Expandir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of expandir — “to expand” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for expandir with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Expandir means to expand, and it is used for businesses, gases, ideas and territories: expandir el negocio, expandir la empresa. It is a regular -ir verb. To see it in a real sentence: Expando el negocio a otros países. — “I expand the business to other countries.”
Present tense conjugation table: expandir
Every person of expandir in the present tense. The gerund is expandiendo and the past participle is expandido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | expando |
| tú | expandes |
| él/ella/Ud. | expande |
| nosotros/as | expandimos |
| vosotros/as | expandís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | expanden |
The gerund is expandiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy expandiendo” means the action of expandir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is expandido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he expandido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how expandir is used.
How the present of expandir is formed
The present of expandir is built from the stem expand plus the present endings for -ir verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ir ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | expando |
| tú | -es | expandes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | expande |
| nosotros/as | -imos | expandimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | expandís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | expanden |
expandir is a regular -ir verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is expand and the endings are the normal -ir endings, so there are no surprises to memorise in this tense — the challenge is only using the forms naturally.
The gerund of expandir is expandiendo and the past participle is expandido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of expandir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use expandir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of expandir is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and expandir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Expando el negocio a otros países.” — I expand the business to other countries.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what expandir means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Expande la empresa en América.” — He/she expands the company in America.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Expando las ideas del grupo.” — I expand the group's ideas.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and expandir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros expandimos el gas en el laboratorio.” — Tomorrow, we expand gas in the laboratory.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Expandes la empresa en América?” — Do you expand the company in America?
The present vs the preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Expando el negocio a otros países.” — I expand the business to other countries.
Preterite: “Expandí el negocio a otros países.” — I expanded the business to other countries.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Expande la empresa en América.” — He/she expands the company in America.
Preterite: “Expandió la empresa en América.” — He/she expanded the company in America.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Expandimos las ideas del grupo.” — We expand the group's ideas.
Preterite: “Expandimos las ideas del grupo.” — We expanded the group's ideas.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: expandir in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Expando el negocio a otros países.” — I expand the business to other countries.
“Expandes la empresa en América.” — You expand the company in America.
“Expande las ideas del grupo.” — He/she expands the group's ideas.
“Expandimos el gas en el laboratorio.” — We expand gas in the laboratory.
“Expandís el negocio a otros países.” — You expand the business to other countries.
“Expanden la empresa en América.” — They expand the company in America.
“Expando las ideas del grupo.” — I expand the group's ideas.
“Expande el gas en el laboratorio.” — He/she expands gas in the laboratory.
Common mistakes with expandir in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo expande el negocio a otros países.” Right: “Yo expando el negocio a otros países.” Why: Yo needs the yo form expando. The form expande belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo expandir la empresa en América.” Right: “Yo expando la empresa en América.” Why: The infinitive expandir cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving expando.
Wrong: “Ayer yo expando la empresa en América.” Right: “Ayer yo expandí la empresa en América.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to expandí.
Wrong: “Ellos expande la empresa en América.” Right: “Ellos expanden la empresa en América.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form expanden. The singular expande belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: expandir in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ el negocio a otros países.”
- (a) expando
- (b) expandes
- (c) expande
Answer: expando — The yo form of expandir in the present is expando.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ la empresa en América.”
- (a) expando
- (b) expande
- (c) expandes
Answer: expandes — The tú form of expandir in the present is expandes.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ las ideas del grupo.”
- (a) expandes
- (b) expande
- (c) expando
Answer: expande — The él/ella form of expandir in the present is expande.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ el gas en el laboratorio.”
- (a) expandimos
- (b) expando
- (c) expandes
Answer: expandimos — The nosotros/as form of expandir in the present is expandimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ el negocio a otros países.”
- (a) expando
- (b) expandes
- (c) expandís
Answer: expandís — The vosotros/as form of expandir in the present is expandís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ la empresa en América.”
- (a) expandes
- (b) expanden
- (c) expando
Answer: expanden — The ellos/ellas form of expandir in the present is expanden.
7. What does expandir mean in English?
- (a) to expand
- (b) to widen, to expand
- (c) to be about
Answer: to expand — Expandir means to expand.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Expandí el negocio a otros países.
- (b) Expandiré el negocio a otros países.
- (c) Expando el negocio a otros países.
Answer: Expando el negocio a otros países. — “Expando el negocio a otros países.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is expandir regular in the present?
Yes. Expandir is regular in the present: expando, expandes, expande, expandimos, expandís and expanden. Watch the accents on the forms that carry them, and remember that the nosotros form is the one that keeps the stem unchanged.
What is the gerund and the past participle of expandir?
The gerund is expandiendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy expandiendo. The past participle is expandido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he expandido.
What should I watch out for with expandir?
Expandir is regular: expandí, expandía, expandiré. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is expando, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise expandir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the expandir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of expandir — every tense of expandir in one place.
- Expandir examples and quiz — more sentences with expandir and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on expandir and other verbs.