Entregar Present Tense in Spanish
Introduction
entregar means "to deliver, to hand over" 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 entregar, 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 entrego el informe al jefe. — "Every day, I deliver the report to the boss." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of entregar: full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| Yo | entrego |
| Tú | entregas |
| Él / Ella | entrega |
| Nosotros | entregamos |
| Vosotros | entregáis |
| Ellos | entregan |
The gerund of entregar is entregando and the past participle is entregado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy entregando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he entregado).
How the present tense of entregar is formed
The present tense of entregar is built from the stem entreg- 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 entrego, tú entregas, él entrega, nosotros entregamos, vosotros entregáis and ellos entregan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is entregando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy entregando. The past participle is entregado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he entregado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with entregar
1. Delivering a report
Entrego el informe al jefe is the professional use of this verb. It means you hand in the finished work, and it is a sentence about deadlines and responsibility. For example: Yo entrego el informe al jefe. — "I deliver the report to the boss."
2. Handing over keys
Entrego las llaves al vecino shows the verb with a concrete object and a person. It means you give the keys to your neighbour, and it is a sentence about trust. For example: Tú entregas las llaves al vecino. — "You deliver the keys to the neighbour."
3. Handing in homework
Entrego los deberes al profesor is the school use: it means you give your homework to the teacher. It is one of the first sentences students learn with this verb. For example: Él / Ella entrega el paquete en la puerta. — "He / She delivers the parcel at the door."
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, to talk about tomorrow's plan you can use the future — Mañana, yo entregaré los deberes al profesor. — "Tomorrow, I will deliver the homework to the teacher." — but in conversation you will also hear the present used the same way.
5. General truths and routines
Finally, the present tense states general truths and routines: what usually happens, what is always true, what people normally do. It is the tense of habits and of facts that do not belong to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él / ella entrega el informe al jefe. — "Normally, he / she delivers the report to the boss."
Present vs preterite: entregar
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 entregar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo entrego el informe al jefe. — "Every day, I deliver the report to the boss."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo entregué el informe al jefe. — "Yesterday, I delivered the report to the boss."
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, yo entrego las llaves al vecino. — "Every day, I deliver the keys to the neighbour."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo entregué las llaves al vecino. — "Yesterday, I delivered the keys to the neighbour."
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, yo entrego el paquete en la puerta. — "Every day, I deliver the parcel at the door."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo entregué el paquete en la puerta. — "Yesterday, I delivered the parcel at the door."
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: entregar in the present tense
These six sentences show entregar 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 entrego el informe al jefe. — "I deliver the report to the boss."
- Tú entregas las llaves al vecino. — "You deliver the keys to the neighbour."
- Él / Ella entrega el paquete en la puerta. — "He / She delivers the parcel at the door."
- Nosotros entregamos los deberes al profesor. — "We deliver the homework to the teacher."
- Vosotros entregáis el informe al jefe. — "You deliver the report to the boss."
- Ellos entregan las llaves al vecino. — "They deliver the keys to the neighbour."
Common mistakes with entregar in the present tense
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo entrego el informe al jefe, pero no lo entrego.
- Right: Yo entrego el informe al jefe.
- Why: The second clause contradicts the first. Entregar means you hand it over, so do not add that you do not hand it over.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Yo entrego el informe el jefe.
- Right: Yo entrego el informe al jefe.
- Why: The person who receives the delivery needs a: entrego el informe al jefe, entrego las llaves al vecino.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Entregar es lo mismo que dar.
- Right: Entregar means to deliver; dar means to give.
- Why: Dar is the general verb for giving. Entregar is more specific: it means to deliver something to its destination, often formally.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo entrego el informe al jefe.
- Right: Ayer, yo entregué el informe al jefe.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo entregais el informe al jefe.
- Right: Yo entregáis el informe al jefe.
- Why: The form is entregáis, with a written accent. The accent is part of the spelling, and without it the word is misspelled.
Quiz: the present tense of entregar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of entregar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of entregar in the present tense?
- (a) entrego
- (b) entregas
- (c) entrega
- (d) entregamos
Answer: (a) entrego. The i form is entrego. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the you form of entregar in the present tense?
- (a) entrego
- (b) entrega
- (c) entregamos
- (d) entregas
Answer: (d) entregas. The you form is entregas. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the he / she form of entregar in the present tense?
- (a) entregas
- (b) entregamos
- (c) entrega
- (d) entrego
Answer: (c) entrega. The he / she form is entrega. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the we form of entregar in the present tense?
- (a) entrega
- (b) entregamos
- (c) entrego
- (d) entregas
Answer: (b) entregamos. The we form is entregamos. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the they form of entregar in the present tense?
- (a) entregan
- (b) entrego
- (c) entregas
- (d) entrega
Answer: (a) entregan. The they form is entregan. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ el informe al jefe.
- (a) entrega
- (b) entregamos
- (c) entrego
- (d) entregas
Answer: (c) entrego. The sentence needs the yo form entrego (Every day, I deliver the report to the boss.)
7. What is the gerund of entregar?
- (a) entregado
- (b) entregar
- (c) entrega
- (d) entregando
Answer: (d) entregando. The gerund is entregando, used for the progressive: estoy entregando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo entrego las llaves al vecino.
- (b) Antes, yo entregaba las llaves al vecino.
- (c) Ayer, yo entregué las llaves al vecino.
- (d) Mañana, yo entregaré las llaves al vecino.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo entrego las llaves al vecino.. Cada día, yo entrego las llaves al vecino. (Every day, I deliver the keys to the neighbour.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo entregué las llaves al vecino. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo entregaré las llaves al vecino. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of entregar
Is entregar regular?
Almost. It is a regular -ar verb with one spelling change: the preterite yo form is entregué, with a gu, to keep the hard g sound. The present tense is fully regular.
Does entregar take a?
Yes, before the person who receives the delivery: entrego el informe al jefe. The a is the indirect object marker.
What is the difference between entregar and enviar?
Enviar means to send something, often by post. Entregar means to deliver it into someone's hands. You enviar a parcel and the courier entregar it.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with entregar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo entrego el informe al jefe. — "Every day, I deliver the report to the boss." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo entregué el informe al jefe. — "Yesterday, I delivered the report to the boss." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.