Exportar in the Present Tense
Introduction
The present tense of exportar — «to export» — 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. exportar 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 exporto todos los días» — I export every day.
Exportar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | exporto |
| tú | exportas |
| él/ella/Ud. | exporta |
| nosotros/as | exportamos |
| vosotros/as | exportáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | exportan |
Gerund: exportando · Past participle: exportado
How the present tense of exportar is formed
Take the stem export — the infinitive exportar 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 | export | -o | exporto |
| tú | export | -as | exportas |
| él/ella/Ud. | export | -a | exporta |
| nosotros/as | export | -amos | exportamos |
| vosotros/as | export | -áis | exportáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | export | -an | exportan |
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 exporto, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.
When to use the present tense of exportar
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 exporto todos los días. — I export 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 exporta con mi familia. — He exports 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 exportando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.
Nosotros exportamos por la mañana. — We export 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 exportas en el trabajo. — You export 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 exportan a veces. — They export 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 exporto todos los días. — I export every day.
Preterite: Ayer yo exporté por la tarde. — Yesterday I exported 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 exporta por la mañana. — He exports in the morning.
Preterite: Ayer él exportó por la tarde. — Yesterday He exported in the afternoon.
What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.
Present: Nosotros exportamos con mi familia. — We export with my family.
Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros exportamos dos veces. — Last week We exported 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: exportar in the present
- Yo exporto todos los días. — I export every day.
- Tú exportas en el trabajo. — You export at work.
- Él exporta con mi familia. — He exports with my family.
- Nosotros exportamos por la mañana. — We export in the morning.
- Vosotros exportáis cuando hay tiempo. — You export when there is time.
- Ellos exportan a veces. — They export sometimes.
- Yo exporto en el trabajo. — I export at work.
- Él exporta todos los días. — He exports every day.
Common mistakes with exportar in the present
1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form
Wrong: Vosotros exportais.
Right: Vosotros exportáis.
The vosotros form exportáis 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 exporto.
Right: Ayer yo exporté.
Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present exporto talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs exporté.
3. Using the yo form for every person
Wrong: Ellos exporto.
Right: Ellos exportan.
Each person has its own form: ellos take exportan, not the yo form exporto. The -n ending on exportan is what marks the third-person plural.
4. Using the present instead of the progressive
Wrong: Estoy exporto.
Right: Estoy exportando.
After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy exportando. The conjugated present exporto never follows estar.
Quiz: exportar in the present
Test yourself on the present tense of exportar. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the vosotros/as form of exportar in the present indicative?
- (a) exporto
- (b) exportáis
- (c) exporta
- (d) exportas
2. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of exportar in the present indicative?
- (a) exporta
- (b) exportas
- (c) exportan
- (d) exporto
3. What is the yo form of exportar in the present indicative?
- (a) exporta
- (b) exporto
- (c) exportas
- (d) exportamos
4. What is the tú form of exportar in the present indicative?
- (a) exportamos
- (b) exportas
- (c) exporto
- (d) exporta
5. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of exportar in the present indicative?
- (a) exporta
- (b) exportas
- (c) exporto
- (d) exportamos
6. What is the nosotros/as form of exportar in the present indicative?
- (a) exporta
- (b) exporto
- (c) exportas
- (d) exportamos
7. What is the gerund of exportar?
- (a) exporto
- (b) exportado
- (c) exportando
- (d) exportar
8. What is the past participle of exportar?
- (a) exportar
- (b) exportando
- (c) exporté
- (d) exportado
Answer key
1. (b) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of exportar is exportáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (c) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of exportar is exportan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the present indicative, the yo form of exportar is exporto. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the present indicative, the tú form of exportar is exportas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (a) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of exportar is exporta. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (d) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of exportar is exportamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (c) — The gerund of exportar is exportando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy exportando». 8. (d) — The past participle of exportar is exportado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he exportado».
Frequently asked questions
Is exportar regular in the present?
Yes — exportar is regular in the present. The stem export 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 exportar in the present?
It is exporto. Use it for talking about yourself right now.
How is the present different from the preterite for exportar?
The present (exporto) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (exporté) reports a single finished event. «Yo exporto todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo exporté» is one event that ended yesterday.
Can I use the present of exportar with estar and the gerund?
Yes — «Estoy exportando» means «I am exporting right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo exporto» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.
Related pages
- Full conjugation: exportar
- More examples and a quiz: exportar-examples-and-quiz
- Present tense guide: spanish-present-tense-guide
- Browse all Spanish verbs: /spanish/