Oprimir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of oprimir — “to oppress” 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 oprimir 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. Oprimir means to oppress or to press down on, and it covers oppressing a people and pressing a button or a chest: oprimir a un pueblo, oprimir el botón. It is a regular -ir verb, common in history and politics. To see it in a real sentence: Oprimo a un pueblo entero. — “I oppress a whole people.”
Present tense conjugation table: oprimir
Every person of oprimir in the present tense. The gerund is oprimiendo and the past participle is oprimido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | oprimo |
| tú | oprimes |
| él/ella/Ud. | oprime |
| nosotros/as | oprimimos |
| vosotros/as | oprimís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | oprimen |
The gerund is oprimiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy oprimiendo” means the action of oprimir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is oprimido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he oprimido” 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 oprimir is used.
How the present of oprimir is formed
The present of oprimir is built from the stem oprim plus the present endings for -ir verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ir 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 | oprimo |
| tú | -es | oprimes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | oprime |
| nosotros/as | -imos | oprimimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | oprimís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | oprimen |
oprimir is a regular -ir verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is oprim and the endings are the normal -ir endings, so there are no surprises to memorise in this tense — the challenge is only using the forms naturally.
The gerund of oprimir is oprimiendo and the past participle is oprimido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of oprimir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use oprimir in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of oprimir is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and oprimir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Oprimo a un pueblo entero.” — I oppress a whole people.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what oprimir means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Oprime el botón del timbre.” — He/she oppresses the doorbell button.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Oprimo el pecho con la mano.” — I oppress his chest with his hand.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and oprimir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros oprimimos a los trabajadores del campo.” — Tomorrow, we oppress the farm workers.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Oprimes el botón del timbre?” — Do you oppress the doorbell button?
The present vs the 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 now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, 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 happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Oprimo a un pueblo entero.” — I oppress a whole people.
Preterite: “Oprimí a un pueblo entero.” — I oppressed a whole people.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Oprime el botón del timbre.” — He/she oppresses the doorbell button.
Preterite: “Oprimió el botón del timbre.” — He/she oppressed the doorbell button.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Oprimimos el pecho con la mano.” — We oppress his chest with his hand.
Preterite: “Oprimimos el pecho con la mano.” — We oppressed his chest with his hand.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: oprimir 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.
“Oprimo a un pueblo entero.” — I oppress a whole people.
“Oprimes el botón del timbre.” — You oppress the doorbell button.
“Oprime el pecho con la mano.” — He/she oppresses his chest with his hand.
“Oprimimos a los trabajadores del campo.” — We oppress the farm workers.
“Oprimís a un pueblo entero.” — You oppress a whole people.
“Oprimen el botón del timbre.” — They oppress the doorbell button.
“Oprimo el pecho con la mano.” — I oppress his chest with his hand.
“Oprime a los trabajadores del campo.” — He/she oppresses the farm workers.
Common mistakes with oprimir 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 oprime a un pueblo entero.” Right: “Yo oprimo a un pueblo entero.” Why: Yo needs the yo form oprimo. The form oprime belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo oprimir el botón del timbre.” Right: “Yo oprimo el botón del timbre.” Why: The infinitive oprimir cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving oprimo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo oprimo el botón del timbre.” Right: “Ayer yo oprimí el botón del timbre.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to oprimí.
Wrong: “Ellos oprime el botón del timbre.” Right: “Ellos oprimen el botón del timbre.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form oprimen. The singular oprime belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: oprimir 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 ___ a un pueblo entero.”
- (a) oprimo
- (b) oprimes
- (c) oprime
Answer: oprimo — The yo form of oprimir in the present is oprimo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el botón del timbre.”
- (a) oprimo
- (b) oprime
- (c) oprimes
Answer: oprimes — The tú form of oprimir in the present is oprimes.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ el pecho con la mano.”
- (a) oprimes
- (b) oprime
- (c) oprimo
Answer: oprime — The él/ella form of oprimir in the present is oprime.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ a los trabajadores del campo.”
- (a) oprimimos
- (b) oprimo
- (c) oprimes
Answer: oprimimos — The nosotros/as form of oprimir in the present is oprimimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ a un pueblo entero.”
- (a) oprimo
- (b) oprimes
- (c) oprimís
Answer: oprimís — The vosotros/as form of oprimir in the present is oprimís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ el botón del timbre.”
- (a) oprimes
- (b) oprimen
- (c) oprimo
Answer: oprimen — The ellos/ellas form of oprimir in the present is oprimen.
7. What does oprimir mean in English?
- (a) to oppress
- (b) to press, to pressure
- (c) to be about
Answer: to oppress — Oprimir means to oppress.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Oprimí a un pueblo entero.
- (b) Oprimiré a un pueblo entero.
- (c) Oprimo a un pueblo entero.
Answer: Oprimo a un pueblo entero. — “Oprimo a un pueblo entero.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is oprimir regular in the present?
Yes. Oprimir is regular in the present: oprimo, oprimes, oprime, oprimimos, oprimís and oprimen. Watch the accents on the forms that carry them, and remember that the nosotros form is the one that keeps the stem unchanged.
What is the gerund and the past participle of oprimir?
The gerund is oprimiendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy oprimiendo. The past participle is oprimido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he oprimido.
What should I watch out for with oprimir?
Oprimir is regular: oprimí, oprimía, oprimiré. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is oprimo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise oprimir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the oprimir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of oprimir — every tense of oprimir in one place.
- Oprimir examples and quiz — more sentences with oprimir 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 oprimir and other verbs.