Engrosar Present Tense in Spanish
engrosar means "to thicken" 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 engrosar, 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 engroso la voz en el teatro. — "Every day, I thicken his voice in the theatre." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of engrosar: full table
Every person of engrosar in the present tense. The gerund is engrosando and the past participle is engrosado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | engroso |
| tú | engrosas |
| él/ella/Ud. | engrosa |
| nosotros/as | engrosamos |
| vosotros/as | engrosáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | engrosan |
The gerund of engrosar is engrosando and the past participle is engrosado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy engrosando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he engrosado).
How the present tense of engrosar is formed
The present tense of engrosar is built from the stem engros- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo engroso, tú engrosas, él engrosa, nosotros engrosamos, vosotros engrosáis and ellos engrosan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | engroso |
| tú | -as | engrosas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | engrosa |
| nosotros/as | -amos | engrosamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | engrosáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | engrosan |
engrosar is completely regular in the present tense: the stem never changes and every ending is the standard -ar ending. The only thing to watch is the accent on the vosotros form engrosáis.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is engrosando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy engrosando. The past participle is engrosado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he engrosado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with engrosar
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo engroso la voz en el teatro. — "Every day, I thicken his voice in the theatre." The complement in this sentence is about his voice in the theatre, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear engrosar in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú engrosas las filas del ejército. — "Now, you thicken the army ranks." The complement in this sentence is about the army ranks, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear engrosar 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 engrosa el libro con nuevos capítulos. — "Normally, he/she thickens the book with new chapters." The complement in this sentence is about the book with new chapters, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear engrosar 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 engrosamos la pared con otra capa. — "Tomorrow, we thicken the wall with another layer." The complement in this sentence is about the wall with another layer, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear engrosar 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 engrosan la voz en el teatro. — "Always, they thicken his voice in the theatre." The complement in this sentence is about his voice in the theatre, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear engrosar in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: engrosar
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 engrosar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo engroso la voz en el teatro. — "Every day, I thicken his voice in the theatre."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo engrosé la voz en el teatro. — "Yesterday, I thickened his voice in the theatre."
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 engrosas las filas del ejército. — "Every day, you thicken the army ranks."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú engrosaste las filas del ejército. — "Yesterday, you thickened the army ranks."
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 engrosa el libro con nuevos capítulos. — "Every day, he/she thickens the book with new chapters."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él engrosó el libro con nuevos capítulos. — "Yesterday, he/she thickened the book with new chapters."
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: engrosar in the present tense
These eight sentences show engrosar 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 engroso la voz en el teatro. — "I thicken his voice in the theatre."
- Tú engrosas las filas del ejército. — "you thicken the army ranks."
- Él engrosa el libro con nuevos capítulos. — "he/she thickens the book with new chapters."
- Nosotros engrosamos la pared con otra capa. — "we thicken the wall with another layer."
- Vosotros engrosáis la voz en el teatro. — "you (plural) thicken his voice in the theatre."
- Ellos engrosan las filas del ejército. — "they thicken the army ranks."
- Yo engroso el libro con nuevos capítulos. — "I thicken the book with new chapters."
- Tú engrosas la pared con otra capa. — "you thicken the wall with another layer."
Common mistakes with engrosar in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros engrosais la voz en el teatro.
- Right: Vosotros engrosáis la voz en el teatro.
- Why: The vosotros form engrosáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me engroso la voz en el teatro.
- Right: Yo engroso la voz en el teatro.
- Why: engrosar 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 engroso las filas del ejército.
- Right: Ayer, yo engrosé las filas del ejército.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo engrosé las filas del ejército. — "Yesterday, I thickened the army ranks." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo engroso el libro con nuevos capítulos.
- Right: Antes, yo engrosaba el libro con nuevos capítulos.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo engrosaba el libro con nuevos capítulos. — "In the past, I used to thicken the book with new chapters." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros engrosa la voz en el teatro.
- Right: Nosotros engrosamos la voz en el teatro.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes engrosamos, while engrosa belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of engrosar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of engrosar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of engrosar in the present tense?
- (a) engrosamos
- (b) engroso
- (c) engrosas
- (d) engrosa
Answer: (b) engroso. The yo form is engroso. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of engrosar in the present tense?
- (a) engrosas
- (b) engroso
- (c) engrosa
- (d) engrosamos
Answer: (a) engrosas. The tú form is engrosas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of engrosar in the present tense?
- (a) engroso
- (b) engrosas
- (c) engrosamos
- (d) engrosa
Answer: (d) engrosa. The él/ella form is engrosa. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of engrosar in the present tense?
- (a) engrosas
- (b) engrosa
- (c) engrosamos
- (d) engroso
Answer: (c) engrosamos. The nosotros form is engrosamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of engrosar in the present tense?
- (a) engrosa
- (b) engrosan
- (c) engroso
- (d) engrosas
Answer: (b) engrosan. The ellos/ellas form is engrosan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la voz en el teatro.
- (a) engroso
- (b) engrosas
- (c) engrosa
- (d) engrosamos
Answer: (a) engroso. The sentence needs the yo form engroso (Every day, I thicken his voice in the theatre.)
7. What is the gerund of engrosar?
- (a) engrosando
- (b) engrosado
- (c) engroso
- (d) engrosar
Answer: (a) engrosando. The gerund is engrosando, used for the progressive: estoy engrosando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Antes, yo engrosaba las filas del ejército.
- (b) Ayer, yo engrosé las filas del ejército.
- (c) Mañana, yo engrosaré las filas del ejército.
- (d) Cada día, yo engroso las filas del ejército.
Answer: (d) Cada día, yo engroso las filas del ejército.. Cada día, yo engroso las filas del ejército. (Every day, I thicken the army ranks.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo engrosé las filas del ejército. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo engrosaré las filas del ejército. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of engrosar
Is engrosar regular in the present tense?
Yes. engrosar is a regular -ar verb: engroso, engrosas, engrosa, engrosamos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
How do you say 'thicken' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo engroso la voz en el teatro. — "Every day, I thicken his voice in the theatre." 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 engrosar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo engroso las filas del ejército. — "Every day, I thicken the army ranks." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo engrosé las filas del ejército. — "Yesterday, I thickened the army ranks." 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 engrosar?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros engrosamos la pared con otra capa. — "Tomorrow, we thicken the wall with another layer." 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.