Introduction

Legar means “to bequeath”, and this page covers exactly one thing: legar 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 legar, 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 legar in the present. Legar in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo lego su casa a sus hijos” — "I bequeath his house to his children". Everything on this page uses the forms of legar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Legar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo lego
tú legas
él/ella/Ud. lega
nosotros/as legamos
vosotros/as legáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. legan

Gerund: legando · Past participle: legado

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

How the present of legar is formed

Legar is a spelling-changing -ar (g → gu before e) verb in the present. Take the stem leg and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving lego, legas, lega, legamos, legáis, legan. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, legáis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The present of legar is regular in its endings, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form legáis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form lego is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of legar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use legar 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, legar goes in the present. Example: “Yo lego sus libros a la biblioteca” — "I bequeath his books to the library".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about legar does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él lega una fortuna” — "He bequeaths a fortune".

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 lego can mean both "I bequeath" and "I am bequeathing". Example: “Yo lego su casa a sus hijos” — "I bequeath his house to his children".

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 legamos sus libros a la biblioteca” — "We bequeath his books to the library".

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 legar just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él lega una fortuna” — "He bequeaths a fortune".

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 lego su casa a sus hijos” — "I bequeath his house to his children".

  • Preterite: “Yo legué su casa a sus hijos” — "I bequeathed his house to his children".

  • 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 lega sus libros a la biblioteca” — "He bequeaths his books to the library".

  • Preterite: “Él legó sus libros a la biblioteca” — "He bequeathed his books to the library".

  • 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 legamos una fortuna” — "We bequeath a fortune".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros legamos una fortuna” — "We bequeathed a fortune".

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

Example sentences: legar 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 lego sus libros a la biblioteca” — "I bequeath his books to the library"

  2. “Tú legas una fortuna” — "You bequeath a fortune"

  3. “Él lega su casa a sus hijos” — "He bequeaths his house to his children"

  4. “Nosotros legamos sus libros a la biblioteca” — "We bequeath his books to the library"

  5. “Vosotros legáis una fortuna” — "You bequeath a fortune"

  6. “Ellos legan su casa a sus hijos” — "They bequeath his house to his children"

  7. “Yo lego sus libros a la biblioteca” — "I bequeath his books to the library"

  8. “Él lega una fortuna” — "He bequeaths a fortune"

Common mistakes with legar 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 lega su casa a sus hijos” Right: “Ellos legan su casa a sus hijos” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form legan. The singular lega belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

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

  • Wrong: “Yo lega su casa a sus hijos.” Right: “Yo lego su casa a sus hijos” Why: Yo needs the yo form lego. The él form lega belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

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

Quiz: legar 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 ___ una fortuna.” (yo form)

A. lega B. legamos C. lego D. legan

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ su casa a sus hijos.” (tú form)

A. legáis B. lego C. legamos D. legas

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ___ sus libros a la biblioteca.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. lega B. lego C. legamos D. legas

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ una fortuna.” (nosotros/as form)

A. lego B. legamos C. legan D. legáis

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ___ su casa a sus hijos.” (vosotros/as form)

A. lego B. legas C. legamos D. legáis

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ___ sus libros a la biblioteca.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. legas B. legamos C. legan D. lega

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 lego B. Todos los días, yo legué

Answer key

  1. lego — The yo present of legar is lego.
  2. legas — The tú present of legar is legas.
  3. lega — The él/ella/Ud. present of legar is lega.
  4. legamos — The nosotros/as present of legar is legamos.
  5. legáis — The vosotros/as present of legar is legáis.
  6. legan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of legar is legan.
  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 lego — 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 legar?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo lego su casa a sus hijos. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of legar formed?

Take the stem leg- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving lego, legas, lega, legamos, legáis, legan.

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

The present (lego) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (legué) 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 legar in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — lego, legas, lega, legamos, legáis, legan — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the legar examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of legar when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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