Opinar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb opinar means to think, to have an opinion, and this page covers it in the present tense — the tense for habits, facts and what is happening now. If you want the whole picture, start with the full opinar conjugation, which has every tense on one page. Here we go deep on one tense only: the full table, how it is formed, when to use it, how it differs from the closest tense, examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the questions people ask most. One example to start: Yo opino que es una buena idea. — "I think that it is a good idea."

No pronunciation is given on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for opinar, so no pronunciation is shown rather than an invented one. All the forms below come from the verified conjugation tables, so you can trust every form you see here.

The opinar present tense table

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for opinar. The gerund is opinando and the past participle is opinado.

Person Form
yo opino
tú opinas
él/ella/Ud. opina
nosotros/as opinamos
vosotros/as opináis
ellos/ellas/Uds. opinan

The gerund opinando is used with estar for the progressive (estoy opinando, I am thinking), and the past participle opinado is used with haber for the perfect tenses (he opinado, I have thought).

How the present tense of opinar is formed

Start with the infinitive opinar. Take off the -ar ending and you are left with the stem opin-. Then add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o (yo), -as (tú), -a (él/ella/Ud.), -amos (nosotros/as), -áis (vosotros/as) and -an (ellos/ellas/Uds.). That gives you the six forms in the table above, and for most verbs in this group that is the whole story.

opinar is regular in the present: every form is exactly the stem plus the ending above, with no stem change and no spelling change. If you know the stem and the six endings, you can build the whole tense without memorising anything extra.

Two details are worth fixing early. First, the vosotros form carries a written accent on the ending: opináis. Second, the present tense in Spanish has no auxiliary verb: opino on its own means both "I think" and "I am thinking" in English, so you do not need a separate word for the progressive unless you want to stress that something is happening right now.

When to use the present tense of opinar

Habits and routines

The present is the tense of what you do regularly. Talking about giving your opinion: on a topic, in a debate, at work.

  • Yo opino que es una buena idea. — "I think that it is a good idea."
  • Tú opinas sobre el tema. — "you think about the topic."

Facts and general truths

The present also states facts that are true in general, not just today. Talking about thinking something is a good idea or is not fair.

  • Él opina que no es justo. — "he/she thinks that it is not fair."
  • Nosotros opinamos en voz alta. — "we think out loud."

What is happening now

The present describes what is happening at this moment. Talking about agreeing or disagreeing: opinar lo mismo means to share an opinion.

  • Vosotros opináis con sinceridad. — "you (all) think sincerely."
  • Ellos opinan lo mismo que yo. — "they think the same as me."

Plans in the near future

Spanish also uses the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with a time expression. A plan you have already decided on can be stated in the present, and it sounds more certain than the future tense.

  • Él opina que no es justo. — "he/she thinks that it is not fair."
  • Nosotros opinamos en voz alta. — "we think out loud."

Opinar present vs present progressive

The present tense and the present progressive (estar + gerund) are close neighbours, and learners mix them up. The present describes a habit, a fact or a routine. The progressive describes something in progress right now, at this very moment. Compare the three pairs below: the first sentence in each pair is a habit, the second is happening now.

  • Present (habit): Yo opino que es una buena idea. — "I think that it is a good idea."

  • Progressive (right now): Yo estoy opinando que es una buena idea. — "I am thinking that it is a good idea."

  • Present (habit): Tú opinas sobre el tema. — "you think about the topic."

  • Progressive (right now): Tú estás opinando sobre el tema. — "you are thinking about the topic."

  • Present (habit): Él opina que no es justo. — "he/she thinks that it is not fair."

  • Progressive (right now): Él está opinando que no es justo. — "he/she is thinking that it is not fair."

Use the present when you talk about what you usually do, and the progressive when you want to stress that it is happening as you speak. If you say opino every day, that is a routine. If you say Estoy opinando, you are doing it at this moment.

Examples of opinar in the present

Eight sentences in the present tense, so you can see the forms in real use. Read the Spanish first, guess the meaning, then check the translation.

  1. Opino que es una buena idea. — "I think that it is a good idea."
  2. Mi profesor opina sobre el tema con sinceridad. — "My teacher gives his opinion on the topic sincerely."
  3. Ayer opiné que no es justo. — "Yesterday I said that it is not fair."
  4. De estudiante, opinaba en voz alta en clase. — "As a student, I used to give my opinion out loud in class."
  5. Mañana opinaré sobre el tema en la reunión. — "Tomorrow I will give my opinion on the topic at the meeting."
  6. Si me preguntaran, opinaría que es una buena idea. — "If they asked me, I would say that it is a good idea."
  7. Él opina con sinceridad. — "he/she thinks sincerely."
  8. Nosotros opinamos lo mismo que yo. — "we think the same as me."

