Introduction

Facturar means “to invoice”, and this page covers exactly one thing: facturar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for facturar, 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 facturar in the present. Facturar in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo facturo mil euros” — "I invoice a thousand euros". Everything on this page uses the forms of facturar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Facturar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo facturo
tú facturas
él/ella/Ud. factura
nosotros/as facturamos
vosotros/as facturáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. facturan

Gerund: facturando · Past participle: facturado

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

How the present of facturar is formed

Facturar is a regular -ar verb in the present. Take the stem factur and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving facturo, facturas, factura, facturamos, facturáis, facturan. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, facturáis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The present of facturar is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form facturáis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form facturo is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of facturar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use facturar 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 is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, facturar goes in the present. Example: “Cada mes, yo facturo” — "Every month, I invoice".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about facturar does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él factura el trabajo” — "He invoices the work".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so facturo can mean both "I invoice" and "I am invoicing". Example: “Yo facturo mil euros” — "I invoice a thousand euros".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Cada mes, nosotros facturamos” — "Every month, we invoice".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with facturar just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él factura el trabajo” — "He invoices the work".

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 reports what happens regularly or what is happening now, 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 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 facturo mil euros” — "I invoice a thousand euros".

  • Preterite: “Yo facturé mil euros” — "I invoiced a thousand euros".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Cada mes, él factura” — "Every month, he invoices".

  • Preterite: “Cada mes, él facturó” — "Every month, he invoiced".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros facturamos el trabajo” — "We invoice the work".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros facturamos el trabajo” — "We invoiced the work".

  • The two sentences look identical: facturamos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: facturar 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. “Cada mes, yo facturo” — "Every month, I invoice"

  2. “Tú facturas el trabajo” — "You invoice the work"

  3. “Él factura mil euros” — "He invoices a thousand euros"

  4. “Cada mes, nosotros facturamos” — "Every month, we invoice"

  5. “Vosotros facturáis el trabajo” — "You invoice the work"

  6. “Ellos facturan mil euros” — "They invoice a thousand euros"

  7. “Cada mes, yo facturo” — "Every month, I invoice"

  8. “Él factura el trabajo” — "He invoices the work"

Common mistakes with facturar 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 factura mil euros” Right: “Ellos facturan mil euros” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form facturan. The singular factura belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo facturé” Right: “Todos los días, yo facturo” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (facturé) is for one finished action, not for routines.

  • Wrong: “Yo factura mil euros.” Right: “Yo facturo mil euros” Why: Yo needs the yo form facturo. The él form factura belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo facturo” Right: “Ayer, yo facturé” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to facturé.

Quiz: facturar 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 ___ mil euros.” (yo form)

A. facturo B. facturas C. facturan D. facturáis

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el trabajo.” (tú form)

A. facturas B. facturáis C. factura D. facturamos

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ___ mil euros.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. facturo B. facturáis C. facturamos D. factura

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ el trabajo.” (nosotros/as form)

A. facturo B. facturáis C. facturamos D. factura

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ___ mil euros.” (vosotros/as form)

A. facturas B. facturáis C. facturamos D. factura

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ___ el trabajo.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. facturáis B. facturan C. facturamos D. facturo

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo facturo B. Todos los días, yo facturé

Answer key

  1. facturo — The yo present of facturar is facturo.
  2. facturas — The tú present of facturar is facturas.
  3. factura — The él/ella/Ud. present of facturar is factura.
  4. facturamos — The nosotros/as present of facturar is facturamos.
  5. facturáis — The vosotros/as present of facturar is facturáis.
  6. facturan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of facturar is facturan.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo facturo — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of facturar?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo facturo mil euros. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of facturar formed?

Take the stem factur- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving facturo, facturas, factura, facturamos, facturáis, facturan.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for facturar?

The present (facturo) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (facturé) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise facturar in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — facturo, facturas, factura, facturamos, facturáis, facturan — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the facturar examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of facturar when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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