Fingir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of fingir — “to pretend” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for fingir with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Fingir means to pretend or to feign, and it is the verb for pretending to be ill, to be asleep or to be happy: fingir estar enfermo. It is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so yo finjo and the subjunctive finja. Remember: pretender does not mean to pretend. To see it in a real sentence: Finjo estar enfermo para no ir. — “I pretend to be ill so as not to go.”
Present tense conjugation table: fingir
Every person of fingir in the present tense. The gerund is fingiendo and the past participle is fingido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | finjo |
| tú | finges |
| él/ella/Ud. | finge |
| nosotros/as | fingimos |
| vosotros/as | fingís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | fingen |
The gerund is fingiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy fingiendo” means the action of fingir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is fingido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he fingido” 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 fingir is used.
How the present of fingir is formed
The present of fingir is built from the stem fing plus the present endings for -ir verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ir ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | finjo |
| tú | -es | finges |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | finge |
| nosotros/as | -imos | fingimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | fingís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | fingen |
fingir is not fully regular in form: this verb is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is finjo and the present subjunctive is finja. The endings in the table above are the regular -ir endings, so once you know the pattern, the whole tense follows. The forms that show the pattern most clearly are finjo and finge.
The gerund of fingir is fingiendo and the past participle is fingido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of fingir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use fingir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of fingir is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and fingir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” — I pretend to be ill so as not to go.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what fingir means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Finge dormir en el sofá.” — He/she pretends to sleep on the sofa.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Finjo una sonrisa en la foto.” — I pretend a smile in the photo.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and fingir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros fingimos que no oye nada.” — Tomorrow, we pretend that he hears nothing.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Finges dormir en el sofá?” — Do you pretend to sleep on the sofa?
The present vs the 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 now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, 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 happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” — I pretend to be ill so as not to go.
Preterite: “Fingí estar enfermo para no ir.” — I pretended to be ill so as not to go.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Finge dormir en el sofá.” — He/she pretends to sleep on the sofa.
Preterite: “Fingió dormir en el sofá.” — He/she pretended to sleep on the sofa.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Fingimos una sonrisa en la foto.” — We pretend a smile in the photo.
Preterite: “Fingimos una sonrisa en la foto.” — We pretended a smile in the photo.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: fingir 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.
“Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” — I pretend to be ill so as not to go.
“Finges dormir en el sofá.” — You pretend to sleep on the sofa.
“Finge una sonrisa en la foto.” — He/she pretends a smile in the photo.
“Fingimos que no oye nada.” — We pretend that he hears nothing.
“Fingís estar enfermo para no ir.” — You pretend to be ill so as not to go.
“Fingen dormir en el sofá.” — They pretend to sleep on the sofa.
“Finjo una sonrisa en la foto.” — I pretend a smile in the photo.
“Finge que no oye nada.” — He/she pretends that he hears nothing.
Common mistakes with fingir 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: “Yo finge estar enfermo para no ir.” Right: “Yo finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” Why: Yo needs the yo form finjo. The form finge belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo fingo dormir en el sofá.” Right: “Yo finjo dormir en el sofá.” Why: Fingir is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is finjo and the present subjunctive is finja, so the first-person present is finjo, not fingo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo finjo dormir en el sofá.” Right: “Ayer yo fingí dormir en el sofá.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to fingí.
Wrong: “Ellos finge dormir en el sofá.” Right: “Ellos fingen dormir en el sofá.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form fingen. The singular finge belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: fingir 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 ___ estar enfermo para no ir.”
- (a) finjo
- (b) finges
- (c) finge
Answer: finjo — The yo form of fingir in the present is finjo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ dormir en el sofá.”
- (a) finjo
- (b) finge
- (c) finges
Answer: finges — The tú form of fingir in the present is finges.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ una sonrisa en la foto.”
- (a) finges
- (b) finge
- (c) finjo
Answer: finge — The él/ella form of fingir in the present is finge.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ que no oye nada.”
- (a) fingimos
- (b) finjo
- (c) finges
Answer: fingimos — The nosotros/as form of fingir in the present is fingimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ estar enfermo para no ir.”
- (a) finjo
- (b) finges
- (c) fingís
Answer: fingís — The vosotros/as form of fingir in the present is fingís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ dormir en el sofá.”
- (a) finges
- (b) fingen
- (c) finjo
Answer: fingen — The ellos/ellas form of fingir in the present is fingen.
7. What does fingir mean in English?
- (a) to pretend
- (b) to intend, to claim — never to pretend
- (c) to be about
Answer: to pretend — Fingir means to pretend.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Fingí estar enfermo para no ir.
- (b) Fingiré estar enfermo para no ir.
- (c) Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.
Answer: Finjo estar enfermo para no ir. — “Finjo estar enfermo para no ir.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is fingir regular in the present?
Fingir is a spelling-change verb in the present: it is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so the present first person is finjo and the present subjunctive is finja. The endings are the regular -ir endings, so the table above follows the pattern exactly.
What is the gerund and the past participle of fingir?
The gerund is fingiendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy fingiendo. The past participle is fingido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he fingido.
What should I watch out for with fingir?
Fingir is a -gir verb: g becomes j before o and a, so yo finjo and the subjunctive finja. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is finjo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise fingir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the fingir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of fingir — every tense of fingir in one place.
- Fingir examples and quiz — more sentences with fingir and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on fingir and other verbs.