Emplear in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of emplear — «to employ, to use» — 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. emplear 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 empleo todos los días» — I employ every day.

Emplear in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo empleo
tú empleas
él/ella/Ud. emplea
nosotros/as empleamos
vosotros/as empleáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. emplean

Gerund: empleando · Past participle: empleado

How the present tense of emplear is formed

Take the stem emple — the infinitive emplear 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 emple -o empleo
tú emple -as empleas
él/ella/Ud. emple -a emplea
nosotros/as emple -amos empleamos
vosotros/as emple -áis empleáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. emple -an emplean

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 empleo, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of emplear

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 empleo todos los días. — I employ 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 emplea con mi familia. — He employs 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 empleando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros empleamos por la mañana. — We employ 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 empleas en el trabajo. — You employ 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 emplean a veces. — They employ 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 empleo todos los días. — I employ every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo empleé por la tarde. — Yesterday I employed 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 emplea por la mañana. — He employs in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él empleó por la tarde. — Yesterday He employed in the afternoon.

  • What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.

  • Present: Nosotros empleamos con mi familia. — We employ with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros empleamos dos veces. — Last week We employed 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: emplear in the present

  1. Yo empleo todos los días. — I employ every day.
  2. Tú empleas en el trabajo. — You employ at work.
  3. Él emplea con mi familia. — He employs with my family.
  4. Nosotros empleamos por la mañana. — We employ in the morning.
  5. Vosotros empleáis cuando hay tiempo. — You employ when there is time.
  6. Ellos emplean a veces. — They employ sometimes.
  7. Yo empleo en el trabajo. — I employ at work.
  8. Él emplea todos los días. — He employs every day.

Common mistakes with emplear in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros empleais.

Right: Vosotros empleáis.

The vosotros form empleáis 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 empleo.

Right: Ayer yo empleé.

Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present empleo talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs empleé.

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos empleo.

Right: Ellos emplean.

Each person has its own form: ellos take emplean, not the yo form empleo. The -n ending on emplean is what marks the third-person plural.

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy empleo.

Right: Estoy empleando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy empleando. The conjugated present empleo never follows estar.

Quiz: emplear in the present

Test yourself on the present tense of emplear. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the vosotros/as form of emplear in the present indicative?

- (a) empleas
- (b) empleáis
- (c) emplea
- (d) empleo

2. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of emplear in the present indicative?

- (a) empleo
- (b) emplean
- (c) emplea
- (d) empleas

3. What is the yo form of emplear in the present indicative?

- (a) empleas
- (b) empleamos
- (c) empleo
- (d) emplea

4. What is the tú form of emplear in the present indicative?

- (a) empleo
- (b) empleamos
- (c) empleas
- (d) emplea

5. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of emplear in the present indicative?

- (a) empleo
- (b) empleamos
- (c) empleas
- (d) emplea

6. What is the nosotros/as form of emplear in the present indicative?

- (a) empleas
- (b) empleamos
- (c) empleo
- (d) emplea

7. What is the gerund of emplear?

- (a) empleo
- (b) empleando
- (c) empleado
- (d) emplear

8. What is the past participle of emplear?

- (a) empleado
- (b) emplear
- (c) empleé
- (d) empleando

Answer key

1. (b) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of emplear is empleáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (b) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of emplear is emplean. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (c) — In the present indicative, the yo form of emplear is empleo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (c) — In the present indicative, the tú form of emplear is empleas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (d) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of emplear is emplea. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (b) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of emplear is empleamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (b) — The gerund of emplear is empleando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy empleando». 8. (a) — The past participle of emplear is empleado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he empleado».

Frequently asked questions

Is emplear regular in the present?

Yes — emplear is regular in the present. The stem emple 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 emplear in the present?

It is empleo. Use it for talking about yourself right now.

How is the present different from the preterite for emplear?

The present (empleo) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (empleé) reports a single finished event. «Yo empleo todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo empleé» is one event that ended yesterday.

Can I use the present of emplear with estar and the gerund?

Yes — «Estoy empleando» means «I am employing right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo empleo» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.

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