Introduction

Guisar means “to stew”, and this page covers exactly one thing: guisar 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 guisar, 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 guisar in the present. Guisar in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo guiso un guiso” — "I stew a stew". Everything on this page uses the forms of guisar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Guisar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo guiso
tú guisas
él/ella/Ud. guisa
nosotros/as guisamos
vosotros/as guisáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. guisan

Gerund: guisando · Past participle: guisado

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

How the present of guisar is formed

Guisar is a regular -ar verb in the present. Take the stem guis and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving guiso, guisas, guisa, guisamos, guisáis, guisan. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, guisáis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The present of guisar is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form guisáis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form guiso is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of guisar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use guisar 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, guisar goes in the present. Example: “Yo guiso la carne” — "I stew the meat".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about guisar does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él guisa a fuego lento” — "He stews over a low heat".

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 guiso can mean both "I stew" and "I am stewing". Example: “Yo guiso un guiso” — "I stew a stew".

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: “Nosotros guisamos la carne” — "We stew the meat".

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 guisar just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él guisa a fuego lento” — "He stews over a low heat".

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 guiso un guiso” — "I stew a stew".

  • Preterite: “Yo guisé un guiso” — "I stewed a stew".

  • 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: “Él guisa la carne” — "He stews the meat".

  • Preterite: “Él guisó la carne” — "He stewed the meat".

  • 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 guisamos a fuego lento” — "We stew over a low heat".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros guisamos a fuego lento” — "We stewed over a low heat".

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

Example sentences: guisar 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. “Yo guiso la carne” — "I stew the meat"

  2. “Tú guisas a fuego lento” — "You stew over a low heat"

  3. “Él guisa un guiso” — "He stews a stew"

  4. “Nosotros guisamos la carne” — "We stew the meat"

  5. “Vosotros guisáis a fuego lento” — "You stew over a low heat"

  6. “Ellos guisan un guiso” — "They stew a stew"

  7. “Yo guiso la carne” — "I stew the meat"

  8. “Él guisa a fuego lento” — "He stews over a low heat"

Common mistakes with guisar 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 guisa un guiso” Right: “Ellos guisan un guiso” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form guisan. The singular guisa belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

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

  • Wrong: “Yo guisa un guiso.” Right: “Yo guiso un guiso” Why: Yo needs the yo form guiso. The él form guisa belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

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

Quiz: guisar 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 ___ a fuego lento.” (yo form)

A. guisáis B. guisas C. guisan D. guiso

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ un guiso.” (tú form)

A. guisas B. guisamos C. guisa D. guiso

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

A. guisan B. guisa C. guisas D. guiso

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ a fuego lento.” (nosotros/as form)

A. guisáis B. guisan C. guisas D. guisamos

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

A. guisáis B. guisamos C. guisa D. guisas

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

A. guisa B. guiso C. guisas D. guisan

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 guiso B. Todos los días, yo guisé

Answer key

  1. guiso — The yo present of guisar is guiso.
  2. guisas — The tú present of guisar is guisas.
  3. guisa — The él/ella/Ud. present of guisar is guisa.
  4. guisamos — The nosotros/as present of guisar is guisamos.
  5. guisáis — The vosotros/as present of guisar is guisáis.
  6. guisan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of guisar is guisan.
  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 guiso — 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 guisar?

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

How is the present of guisar formed?

Take the stem guis- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving guiso, guisas, guisa, guisamos, guisáis, guisan.

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

The present (guiso) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (guisé) 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 guisar in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — guiso, guisas, guisa, guisamos, guisáis, guisan — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the guisar examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of guisar when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

Related links