Nutrir Present Tense in Spanish
nutrir means "to nourish" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for nutrir, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo nutro a su familia con comida sana. — "Every day, I nourish his family with healthy food." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of nutrir: full table
Every person of nutrir in the present tense. The gerund is nutriendo and the past participle is nutrido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | nutro |
| tú | nutres |
| él/ella/Ud. | nutre |
| nosotros/as | nutrimos |
| vosotros/as | nutrís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | nutren |
The gerund of nutrir is nutriendo and the past participle is nutrido. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy nutriendo), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he nutrido).
How the present tense of nutrir is formed
The present tense of nutrir is built from the stem nutr- plus the regular -ir endings: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en. Take the infinitive, remove the -ir ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo nutro, tú nutres, él nutre, nosotros nutrimos, vosotros nutrís and ellos nutren. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ir verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | nutro |
| tú | -es | nutres |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | nutre |
| nosotros/as | -imos | nutrimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | nutrís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | nutren |
nutrir is completely regular in the present tense: the stem never changes and every ending is the standard -ir ending. The only thing to watch is the accent on the vosotros form nutrís.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is nutriendo, used for the progressive with estar: estoy nutriendo. The past participle is nutrido, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he nutrido. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with nutrir
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo nutro a su familia con comida sana. — "Every day, I nourish his family with healthy food." The complement in this sentence is about his family with healthy food, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear nutrir in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú nutres el cuerpo con vitaminas. — "Now, you nourish the body with vitamins." The complement in this sentence is about the body with vitamins, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear nutrir in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él nutre a los niños con leche y fruta. — "Normally, he/she nourishes the children with milk and fruit." The complement in this sentence is about the children with milk and fruit, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear nutrir in the present tense.
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example: Mañana, nosotros nutrimos la mente con buenos libros. — "Tomorrow, we nourish the mind with good books." The complement in this sentence is about the mind with good books, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear nutrir in the present tense.
5. Frequent actions
With words such as siempre, a menudo and todos los días, the present tense shows how often something happens. For example: Siempre, ellos nutren a su familia con comida sana. — "Always, they nourish his family with healthy food." The complement in this sentence is about his family with healthy food, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear nutrir in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: nutrir
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with nutrir.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo nutro a su familia con comida sana. — "Every day, I nourish his family with healthy food."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo nutrí a su familia con comida sana. — "Yesterday, I nourished his family with healthy food."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, tú nutres el cuerpo con vitaminas. — "Every day, you nourish the body with vitamins."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú nutriste el cuerpo con vitaminas. — "Yesterday, you nourished the body with vitamins."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, él nutre a los niños con leche y fruta. — "Every day, he/she nourishes the children with milk and fruit."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él nutrió a los niños con leche y fruta. — "Yesterday, he/she nourished the children with milk and fruit."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: nutrir in the present tense
These eight sentences show nutrir in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo nutro a su familia con comida sana. — "I nourish his family with healthy food."
- Tú nutres el cuerpo con vitaminas. — "you nourish the body with vitamins."
- Él nutre a los niños con leche y fruta. — "he/she nourishes the children with milk and fruit."
- Nosotros nutrimos la mente con buenos libros. — "we nourish the mind with good books."
- Vosotros nutrís a su familia con comida sana. — "you (plural) nourish his family with healthy food."
- Ellos nutren el cuerpo con vitaminas. — "they nourish the body with vitamins."
- Yo nutro a los niños con leche y fruta. — "I nourish the children with milk and fruit."
- Tú nutres la mente con buenos libros. — "you nourish the mind with good books."
Common mistakes with nutrir in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros nutris a su familia con comida sana.
- Right: Vosotros nutrís a su familia con comida sana.
- Why: The vosotros form nutrís carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me nutro a su familia con comida sana.
- Right: Yo nutro a su familia con comida sana.
- Why: nutrir is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add. The extra pronoun changes the meaning of the sentence.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo nutro el cuerpo con vitaminas.
- Right: Ayer, yo nutrí el cuerpo con vitaminas.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo nutrí el cuerpo con vitaminas. — "Yesterday, I nourished the body with vitamins." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo nutro a los niños con leche y fruta.
- Right: Antes, yo nutría a los niños con leche y fruta.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo nutría a los niños con leche y fruta. — "In the past, I used to nourish the children with milk and fruit." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros nutre a su familia con comida sana.
- Right: Nosotros nutrimos a su familia con comida sana.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes nutrimos, while nutre belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of nutrir
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of nutrir. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of nutrir in the present tense?
- (a) nutre
- (b) nutrimos
- (c) nutro
- (d) nutres
Answer: (c) nutro. The yo form is nutro. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of nutrir in the present tense?
- (a) nutrimos
- (b) nutres
- (c) nutro
- (d) nutre
Answer: (b) nutres. The tú form is nutres. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of nutrir in the present tense?
- (a) nutre
- (b) nutro
- (c) nutres
- (d) nutrimos
Answer: (a) nutre. The él/ella form is nutre. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of nutrir in the present tense?
- (a) nutro
- (b) nutres
- (c) nutre
- (d) nutrimos
Answer: (d) nutrimos. The nosotros form is nutrimos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of nutrir in the present tense?
- (a) nutres
- (b) nutre
- (c) nutren
- (d) nutro
Answer: (c) nutren. The ellos/ellas form is nutren. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ a su familia con comida sana.
- (a) nutrimos
- (b) nutro
- (c) nutres
- (d) nutre
Answer: (b) nutro. The sentence needs the yo form nutro (Every day, I nourish his family with healthy food.)
7. What is the gerund of nutrir?
- (a) nutrir
- (b) nutriendo
- (c) nutrido
- (d) nutro
Answer: (b) nutriendo. The gerund is nutriendo, used for the progressive: estoy nutriendo.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo nutro el cuerpo con vitaminas.
- (b) Antes, yo nutría el cuerpo con vitaminas.
- (c) Ayer, yo nutrí el cuerpo con vitaminas.
- (d) Mañana, yo nutriré el cuerpo con vitaminas.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo nutro el cuerpo con vitaminas.. Cada día, yo nutro el cuerpo con vitaminas. (Every day, I nourish the body with vitamins.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo nutrí el cuerpo con vitaminas. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo nutriré el cuerpo con vitaminas. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of nutrir
Is nutrir regular in the present tense?
Yes. nutrir is a regular -ir verb: nutro, nutres, nutre, nutrimos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
What is the difference between nutrir and nutrirse?
nutrir means "to nourish", while nutrirse means "to nourish oneself". The reflexive form is used when the action comes back to the subject, and the plain form is used when the action is done to someone or something else.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with nutrir?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo nutro el cuerpo con vitaminas. — "Every day, I nourish the body with vitamins." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo nutrí el cuerpo con vitaminas. — "Yesterday, I nourished the body with vitamins." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.
Can I use the present tense for the future with nutrir?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros nutrimos la mente con buenos libros. — "Tomorrow, we nourish the mind with good books." Spanish often uses the present for a plan that feels certain, where English would use the future. Add a time word such as mañana so the listener knows you mean the future.