Funcionar in the Present Tense

Funcionar means “to work, to function”, and this page covers exactly one thing: funcionar 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 funcionar, 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 funcionar in the present. For example: “Yo funciono bien desde la reparación.” — I work well since the repair. Everything on this page uses the forms of funcionar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Funcionar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo funciono
tú funcionas
él/ella/Ud. funciona
nosotros/as funcionamos
vosotros/as funcionáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionan

Gerund: funcionando · Past participle: funcionado

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

How the present of funcionar is formed

Funcionar is regular in the present tense. Take the stem funcion and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving funciono, funcionas, funciona, funcionamos, funcionáis, funcionan. Watch the accents: the yo form is funciono and the él/ella/Ud. form is funciona.

When to use the present of funcionar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use funcionar 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 funcionar is no exception. Example: “Yo funciono bien desde la reparación todos los días.” — I work well since the repair 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 funcionar means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Funciona sin problemas por la mañana.” — He/she works without problems in the morning.

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 funciono a la primera siempre ahora.” — I work first time, always 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 funcionamos con el interruptor nuevo.” — We work with the new switch.

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 funcionas bien desde la reparación.” — You work well since the repair.

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 funciono bien desde la reparación todos los días.” — I work well since the repair every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo funcioné bien desde la reparación.” — Yesterday, I worked well since the repair.

  • 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 funciona sin problemas por la mañana cada semana.” — He/she works without problems in the morning every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él funcionó sin problemas por la mañana.” — Last week, he worked without problems in the morning.

  • 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 funcionamos a la primera siempre a menudo.” — We work first time, always often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros funcionamos a la primera siempre.” — Yesterday, we worked first time, always.

  • 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: funcionar 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. “Funciono bien desde la reparación.” — I work well since the repair.

  2. “Funcionas sin problemas por la mañana.” — You work without problems in the morning.

  3. “Funciona a la primera siempre.” — He/she works first time, always.

  4. “Funcionamos con el interruptor nuevo.” — We work with the new switch.

  5. “Funcionáis bien desde la reparación.” — You work well since the repair.

  6. “Funcionan sin problemas por la mañana.” — They work without problems in the morning.

  7. “Funciono a la primera siempre.” — I work first time, always.

  8. “Funciona con el interruptor nuevo.” — He/she works with the new switch.

Common mistakes with funcionar 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 funciona bien desde la reparación.” Right: “Ellos funcionan bien desde la reparación.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form funcionan. The singular funciona belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Yo funciono sin problemas por la mañana ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo funcioné sin problemas por la mañana.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to funcioné.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros funcionas a la primera siempre.” Right: “Nosotros funcionamos a la primera siempre.” Why: Nosotros needs funcionamos. The tú form funcionas belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos funciono con el interruptor nuevo todos los días.” Right: “Ellos funcionan con el interruptor nuevo todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form funcionan, not the yo form funciono. 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: funcionar 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 ______ bien desde la reparación.” (Well since the repair.)

  • (a) funciono
  • (b) funcionas
  • (c) funciona

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

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ sin problemas por la mañana?” (Without problems in the morning.)

  • (a) funciono
  • (b) funciona
  • (c) funcionas

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

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ a la primera siempre.” (First time, always.)

  • (a) funcionas
  • (b) funciona
  • (c) funciono

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

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ con el interruptor nuevo.” (With the new switch.)

  • (a) funcionamos
  • (b) funciono
  • (c) funcionas

Answer: funcionamos — The nosotros/as form of funcionar in the present is funcionamos. 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 funcionar in the present?

  • (a) funciono
  • (b) funcionas
  • (c) funcionáis

Answer: funcionáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes funcionáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros funcionáis bien desde la reparación.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ sin problemas por la mañana.” (Without problems in the morning.)

  • (a) funcionas
  • (b) funcionan
  • (c) funciono

Answer: funcionan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of funcionar in the present is funcionan. 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 funcionar in the present?

  • (a) funciono
  • (b) funcionas
  • (c) funciona

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

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo funcioné bien desde la reparación todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros funcionaremos bien desde la reparación mañana.
  • (c) Yo funciono bien desde la reparación todos los días.

Answer: Yo funciono bien desde la reparación todos los días. — “Yo funciono bien desde la reparación 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 funcionar regular in the present?

Yes. Funcionar is regular in the present: funciono, funcionas, funciona, funcionamos, funcionáis, funcionan. 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 funcionar?

The past participle is funcionado: 'He funcionado' means 'I have worked'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is funcionando.

Does funcionar take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Funcionar is fully regular, and its subject is usually a thing: el ordenador funciona, la nevera no funciona. In the examples on this page, funcionar appears with complements such as bien desde la reparación and sin problemas por la mañana, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of funcionar?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo funciono, tú funcionas, él/ella/Ud. funciona, nosotros/as funcionamos, vosotros/as funcionáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. funcionan. Then write three of your own sentences with funcionar in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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