: emite — The él/ella form of emitir in the present is emite.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ luz en la oscuridad.”
- (a) emitimos
- (b) emito
- (c) emites
Answer: emitimos — The nosotros/as form of emitir in the present is emitimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ un programa de radio.”
- (a) emito
- (b) emites
- (c) emitís
Answer: emitís — The vosotros/as form of emitir in the present is emitís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ un sonido extraño.”
- (a) emites
- (b) emiten
- (c) emito
Answer: emiten — The ellos/ellas form of emitir in the present is emiten.
7. What does emitir mean in English?
- (a) to emit, to broadcast
- (b) to transmit
- (c) to be about
Answer: to emit, to broadcast — Emitir means to emit, to broadcast.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Emití un programa de radio.
- (b) Emitiré un programa de radio.
- (c) Emito un programa de radio.
Answer: Emito un programa de radio. — “Emito un programa de radio.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is emitir regular in the present?
Yes. Emitir is regular in the present: emito, emites, emite, emitimos, emitís and emiten. Watch the accents on the forms that carry them, and remember that the nosotros form is the one that keeps the stem unchanged.
What is the gerund and the past participle of emitir?
The gerund is emitiendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy emitiendo. The past participle is emitido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he emitido.
What should I watch out for with emitir?
Emitir is regular: emití, emitía, emitiré. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is emito, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise emitir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the emitir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of emitir — every tense of emitir in one place.
- Emitir examples and quiz — more sentences with emitir and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on emitir and other verbs.