Modelar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of modelar — “to model” 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 modelar 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. Modelar means to model, to shape clay, wax or another soft material into a figure. It is used in art classes, pottery and sculpture, and it is a fully regular verb. To see it in a real sentence: Modelo la arcilla en el taller. — “I model the clay in the workshop.” Learn the six forms in the table below, and the present tense of modelar will be ready for everyday conversation.
Present tense conjugation table: modelar
Every person of modelar in the present tense. The gerund is modelando and the past participle is modelado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | modelo |
| tú | modelas |
| él/ella/Ud. | modela |
| nosotros/as | modelamos |
| vosotros/as | modeláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | modelan |
How the present indicative of modelar is formed
The present indicative of modelar is built from the stem plus the present indicative endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar 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 | modelo |
| tú | -as | modelas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | modela |
| nosotros/as | -amos | modelamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | modeláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | modelan |
Modelar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is model- and the endings are the normal -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page.
The gerund of modelar is modelando and the past participle is modelado. Both are regular for this verb, and the participle is the form you need for all the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present tense of modelar
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and modelar appears in all of them. The five uses below are the ones you will meet most often, each with an example that shows the verb in a natural sentence.
Routines and habits
Use the present for things you do regularly, every day or every week. The present is the tense of routine, and modelar fits naturally into daily life.
“Yo modelo la arcilla en el taller todos los días.” — “I model the clay in the workshop every day.”
General facts
Use the present for facts that are true in general, not just today. When you state how something is, the present is the tense to use.
“Él modela una figura de barro.” — “He/she models a figure in clay.”
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English uses the progressive, so modelo can mean both “I model” and “I am modeling”.
“Ahora mismo, yo modelo el rostro de la estatua.” — “Right now, I model the face of the statue.”
Fixed plans in the near future
Use the present for a plan that is already fixed, such as something arranged for tomorrow. Spanish uses the present for near-future plans much more freely than English does.
“Mañana, yo modelo con las manos en clase de arte.” — “Tomorrow, I will model with my hands in art class.”
Questions and negatives
Use the present to ask about habits and to say what does not happen. The question and the negative use exactly the same forms as the statement.
“¿Tú modelas la arcilla en el taller?” — “Do you model the clay in the workshop?”
The present tense vs the closest tenses
Present — habit or general fact vs Preterite — one finished occasion
The present describes a habit, a routine or a general fact — something that happens again and again or that is true in general. The preterite reports one finished occasion in the past. Use the present when the action repeats or is still true, and the preterite when you are telling what happened once, on a specific day.
- Present — habit or general fact: Modela una figura de barro. — “He/she models a figure in clay.”
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Modeló una figura de barro. — the same idea, placed in the preterite.
Present — now vs Imperfect — a past habit or background
The present talks about now. The imperfect talks about the past as a background — a repeated habit, an ongoing situation, something that used to happen. If you can add “used to” in English, the imperfect is usually the right choice; if it is happening now or always, use the present.
- Present — now: Modelan el rostro de la estatua. — “They model the face of the statue.”
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Modelaban el rostro de la estatua. — the same idea, placed in the imperfect.
Present — now or a fixed plan vs Future — what will happen
The present describes what happens now, what you do regularly, or a plan that is already fixed. The future describes what will happen later — a promise, a prediction, a plan that is not yet under way. Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans, but the future is the form for a clear statement about tomorrow.
- Present — now or a fixed plan: Modelas con las manos en clase de arte. — “You model with my hands in art class.”
- Future — what will happen: Modelarás con las manos en clase de arte. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: modelar in the present tense
Seven sentences that show modelar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo modelo la arcilla en el taller. — “I model the clay in the workshop.”
- Tú modelas una figura de barro. — “You model a figure in clay.”
- Él modela el rostro de la estatua. — “He models the face of the statue.”
- Nosotros modelamos con las manos en clase de arte. — “We model with my hands in art class.”
