Importar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of importar — «to matter, to import» — is the form you will reach for most often. It talks about habits, facts and what is happening right now, and it is the first tense to master for this verb. importar is a regular -ar verb verb, so the present follows the -ar endings. On this page you will find the full present-tense table, how the forms are built, five usage rules with examples, a comparison with the preterite, more example sentences, the mistakes learners make in this tense, an eight-question quiz and answers to common questions. A good first sentence is «Yo importo todos los días» — I matter every day.

Importar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo importo
tú importas
él/ella/Ud. importa
nosotros/as importamos
vosotros/as importáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. importan

Gerund: importando · Past participle: importado

How the present tense of importar is formed

Take the stem import — the infinitive importar without its -ar ending — and add the present endings. The table below shows the build for every person, using the actual stem of each form:

Person Stem Ending Form
yo import -o importo
tú import -as importas
él/ella/Ud. import -a importa
nosotros/as import -amos importamos
vosotros/as import -áis importáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. import -an importan

The present is the only tense where the yo form ends in -o for all three verb classes, which makes it a useful anchor: if you know importo, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of importar

1. Daily routines and habits

The most common use: things you do regularly. Time words like todos los días, siempre and a veces are the giveaway.

Yo importo todos los días. — I matter every day.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. No time expression is needed — the statement stands on its own.

Él importa con mi familia. — He matters with my family.

3. What is happening right now

For an action in progress, the present works on its own in Spanish, and you can also use estar + the gerund importando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros importamos por la mañana. — We matter in the morning.

4. Scheduled near-future plans

Spanish often uses the present for a fixed plan in the near future, where English would say «going to». A time expression such as mañana or la semana que viene makes the future meaning clear.

Tú importas en el trabajo. — You matter at work.

5. Narrating and commenting

The present is the tense of live commentary and of stories told as if they were happening now. It keeps the listener in the moment, and it is the tense of instructions and explanations.

Ellos importan a veces. — They matter sometimes.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The present and the preterite answer different questions. The present says what happens in general or what is happening now; the preterite says what happened once and is over. Compare the pairs below — same verb, different time frame:

  • Present: Yo importo todos los días. — I matter every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo importé por la tarde. — Yesterday I matterred in the afternoon.

  • A routine against a single finished event. The present describes the habit; the preterite reports the one time it happened.

  • Present: Él importa por la mañana. — He matters in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él importó por la tarde. — Yesterday He matterred in the afternoon.

  • What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.

  • Present: Nosotros importamos con mi familia. — We matter with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros importamos dos veces. — Last week We matterred twice.

  • A shared habit against a shared finished event. If the action repeats, use the present; if it happened once and ended, use the preterite.

Example sentences: importar in the present

  1. Yo importo todos los días. — I matter every day.
  2. Tú importas en el trabajo. — You matter at work.
  3. Él importa con mi familia. — He matters with my family.
  4. Nosotros importamos por la mañana. — We matter in the morning.
  5. Vosotros importáis cuando hay tiempo. — You matter when there is time.
  6. Ellos importan a veces. — They matter sometimes.
  7. Yo importo en el trabajo. — I matter at work.
  8. Él importa todos los días. — He matters every day.

Common mistakes with importar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros importais.

Right: Vosotros importáis.

The vosotros form importáis carries a written accent on the ending. Without it the word is misspelled, and in speech the stress falls in the wrong place.

2. Using the present for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo importo.

Right: Ayer yo importé.

Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present importo talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs importé.

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos importo.

Right: Ellos importan.

Each person has its own form: ellos take importan, not the yo form importo. The -n ending on importan is what marks the third-person plural.

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy importo.

Right: Estoy importando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy importando. The conjugated present importo never follows estar.

Quiz: importar in the present

Test yourself on the present tense of importar. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the vosotros/as form of importar in the present indicative?

- (a) importa
- (b) importas
- (c) importo
- (d) importáis

2. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of importar in the present indicative?

- (a) importas
- (b) importan
- (c) importo
- (d) importa

3. What is the yo form of importar in the present indicative?

- (a) importa
- (b) importo
- (c) importamos
- (d) importas

4. What is the tú form of importar in the present indicative?

- (a) importamos
- (b) importas
- (c) importo
- (d) importa

5. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of importar in the present indicative?

- (a) importamos
- (b) importas
- (c) importo
- (d) importa

6. What is the nosotros/as form of importar in the present indicative?

- (a) importa
- (b) importas
- (c) importamos
- (d) importo

7. What is the gerund of importar?

- (a) importar
- (b) importado
- (c) importo
- (d) importando

8. What is the past participle of importar?

- (a) importar
- (b) importando
- (c) importado
- (d) importé

Answer key

1. (d) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of importar is importáis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (b) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of importar is importan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (b) — In the present indicative, the yo form of importar is importo. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (b) — In the present indicative, the tú form of importar is importas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (d) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of importar is importa. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (c) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of importar is importamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (d) — The gerund of importar is importando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy importando». 8. (c) — The past participle of importar is importado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he importado».

Frequently asked questions

Is importar regular in the present?

Yes — importar is regular in the present. The stem import never changes and the endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for -ar verbs (with the matching sets for -er and -ir verbs).

What is the yo form of importar in the present?

It is importo. Use it for talking about yourself right now.

How is the present different from the preterite for importar?

The present (importo) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (importé) reports a single finished event. «Yo importo todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo importé» is one event that ended yesterday.

Can I use the present of importar with estar and the gerund?

Yes — «Estoy importando» means «I am matterring right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo importo» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.

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