Extraviar Present Tense in Spanish
extraviar means "to misplace" 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 extraviar, 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 extravío las llaves en el parque. — "Every day, I misplace his keys in the park." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of extraviar: full table
Every person of extraviar in the present tense. The gerund is extraviando and the past participle is extraviado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | extravío |
| tú | extravías |
| él/ella/Ud. | extravía |
| nosotros/as | extraviamos |
| vosotros/as | extraviáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | extravían |
The gerund of extraviar is extraviando and the past participle is extraviado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy extraviando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he extraviado).
How the present tense of extraviar is formed
The present tense of extraviar is built from the stem extravi- 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 extravío, tú extravías, él extravía, nosotros extraviamos, vosotros extraviáis and ellos extravían. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | extravío |
| tú | -as | extravías |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | extravía |
| nosotros/as | -amos | extraviamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | extraviáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | extravían |
extraviar 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 extraviáis.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is extraviando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy extraviando. The past participle is extraviado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he extraviado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with extraviar
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo extravío las llaves en el parque. — "Every day, I misplace his keys in the park." The complement in this sentence is about his keys in the park, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear extraviar in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú extravías el pasaporte en el viaje. — "Now, you misplace his passport on the trip." The complement in this sentence is about his passport on the trip, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear extraviar 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 extravía la cartera en el autobús. — "Normally, he/she misplaces his wallet on the bus." The complement in this sentence is about his wallet on the bus, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear extraviar 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 extraviamos el documento en la oficina. — "Tomorrow, we misplace the document in the office." The complement in this sentence is about the document in the office, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear extraviar 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 extravían las llaves en el parque. — "Always, they misplace his keys in the park." The complement in this sentence is about his keys in the park, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear extraviar in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: extraviar
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 extraviar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo extravío las llaves en el parque. — "Every day, I misplace his keys in the park."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo extravié las llaves en el parque. — "Yesterday, I misplaced his keys in the park."
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 extravías el pasaporte en el viaje. — "Every day, you misplace his passport on the trip."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú extraviaste el pasaporte en el viaje. — "Yesterday, you misplaced his passport on the trip."
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 extravía la cartera en el autobús. — "Every day, he/she misplaces his wallet on the bus."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él extravió la cartera en el autobús. — "Yesterday, he/she misplaced his wallet on the bus."
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: extraviar in the present tense
These eight sentences show extraviar 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 extravío las llaves en el parque. — "I misplace his keys in the park."
- Tú extravías el pasaporte en el viaje. — "you misplace his passport on the trip."
- Él extravía la cartera en el autobús. — "he/she misplaces his wallet on the bus."
- Nosotros extraviamos el documento en la oficina. — "we misplace the document in the office."
- Vosotros extraviáis las llaves en el parque. — "you (plural) misplace his keys in the park."
- Ellos extravían el pasaporte en el viaje. — "they misplace his passport on the trip."
- Yo extravío la cartera en el autobús. — "I misplace his wallet on the bus."
- Tú extravías el documento en la oficina. — "you misplace the document in the office."
Common mistakes with extraviar in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros extraviais las llaves en el parque.
- Right: Vosotros extraviáis las llaves en el parque.
- Why: The vosotros form extraviáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me extravío las llaves en el parque.
- Right: Yo extravío las llaves en el parque.
- Why: extraviar 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 extravío el pasaporte en el viaje.
- Right: Ayer, yo extravié el pasaporte en el viaje.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo extravié el pasaporte en el viaje. — "Yesterday, I misplaced his passport on the trip." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo extravío la cartera en el autobús.
- Right: Antes, yo extraviaba la cartera en el autobús.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo extraviaba la cartera en el autobús. — "In the past, I used to misplace his wallet on the bus." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros extravía las llaves en el parque.
- Right: Nosotros extraviamos las llaves en el parque.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes extraviamos, while extravía belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of extraviar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of extraviar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of extraviar in the present tense?
- (a) extraviamos
- (b) extravío
- (c) extravías
- (d) extravía
Answer: (b) extravío. The yo form is extravío. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of extraviar in the present tense?
- (a) extravías
- (b) extravío
- (c) extravía
- (d) extraviamos
Answer: (a) extravías. The tú form is extravías. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of extraviar in the present tense?
- (a) extravío
- (b) extravías
- (c) extraviamos
- (d) extravía
Answer: (d) extravía. The él/ella form is extravía. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of extraviar in the present tense?
- (a) extravías
- (b) extravía
- (c) extraviamos
- (d) extravío
Answer: (c) extraviamos. The nosotros form is extraviamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of extraviar in the present tense?
- (a) extravía
- (b) extravían
- (c) extravío
- (d) extravías
Answer: (b) extravían. The ellos/ellas form is extravían. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ las llaves en el parque.
- (a) extravío
- (b) extravías
- (c) extravía
- (d) extraviamos
Answer: (a) extravío. The sentence needs the yo form extravío (Every day, I misplace his keys in the park.)
7. What is the gerund of extraviar?
- (a) extraviando
- (b) extraviado
- (c) extravío
- (d) extraviar
Answer: (a) extraviando. The gerund is extraviando, used for the progressive: estoy extraviando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Antes, yo extraviaba el pasaporte en el viaje.
- (b) Ayer, yo extravié el pasaporte en el viaje.
- (c) Mañana, yo extraviaré el pasaporte en el viaje.
- (d) Cada día, yo extravío el pasaporte en el viaje.
Answer: (d) Cada día, yo extravío el pasaporte en el viaje.. Cada día, yo extravío el pasaporte en el viaje. (Every day, I misplace his passport on the trip.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo extravié el pasaporte en el viaje. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo extraviaré el pasaporte en el viaje. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of extraviar
Is extraviar regular in the present tense?
Yes. extraviar is a regular -ar verb: extravío, extravías, extravía, extraviamos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
What is the difference between extraviar and extraviarse?
extraviar means "to misplace", while extraviarse means "to get lost". The reflexive form is used when the action comes back to the subject, and the plain form is used when the action is done to someone or something else.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with extraviar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo extravío el pasaporte en el viaje. — "Every day, I misplace his passport on the trip." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo extravié el pasaporte en el viaje. — "Yesterday, I misplaced his passport on the trip." 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 extraviar?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros extraviamos el documento en la oficina. — "Tomorrow, we misplace the document in the office." 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.