Entusiasmar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of entusiasmar — «to excite» — 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. entusiasmar 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 entusiasmo todos los días» — I excite every day.

Entusiasmar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo entusiasmo
tú entusiasmas
él/ella/Ud. entusiasma
nosotros/as entusiasmamos
vosotros/as entusiasmáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. entusiasman

Gerund: entusiasmando · Past participle: entusiasmado

How the present tense of entusiasmar is formed

Take the stem entusiasm — the infinitive entusiasmar 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 entusiasm -o entusiasmo
tú entusiasm -as entusiasmas
él/ella/Ud. entusiasm -a entusiasma
nosotros/as entusiasm -amos entusiasmamos
vosotros/as entusiasm -áis entusiasmáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. entusiasm -an entusiasman

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

When to use the present tense of entusiasmar

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 entusiasmo todos los días. — I excite 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 entusiasma con mi familia. — He excites 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 entusiasmando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros entusiasmamos por la mañana. — We excite 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 entusiasmas en el trabajo. — You excite 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 entusiasman a veces. — They excite 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 entusiasmo todos los días. — I excite every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo entusiasmé por la tarde. — Yesterday I excited 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 entusiasma por la mañana. — He excites in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él entusiasmó por la tarde. — Yesterday He excited in the afternoon.

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

  • Present: Nosotros entusiasmamos con mi familia. — We excite with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros entusiasmamos dos veces. — Last week We excited 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: entusiasmar in the present

  1. Yo entusiasmo todos los días. — I excite every day.
  2. Tú entusiasmas en el trabajo. — You excite at work.
  3. Él entusiasma con mi familia. — He excites with my family.
  4. Nosotros entusiasmamos por la mañana. — We excite in the morning.
  5. Vosotros entusiasmáis cuando hay tiempo. — You excite when there is time.
  6. Ellos entusiasman a veces. — They excite sometimes.
  7. Yo entusiasmo en el trabajo. — I excite at work.
  8. Él entusiasma todos los días. — He excites every day.

Common mistakes with entusiasmar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros entusiasmais.

Right: Vosotros entusiasmáis.

The vosotros form entusiasmáis 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 entusiasmo.

Right: Ayer yo entusiasmé.

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

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos entusiasmo.

Right: Ellos entusiasman.

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

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy entusiasmo.

Right: Estoy entusiasmando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy entusiasmando. The conjugated present entusiasmo never follows estar.

Quiz: entusiasmar in the present

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

1. What is the yo form of entusiasmar in the present indicative?

- (a) entusiasmo
- (b) entusiasmamos
- (c) entusiasma
- (d) entusiasmas

2. What is the tú form of entusiasmar in the present indicative?

- (a) entusiasmamos
- (b) entusiasma
- (c) entusiasmas
- (d) entusiasmo

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of entusiasmar in the present indicative?

- (a) entusiasmas
- (b) entusiasmamos
- (c) entusiasmo
- (d) entusiasma

4. What is the nosotros/as form of entusiasmar in the present indicative?

- (a) entusiasmamos
- (b) entusiasmo
- (c) entusiasmas
- (d) entusiasma

5. What is the vosotros/as form of entusiasmar in the present indicative?

- (a) entusiasmáis
- (b) entusiasmo
- (c) entusiasmas
- (d) entusiasma

6. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of entusiasmar in the present indicative?

- (a) entusiasmas
- (b) entusiasma
- (c) entusiasmo
- (d) entusiasman

7. What is the gerund of entusiasmar?

- (a) entusiasmo
- (b) entusiasmado
- (c) entusiasmar
- (d) entusiasmando

8. What is the past participle of entusiasmar?

- (a) entusiasmado
- (b) entusiasmando
- (c) entusiasmé
- (d) entusiasmar

Answer key

1. (a) — In the present indicative, the yo form of entusiasmar is entusiasmo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (c) — In the present indicative, the tú form of entusiasmar is entusiasmas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (d) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of entusiasmar is entusiasma. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of entusiasmar is entusiasmamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of entusiasmar is entusiasmáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of entusiasmar is entusiasman. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (d) — The gerund of entusiasmar is entusiasmando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy entusiasmando». 8. (a) — The past participle of entusiasmar is entusiasmado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he entusiasmado».

Frequently asked questions

Is entusiasmar regular in the present?

Yes — entusiasmar is regular in the present. The stem entusiasm 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 entusiasmar in the present?

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

How is the present different from the preterite for entusiasmar?

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

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

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

Related pages