Exprimir in the Present Tense

Exprimir means “to squeeze”, and this page covers exactly one thing: exprimir in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about routines, facts and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for exprimir, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about exprimir in the present. For example: “Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo.” — I squeeze an orange for the juice. Everything on this page uses the forms of exprimir exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Exprimir in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo exprimo
tú exprimes
él/ella/Ud. exprime
nosotros/as exprimimos
vosotros/as exprimís
ellos/ellas/Uds. exprimen

Gerund: exprimiendo · Past participle: exprimido

The gerund is exprimiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy exprimiendo” means the action of exprimir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is exprimido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he exprimido” 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 exprimir is used.

How the present of exprimir is formed

Exprimir is regular in the present tense. Take the stem exprim and add the present endings for -ir verbs: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en, giving exprimo, exprimes, exprime, exprimimos, exprimís, exprimen. Watch the accents: the yo form is exprimo and the él/ella/Ud. form is exprime.

When to use the present of exprimir

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use exprimir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present tense is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the right choice, and exprimir is no exception. Example: “Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo todos los días.” — I squeeze an orange for the juice every day.

2. Facts and general truths

The present states facts that are true in general, not just right now. Use it to say what exprimir means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Exprime un limón en el pescado.” — He/she squeezes a lemon on the fish.

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes actions in progress at this very moment. When something is happening as you speak, the present tense says so directly. Example: “Yo exprimo las naranjas del desayuno ahora.” — I squeeze the oranges for breakfast now.

4. Scheduled events in the near future

Spanish often uses the present for things that are already arranged, such as plans for tomorrow or next week. The present sounds more certain than the future in these cases. Example: “Nosotros exprimimos dos limones para la limonada.” — We squeeze two lemons for the lemonade.

5. Instructions and everyday speech

In everyday speech the present gives instructions, makes offers and states what someone does. It is the tense you will hear most often in conversation. Example: “Tú exprimes una naranja para el zumo.” — You squeeze an orange for the juice.

Present Tense vs 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 describes routines, facts and what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo todos los días.” — I squeeze an orange for the juice every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo exprimí una naranja para el zumo.” — Yesterday, I squeezed an orange for the juice.

  • The present sentence describes a habit; the preterite sentence reports one finished action. Todos los días points to the present, ayer points to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Él exprime un limón en el pescado cada semana.” — He/she squeezes a lemon on the fish every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él exprimió un limón en el pescado.” — Last week, he squeezed a lemon on the fish.

  • Cada semana describes a routine, so the present is right; la semana pasada names one finished week, so the preterite is right.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros exprimimos las naranjas del desayuno a menudo.” — We squeeze the oranges for breakfast often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros exprimimos las naranjas del desayuno.” — Yesterday, we squeezed the oranges for breakfast.

  • The present sentence counts no single event; the preterite sentence counts one finished action. That difference — habit versus finished event — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: exprimir 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.

  1. “Exprimo una naranja para el zumo.” — I squeeze an orange for the juice.

  2. “Exprimes un limón en el pescado.” — You squeeze a lemon on the fish.

  3. “Exprime las naranjas del desayuno.” — He/she squeezes the oranges for breakfast.

  4. “Exprimimos dos limones para la limonada.” — We squeeze two lemons for the lemonade.

  5. “Exprimís una naranja para el zumo.” — You squeeze an orange for the juice.

  6. “Exprimen un limón en el pescado.” — They squeeze a lemon on the fish.

  7. “Exprimo las naranjas del desayuno.” — I squeeze the oranges for breakfast.

  8. “Exprime dos limones para la limonada.” — He/she squeezes two lemons for the lemonade.

Common mistakes with exprimir 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: “Ellos exprime una naranja para el zumo.” Right: “Ellos exprimen una naranja para el zumo.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form exprimen. The singular exprime belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Yo exprimo un limón en el pescado ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo exprimí un limón en el pescado.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to exprimí.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros exprimes las naranjas del desayuno.” Right: “Nosotros exprimimos las naranjas del desayuno.” Why: Nosotros needs exprimimos. The tú form exprimes belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos exprimo dos limones para la limonada todos los días.” Right: “Ellos exprimen dos limones para la limonada todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form exprimen, not the yo form exprimo. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.

Quiz: exprimir 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 ______ una naranja para el zumo.” (An orange for the juice.)

  • (a) exprimo
  • (b) exprimes
  • (c) exprime

Answer: exprimo — The yo form of exprimir in the present is exprimo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ un limón en el pescado?” (A lemon on the fish.)

  • (a) exprimo
  • (b) exprime
  • (c) exprimes

Answer: exprimes — The tú form of exprimir in the present is exprimes. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ las naranjas del desayuno.” (The oranges for breakfast.)

  • (a) exprimes
  • (b) exprime
  • (c) exprimo

Answer: exprime — The él/ella/Ud. form of exprimir in the present is exprime. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ dos limones para la limonada.” (Two lemons for the lemonade.)

  • (a) exprimimos
  • (b) exprimo
  • (c) exprimes

Answer: exprimimos — The nosotros/as form of exprimir in the present is exprimimos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

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

  • (a) exprimo
  • (b) exprimes
  • (c) exprimís

Answer: exprimís — From the table above: vosotros/as takes exprimís. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros exprimís una naranja para el zumo.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ un limón en el pescado.” (A lemon on the fish.)

  • (a) exprimes
  • (b) exprimen
  • (c) exprimo

Answer: exprimen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of exprimir in the present is exprimen. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

7. Which is the correct yo form of exprimir in the present?

  • (a) exprimo
  • (b) exprimes
  • (c) exprime

Answer: exprimo — The yo form is exprimo. The other two options are the forms for other persons.

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo exprimí una naranja para el zumo todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros exprimiremos una naranja para el zumo mañana.
  • (c) Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo todos los días.

Answer: Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo todos los días. — “Yo exprimo una naranja para el zumo todos los días.” describes a habit, so it takes the present. The second option reports a finished action in the past, and the third looks to the future.

Frequently asked questions

Is exprimir regular in the present?

Yes. Exprimir is regular in the present: exprimo, exprimes, exprime, exprimimos, exprimís, exprimen. Watch the accents on the yo and él forms, and remember that only context tells the nosotros form apart from the present-tense nosotros form when they are identical.

What is the past participle of exprimir?

The past participle is exprimido: 'He exprimido' means 'I have squeezed'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is exprimiendo.

Does exprimir take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Exprimir is fully regular: exprimí, exprimía, exprimiré. Exprimir una naranja is to squeeze an orange. In the examples on this page, exprimir appears with complements such as una naranja para el zumo and un limón en el pescado, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of exprimir?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo exprimo, tú exprimes, él/ella/Ud. exprime, nosotros/as exprimimos, vosotros/as exprimís, ellos/ellas/Uds. exprimen. Then write three of your own sentences with exprimir in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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