Explotar Present Tense in Spanish
explotar means "to exploit, to explode" 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 explotar, 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 exploto la mina en la montaña. — "Every day, I exploit the mine in the mountains." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of explotar: full table
Every person of explotar in the present tense. The gerund is explotando and the past participle is explotado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | exploto |
| tú | explotas |
| él/ella/Ud. | explota |
| nosotros/as | explotamos |
| vosotros/as | explotáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | explotan |
The gerund of explotar is explotando and the past participle is explotado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy explotando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he explotado).
How the present tense of explotar is formed
The present tense of explotar is built from the stem explot- 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 exploto, tú explotas, él explota, nosotros explotamos, vosotros explotáis and ellos explotan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | exploto |
| tú | -as | explotas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | explota |
| nosotros/as | -amos | explotamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | explotáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | explotan |
explotar 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 explotáis.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is explotando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy explotando. The past participle is explotado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he explotado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with explotar
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo exploto la mina en la montaña. — "Every day, I exploit the mine in the mountains." The complement in this sentence is about the mine in the mountains, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear explotar in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú explotas el volcán en la isla. — "Now, you exploit the volcano on the island." The complement in this sentence is about the volcano on the island, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear explotar 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 explota el globo con el calor. — "Normally, he/she exploits the balloon in the heat." The complement in this sentence is about the balloon in the heat, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear explotar 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 explotamos el motor del coche viejo. — "Tomorrow, we exploit the old car's engine." The complement in this sentence is about the old car's engine, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear explotar 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 explotan la mina en la montaña. — "Always, they exploit the mine in the mountains." The complement in this sentence is about the mine in the mountains, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear explotar in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: explotar
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 explotar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo exploto la mina en la montaña. — "Every day, I exploit the mine in the mountains."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo exploté la mina en la montaña. — "Yesterday, I exploited the mine in the mountains."
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 explotas el volcán en la isla. — "Every day, you exploit the volcano on the island."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú explotaste el volcán en la isla. — "Yesterday, you exploited the volcano on the island."
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 explota el globo con el calor. — "Every day, he/she exploits the balloon in the heat."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él explotó el globo con el calor. — "Yesterday, he/she exploited the balloon in the heat."
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: explotar in the present tense
These eight sentences show explotar 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 exploto la mina en la montaña. — "I exploit the mine in the mountains."
- Tú explotas el volcán en la isla. — "you exploit the volcano on the island."
- Él explota el globo con el calor. — "he/she exploits the balloon in the heat."
- Nosotros explotamos el motor del coche viejo. — "we exploit the old car's engine."
- Vosotros explotáis la mina en la montaña. — "you (plural) exploit the mine in the mountains."
- Ellos explotan el volcán en la isla. — "they exploit the volcano on the island."
- Yo exploto el globo con el calor. — "I exploit the balloon in the heat."
- Tú explotas el motor del coche viejo. — "you exploit the old car's engine."
Common mistakes with explotar in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros explotais la mina en la montaña.
- Right: Vosotros explotáis la mina en la montaña.
- Why: The vosotros form explotáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me exploto la mina en la montaña.
- Right: Yo exploto la mina en la montaña.
- Why: explotar 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 exploto el volcán en la isla.
- Right: Ayer, yo exploté el volcán en la isla.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo exploté el volcán en la isla. — "Yesterday, I exploited the volcano on the island." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo exploto el globo con el calor.
- Right: Antes, yo explotaba el globo con el calor.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo explotaba el globo con el calor. — "In the past, I used to exploit the balloon in the heat." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros explota la mina en la montaña.
- Right: Nosotros explotamos la mina en la montaña.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes explotamos, while explota belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of explotar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of explotar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of explotar in the present tense?
- (a) exploto
- (b) explotas
- (c) explota
- (d) explotamos
Answer: (a) exploto. The yo form is exploto. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of explotar in the present tense?
- (a) exploto
- (b) explota
- (c) explotamos
- (d) explotas
Answer: (d) explotas. The tú form is explotas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of explotar in the present tense?
- (a) explotas
- (b) explotamos
- (c) explota
- (d) exploto
Answer: (c) explota. The él/ella form is explota. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of explotar in the present tense?
- (a) explota
- (b) explotamos
- (c) exploto
- (d) explotas
Answer: (b) explotamos. The nosotros form is explotamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of explotar in the present tense?
- (a) explotan
- (b) exploto
- (c) explotas
- (d) explota
Answer: (a) explotan. The ellos/ellas form is explotan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la mina en la montaña.
- (a) explotas
- (b) explota
- (c) explotamos
- (d) exploto
Answer: (d) exploto. The sentence needs the yo form exploto (Every day, I exploit the mine in the mountains.)
7. What is the gerund of explotar?
- (a) explotado
- (b) exploto
- (c) explotar
- (d) explotando
Answer: (d) explotando. The gerund is explotando, used for the progressive: estoy explotando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Ayer, yo exploté el volcán en la isla.
- (b) Mañana, yo explotaré el volcán en la isla.
- (c) Cada día, yo exploto el volcán en la isla.
- (d) Antes, yo explotaba el volcán en la isla.
Answer: (c) Cada día, yo exploto el volcán en la isla.. Cada día, yo exploto el volcán en la isla. (Every day, I exploit the volcano on the island.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo exploté el volcán en la isla. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo explotaré el volcán en la isla. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of explotar
Is explotar regular in the present tense?
Yes. explotar is a regular -ar verb: exploto, explotas, explota, explotamos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
How do you say 'exploit' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo exploto la mina en la montaña. — "Every day, I exploit the mine in the mountains." 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 explotar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo exploto el volcán en la isla. — "Every day, I exploit the volcano on the island." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo exploté el volcán en la isla. — "Yesterday, I exploited the volcano on the island." 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 explotar?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros explotamos el motor del coche viejo. — "Tomorrow, we exploit the old car's engine." 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.