Introduction
Intentar means “to try, to attempt”, and this page covers exactly one thing: intentar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for intentar, 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 intentar in the present. Intentar is the verb for trying to do something. It is followed by an infinitive, with no preposition. For example: “Yo intento aprender español.” — I try to learn Spanish. Everything on this page uses the forms of intentar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Intentar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | intento |
| tú | intentas |
| él/ella/Ud. | intenta |
| nosotros/as | intentamos |
| vosotros/as | intentáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | intentan |
Gerund: intentando · Past participle: intentado
The gerund is intentando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy intentando” means the action of intentar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is intentado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he intentado” 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 intentar is used.
How the present of intentar is formed
Intentar is a regular -ar verb, so the present follows the standard pattern with no surprises. Take the stem intent (the infinitive without its -ar ending) and add the present endings: -o for yo, -as or -es for tú, -a or -e for él/ella/Ud., -amos / -emos / -imos for nosotros, -áis for vosotros, and -an or -en for ellos/ellas/Uds.. That gives you intento, intentas, intenta, intentamos, intentáis and intentan. Because the verb is regular, once you know the stem and the six endings you can produce every form without memorising a list, and the same pattern works for every other regular -ar verb you learn.
When to use the present of intentar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use intentar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. Trying to do something
Intentar is the verb for trying to do something. It is followed by an infinitive, with no preposition. Example: “Yo intento aprender español.” — I try to learn Spanish.
2. Trying again
Intentar de nuevo means to try again. It is how you describe a second attempt after a failure. Example: “Mi hermano intenta de nuevo.” — My brother tries again.
3. Attempting something difficult
Intentar + infinitive is used for difficult things: an exam, a climb, a new skill. The infinitive names what you attempt. Example: “Nosotros intentamos escalar la montaña.” — We try to climb the mountain.
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and intentar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo intento aprender español.” — I try to learn Spanish.
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with intentar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros intentamos escalar la montaña.” — We try to climb the mountain.
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present Tense: “Yo intento aprender español todos los días.” — I try to learn Spanish every day.
Preterite: “Ayer yo intenté aprender una palabra nueva.” — Yesterday I tried to learn a new word.
Todos los días describes a routine, so the present is right; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite is right.
Present Tense: “El estudiante intenta aprobar el examen siempre.” — The student always tries to pass the exam.
Preterite: “El estudiante intentó aprobar el examen ayer.” — The student tried to pass the exam yesterday.
Siempre signals repetition, so the present fits; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite fits.
Present Tense: “Yo intento aprender español.” — I try to learn Spanish.
Preterite: “Ayer, yo intenté aprender español.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.
The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: intentar 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.
“Yo intento aprender español.” — I try to learn Spanish.
“¿Tú intentas cocinar?” — Do you try to cook?
“Mi hermano intenta de nuevo.” — My brother tries again.
“Nosotros intentamos escalar la montaña.” — We try to climb the mountain.
“Vosotros intentáis hablar en español.” — You try to speak in Spanish.
“Ellos intentan resolver el problema.” — They try to solve the problem.
“Yo intento dormir ocho horas.” — I try to sleep eight hours.
“El estudiante intenta aprobar el examen.” — The student tries to pass the exam.
Common mistakes with intentar 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 intento a aprender español.” Right: “Yo intento aprender español.” Why: Intentar takes an infinitive directly, with no preposition: intento aprender, not intento a aprender. The a belongs to verbs such as comenzar a and aprender a, not to intentar.
Wrong: “Ellos intenta resolver el problema.” Right: “Ellos intentan resolver el problema.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form intentan. The singular intenta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el estudiante.
Wrong: “Yo intento aprender ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo intenté aprender una palabra nueva.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished attempt yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to intenté.
Wrong: “Nosotros intentas escalar.” Right: “Nosotros intentamos escalar la montaña.” Why: Nosotros needs intentamos. The tú form intentas belongs with tú.
Quiz: intentar 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 ______ aprender español.” (I try to learn Spanish.)
- (a) intentas
- (b) intenta
- (c) intento
Answer: intento — The yo form of intentar in the present is intento. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ cocinar?” (Do you try to cook?)
- (a) intenta
- (b) intentas
- (c) intento
Answer: intentas — The tú form of intentar in the present is intentas. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Mi hermano ______ de nuevo.” (My brother tries again.)
- (a) intenta
- (b) intento
- (c) intentas
Answer: intenta — The él/ella/Ud. form of intentar in the present is intenta. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ escalar la montaña.” (We try to climb the mountain.)
- (a) intento
- (b) intentas
- (c) intentamos
Answer: intentamos — The nosotros/as form of intentar in the present is intentamos. 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 intentar in the present?
- (a) intentas
- (b) intentáis
- (c) intento
Answer: intentáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes intentáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros intentáis hablar en español.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ resolver el problema.” (They try to solve the problem.)
- (a) intento
- (b) intentas
- (c) intentan
Answer: intentan — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is intentan.
7. Which is the correct yo form of intentar in the present?
- (a) intento
- (b) intenta
- (c) intentan
Answer: intento — The yo form is intento. The other two options are the él/ella and ellos/ellas forms.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?
- (a) Yo intento aprender español todos los días.
- (b) Ayer yo intenté aprender una palabra nueva.
- (c) Ayer yo intenté aprender una palabra nueva.
Answer: Yo intento aprender español todos los días. — “Yo intento aprender español todos los días.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.
Frequently asked questions
Is intentar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Intentar is a regular -ar verb: the stem is intent- and the present endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis and -an. There are no stem changes, so the whole table follows the standard pattern.
Does intentar take a preposition before an infinitive?
No. Intentar + infinitive has no preposition: 'Intento aprender español', 'Intento dormir ocho horas'. Do not add a: it belongs to comenzar a and aprender a, not to intentar.
What is the difference between intentar and tratar de?
The two are near-synonyms for trying. Tratar de + infinitive is slightly more formal and more common in writing, while intentar + infinitive is the everyday choice. In most sentences they are interchangeable.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of intentar — every tense of intentar in one place.
- Intentar examples and quiz — more sentences with intentar 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 intentar and other verbs.