Equilibrar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of equilibrar — «to balance» — 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. equilibrar 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 equilibro todos los días» — I balance every day.

Equilibrar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo equilibro
tú equilibras
él/ella/Ud. equilibra
nosotros/as equilibramos
vosotros/as equilibráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. equilibran

Gerund: equilibrando · Past participle: equilibrado

How the present tense of equilibrar is formed

Take the stem equilibr — the infinitive equilibrar 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 equilibr -o equilibro
tú equilibr -as equilibras
él/ella/Ud. equilibr -a equilibra
nosotros/as equilibr -amos equilibramos
vosotros/as equilibr -áis equilibráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. equilibr -an equilibran

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

When to use the present tense of equilibrar

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 equilibro todos los días. — I balance 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 equilibra con mi familia. — He balances 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 equilibrando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros equilibramos por la mañana. — We balance 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 equilibras en el trabajo. — You balance 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 equilibran a veces. — They balance 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 equilibro todos los días. — I balance every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo equilibré por la tarde. — Yesterday I balanced 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 equilibra por la mañana. — He balances in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él equilibró por la tarde. — Yesterday He balanced in the afternoon.

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

  • Present: Nosotros equilibramos con mi familia. — We balance with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros equilibramos dos veces. — Last week We balanced 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: equilibrar in the present

  1. Yo equilibro todos los días. — I balance every day.
  2. Tú equilibras en el trabajo. — You balance at work.
  3. Él equilibra con mi familia. — He balances with my family.
  4. Nosotros equilibramos por la mañana. — We balance in the morning.
  5. Vosotros equilibráis cuando hay tiempo. — You balance when there is time.
  6. Ellos equilibran a veces. — They balance sometimes.
  7. Yo equilibro en el trabajo. — I balance at work.
  8. Él equilibra todos los días. — He balances every day.

Common mistakes with equilibrar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros equilibrais.

Right: Vosotros equilibráis.

The vosotros form equilibráis 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 equilibro.

Right: Ayer yo equilibré.

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

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos equilibro.

Right: Ellos equilibran.

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

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy equilibro.

Right: Estoy equilibrando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy equilibrando. The conjugated present equilibro never follows estar.

Quiz: equilibrar in the present

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

1. What is the nosotros/as form of equilibrar in the present indicative?

- (a) equilibro
- (b) equilibras
- (c) equilibra
- (d) equilibramos

2. What is the vosotros/as form of equilibrar in the present indicative?

- (a) equilibra
- (b) equilibro
- (c) equilibráis
- (d) equilibras

3. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of equilibrar in the present indicative?

- (a) equilibran
- (b) equilibra
- (c) equilibro
- (d) equilibras

4. What is the yo form of equilibrar in the present indicative?

- (a) equilibra
- (b) equilibro
- (c) equilibras
- (d) equilibramos

5. What is the tú form of equilibrar in the present indicative?

- (a) equilibramos
- (b) equilibro
- (c) equilibra
- (d) equilibras

6. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of equilibrar in the present indicative?

- (a) equilibramos
- (b) equilibras
- (c) equilibra
- (d) equilibro

7. What is the gerund of equilibrar?

- (a) equilibrando
- (b) equilibro
- (c) equilibrado
- (d) equilibrar

8. What is the past participle of equilibrar?

- (a) equilibré
- (b) equilibrando
- (c) equilibrar
- (d) equilibrado

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of equilibrar is equilibramos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (c) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of equilibrar is equilibráis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of equilibrar is equilibran. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the present indicative, the yo form of equilibrar is equilibro. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (d) — In the present indicative, the tú form of equilibrar is equilibras. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of equilibrar is equilibra. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (a) — The gerund of equilibrar is equilibrando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy equilibrando». 8. (d) — The past participle of equilibrar is equilibrado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he equilibrado».

Frequently asked questions

Is equilibrar regular in the present?

Yes — equilibrar is regular in the present. The stem equilibr 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 equilibrar in the present?

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

How is the present different from the preterite for equilibrar?

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

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

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

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