Common mistakes with opinar in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why it is wrong.

1. Yo opina que es una buena idea.

Wrong: Yo opina que es una buena idea.

Right: Yo opino que es una buena idea.

The yo form ends in -o: opino. Opina is the él/ella form.

2. Opino sobre el tema que es una buena idea.

Wrong: Opino sobre el tema que es una buena idea.

Right: Opino que es una buena idea.

When you give an opinion with que, you do not need sobre: opino que es una buena idea. Opinar sobre el tema is for the topic itself.

3. Using the present for a finished past action

Wrong: Ayer yo opino que es una buena idea.

Right: Ayer yo opiné que es una buena idea.

Ayer (yesterday) signals a finished action, so it needs the preterite: opiné. The present opino describes what you do now or usually, not what you did yesterday.

4. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros opinais que es una buena idea.

Right: Vosotros opináis que es una buena idea.

The vosotros ending carries a written accent: opináis. Without it, the spelling is wrong, even though the pronunciation is close.

Quiz: test yourself on opinar in the present

Choose the right form for each sentence. The answers are at the end of this section, with an explanation for every question.

  1. Yo ___ que es una buena idea
    • a) opino
    • b) opinas
    • c) opina
    • d) opinamos
  2. Tú ___ sobre el tema
    • a) opino
    • b) opina
    • c) opinamos
    • d) opinas
  3. Él ___ que no es justo
    • a) opinas
    • b) opinamos
    • c) opina
    • d) opino
  4. Nosotros ___ en voz alta
    • a) opina
    • b) opinamos
    • c) opino
    • d) opinas
  5. Vosotros ___ con sinceridad
    • a) opináis
    • b) opino
    • c) opinas
    • d) opina
  6. Ellos ___ lo mismo que yo
    • a) opino
    • b) opinas
    • c) opina
    • d) opinan
  7. Yo ___ que es una buena idea
    • a) opina
    • b) opinamos
    • c) opino
    • d) opinas
  8. Tú ___ sobre el tema
    • a) opinamos
    • b) opinas
    • c) opino
    • d) opina

Answers

  1. a) opino — The sentence needs the yo form, because the subject is yo.
  2. d) opinas — The sentence needs the tú form, because the subject is tú.
  3. c) opina — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form, because the subject is él/ella/Ud..
  4. b) opinamos — The sentence needs the nosotros/as form, because the subject is nosotros/as.
  5. a) opináis — The sentence needs the vosotros/as form, because the subject is vosotros/as.
  6. d) opinan — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, because the subject is ellos/ellas/Uds..
  7. c) opino — The sentence needs the yo form, because the subject is yo.
  8. b) opinas — The sentence needs the tú form, because the subject is tú.

Frequently asked questions about opinar in the present

What is the difference between opinar and pensar?

Opinar is giving an opinion, usually in public: opino que es una buena idea. Pensar is the general verb for thinking: pienso en ti. Opinar is more formal and more specific.

Is opinar regular?

Yes, opinar is a regular -ar verb: opino, opinas, opina, opinamos, opináis, opinan.

Is opinar regular in the present?

Yes. opinar is regular in the present: the six forms are the stem opin- plus the regular endings, with no stem change. The only thing to watch is the written accent on the stressed endings, for example opino.

What are the gerund and the past participle of opinar?

The gerund is opinando, used with estar for the progressive (estoy opinando), and the past participle is opinado, used with haber for the perfect tenses (he opinado).

How to remember opinar

Four small habits will fix opinar in your memory. First, say the present tense out loud, in order, three times: opino, opinas, opina, opinamos, opináis, opinan. Saying the forms is far more effective than reading them silently, because you hear the endings and the stem at the same time. Second, write three sentences about your own life: one about today with the present (opino), one about yesterday with the preterite (opiné), and one about tomorrow with the future (opinaré). Personal sentences stick because they are about you, not about a textbook. Third, remember the difference from pensar: Opinar is stating an opinion; pensar is thinking in general. Opinas en un debate, pero piensas en tu familia en casa. Finally, learn the two key forms by heart: the gerund opinando and the past participle opinado. With those two and the present tense, you can already build the progressive (estoy opinando) and the present perfect (he opinado), which covers most everyday conversation.

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