- Vosotros modeláis la arcilla en el taller. — “You (plural) model the clay in the workshop.”
- Ellos modelan una figura de barro. — “They model a figure in clay.”
- ¿Tú modelas el rostro de la estatua? — “Do you model the face of the statue?”
Common mistakes with modelar in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with modelar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ Yo modelar la arcilla en el taller. (using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form).
✓ Correct: Yo modelo la arcilla en el taller.
The infinitive is not a conjugated form. With yo, the present tense of modelar is modelo, not the infinitive modelar.
✗ Vosotros modelais la arcilla en el taller. (forgetting the accent on the vosotros form).
✓ Correct: Vosotros modeláis la arcilla en el taller.
The vosotros present form carries a written accent: modeláis, not modelais. The accent marks the stressed vowel, and leaving it out is a spelling mistake.
✗ Ayer, yo modelo una figura de barro. (using the present for a finished past action).
✓ Correct: Ayer, yo modelé una figura de barro.
The present and the preterite are different tenses: modelo is happening now, while modelé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
✗ Treating modelar and moldear as identical in every context. (confusing modelar with moldear).
✓ Correct: Modelar means to model, while moldear means to mould, in a mould.
They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: modelar fits sentences such as Modelo la arcilla en el taller, while moldear belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Quiz: modelar in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of modelar. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below — every answer is explained.
1. Which is the correct present tense form of modelar for tú?
- a) modelas
- b) modelo
- c) modela
- d) modelan
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ la arcilla en el taller. — “I model the clay in the workshop.”
- a) modela
- b) modelamos
- c) modelas
- d) modelo
3. Complete the sentence: Él ______ una figura de barro. — “He/she models a figure in clay.” (present tense)
- a) modelaba
- b) modelará
- c) modela
- d) modeló
4. Which is the correct present tense form of modelar for nosotros?
- a) modelan
- b) modelamos
- c) modelo
- d) modela
5. Which sentence uses modelar correctly in the present tense?
- a) Él modeló una figura de barro.
- b) Él modela una figura de barro.
- c) Él modelará una figura de barro.
- d) Ellos modela una figura de barro.
6. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ el rostro de la estatua. — “They model the face of the statue.”
- a) modelo
- b) modela
- c) modelamos
- d) modelan
7. Complete the question: ¿Tú ______ con las manos en clase de arte? — “Do you model with my hands in art class?”
- a) modela
- b) modelarás
- c) modelas
- d) modelo
8. What is the gerund of modelar?
- a) modelé
- b) modelando
- c) modelado
- d) modelo
Answer key
a) modelas — The tú form is modelas. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; modelo is yo, modela is él/ella and modelan is ellos/ellas.
d) modelo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: modelo. The other options are the wrong person.
c) modela — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: modela. The other options are the preterite, the imperfect and the future.
b) modelamos — Nosotros takes modelamos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem.
b) Él modela una figura de barro. — Él modela una figura de barro. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) modelan — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is modelan.
c) modelas — The question needs the tú form in the present: modelas.
b) modelando — The gerund is modelando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle modelado.
Frequently asked questions
Is modelar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Modelar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the forms follow the standard endings: modelo, modelas, modela, modelamos, modeláis and modelan.
What is the gerund and the past participle of modelar?
The gerund is modelando and the past participle is modelado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say “I model” in Spanish?
Say modelo. For example: Modelo la arcilla en el taller. — “I model the clay in the workshop.”
What is the difference between modelar and moldear?
Modelar means “to model”, while moldear means “to mould, in a mould”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use modelar when you mean “to model” and moldear when you mean “to mould, in a mould”. The full conjugation of modelar is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of modelar — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- modelar examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a longer quiz.
- Spanish Present tense guide — how the present tense works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Forjar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with modelar.
- Tallar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with modelar.
- Decorar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with modelar.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise this verb in the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on Spanish verbs.