Instruir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of instruir — “to instruct” 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 instruir 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. Instruir means to instruct or to train, and it is used for teaching a skill, giving instructions and training soldiers or workers: instruir a los alumnos, instruir a los soldados. It is a -uir verb: yo instruyo, él instruye, with y before the vowel endings. To see it in a real sentence: Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller. — “I instruct the students in the workshop.”
Present tense conjugation table: instruir
Every person of instruir in the present tense. The gerund is instruyendo and the past participle is instruido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | instruyo |
| tú | instruyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | instruye |
| nosotros/as | instruimos |
| vosotros/as | instruís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | instruyen |
The gerund is instruyendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy instruyendo” means the action of instruir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is instruido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he instruido” 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 instruir is used.
How the present of instruir is formed
The present of instruir is built from the stem instru 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 | instruyo |
| tú | -es | instruyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | instruye |
| nosotros/as | -imos | instruimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | instruís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | instruyen |
instruir is not fully regular in form: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is instruyo and instruye, and the gerund is instruyendo. 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 instruyo and instruye.
The gerund of instruir is instruyendo and the past participle is instruido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of instruir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use instruir 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 instruir 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 instruir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” — I instruct the students in the workshop.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what instruir 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: “Instruye a los soldados en el cuartel.” — He/she instructs the soldiers in the barracks.
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: “Instruyo a los empleados nuevos.” — I instruct the new employees.
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 instruir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros instruimos al perro con paciencia.” — Tomorrow, we instruct the dog with patience.
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: “¿Instruyes a los soldados en el cuartel?” — Do you instruct the soldiers in the barracks?
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: “Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” — I instruct the students in the workshop.
Preterite: “Instruí a los alumnos en el taller.” — I instructed the students in the workshop.
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: “Instruye a los soldados en el cuartel.” — He/she instructs the soldiers in the barracks.
Preterite: “Instruyó a los soldados en el cuartel.” — He/she instructed the soldiers in the barracks.
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: “Instruimos a los empleados nuevos.” — We instruct the new employees.
Preterite: “Instruimos a los empleados nuevos.” — We instructed the new employees.
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: instruir 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.
“Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” — I instruct the students in the workshop.
“Instruyes a los soldados en el cuartel.” — You instruct the soldiers in the barracks.
“Instruye a los empleados nuevos.” — He/she instructs the new employees.
“Instruimos al perro con paciencia.” — We instruct the dog with patience.
“Instruís a los alumnos en el taller.” — You instruct the students in the workshop.
“Instruyen a los soldados en el cuartel.” — They instruct the soldiers in the barracks.
“Instruyo a los empleados nuevos.” — I instruct the new employees.
“Instruye al perro con paciencia.” — He/she instructs the dog with patience.
Common mistakes with instruir 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 instruye a los alumnos en el taller.” Right: “Yo instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” Why: Yo needs the yo form instruyo. The form instruye belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo instruo a los soldados en el cuartel.” Right: “Yo instruyo a los soldados en el cuartel.” Why: Instruir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is instruyo and instruye, and the gerund is instruyendo, so the first-person present is instruyo, not instruo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo instruyo a los soldados en el cuartel.” Right: “Ayer yo instruí a los soldados en el cuartel.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to instruí.
Wrong: “Ellos instruye a los soldados en el cuartel.” Right: “Ellos instruyen a los soldados en el cuartel.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form instruyen. The singular instruye belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: instruir 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 los alumnos en el taller.”
- (a) instruyo
- (b) instruyes
- (c) instruye
Answer: instruyo — The yo form of instruir in the present is instruyo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ a los soldados en el cuartel.”
- (a) instruyo
- (b) instruye
- (c) instruyes
Answer: instruyes — The tú form of instruir in the present is instruyes.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ a los empleados nuevos.”
- (a) instruyes
- (b) instruye
- (c) instruyo
Answer: instruye — The él/ella form of instruir in the present is instruye.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ al perro con paciencia.”
- (a) instruimos
- (b) instruyo
- (c) instruyes
Answer: instruimos — The nosotros/as form of instruir in the present is instruimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ a los alumnos en el taller.”
- (a) instruyo
- (b) instruyes
- (c) instruís
Answer: instruís — The vosotros/as form of instruir in the present is instruís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ a los soldados en el cuartel.”
- (a) instruyes
- (b) instruyen
- (c) instruyo
Answer: instruyen — The ellos/ellas form of instruir in the present is instruyen.
7. What does instruir mean in English?
- (a) to instruct
- (b) to teach
- (c) to be about
Answer: to instruct — Instruir means to instruct.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Instruí a los alumnos en el taller.
- (b) Instruiré a los alumnos en el taller.
- (c) Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.
Answer: Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller. — “Instruyo a los alumnos en el taller.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is instruir regular in the present?
Instruir is a spelling-change verb in the present: it is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is instruyo and instruye, and the gerund is instruyendo. The endings are the regular -ir endings, so the table above follows the pattern exactly.
What is the gerund and the past participle of instruir?
The gerund is instruyendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy instruyendo. The past participle is instruido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he instruido.
What should I watch out for with instruir?
Instruir is a -uir verb: yo instruyo, él instruye, with y before the vowel endings. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is instruyo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise instruir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the instruir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of instruir — every tense of instruir in one place.
- Instruir examples and quiz — more sentences with instruir 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 instruir and other verbs.