Originar in the Present Tense

Introduction

The present tense of originar — «to originate» — is the form you will reach for most often. It talks about habits, facts and what is happening right now, and it is the first tense to master for this verb. originar is a regular -ar verb verb, so the present follows the -ar endings. On this page you will find the full present-tense table, how the forms are built, five usage rules with examples, a comparison with the preterite, more example sentences, the mistakes learners make in this tense, an eight-question quiz and answers to common questions. A good first sentence is «Yo origino todos los días» — I originate every day.

Originar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo origino
tú originas
él/ella/Ud. origina
nosotros/as originamos
vosotros/as origináis
ellos/ellas/Uds. originan

Gerund: originando · Past participle: originado

How the present tense of originar is formed

Take the stem origin — the infinitive originar without its -ar ending — and add the present endings. The table below shows the build for every person, using the actual stem of each form:

Person Stem Ending Form
yo origin -o origino
tú origin -as originas
él/ella/Ud. origin -a origina
nosotros/as origin -amos originamos
vosotros/as origin -áis origináis
ellos/ellas/Uds. origin -an originan

The present is the only tense where the yo form ends in -o for all three verb classes, which makes it a useful anchor: if you know origino, you can build the rest of the table from the stem and the endings above.

When to use the present tense of originar

1. Daily routines and habits

The most common use: things you do regularly. Time words like todos los días, siempre and a veces are the giveaway.

Yo origino todos los días. — I originate every day.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. No time expression is needed — the statement stands on its own.

Él origina con mi familia. — He originates with my family.

3. What is happening right now

For an action in progress, the present works on its own in Spanish, and you can also use estar + the gerund originando for emphasis. Both are correct; the gerund version stresses that it is happening this very moment.

Nosotros originamos por la mañana. — We originate in the morning.

4. Scheduled near-future plans

Spanish often uses the present for a fixed plan in the near future, where English would say «going to». A time expression such as mañana or la semana que viene makes the future meaning clear.

Tú originas en el trabajo. — You originate at work.

5. Narrating and commenting

The present is the tense of live commentary and of stories told as if they were happening now. It keeps the listener in the moment, and it is the tense of instructions and explanations.

Ellos originan a veces. — They originate sometimes.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The present and the preterite answer different questions. The present says what happens in general or what is happening now; the preterite says what happened once and is over. Compare the pairs below — same verb, different time frame:

  • Present: Yo origino todos los días. — I originate every day.

  • Preterite: Ayer yo originé por la tarde. — Yesterday I originated in the afternoon.

  • A routine against a single finished event. The present describes the habit; the preterite reports the one time it happened.

  • Present: Él origina por la mañana. — He originates in the morning.

  • Preterite: Ayer él originó por la tarde. — Yesterday He originated in the afternoon.

  • What happens in the morning in general, against what happened yesterday afternoon. The time expression decides the tense.

  • Present: Nosotros originamos con mi familia. — We originate with my family.

  • Preterite: La semana pasada nosotros originamos dos veces. — Last week We originated twice.

  • A shared habit against a shared finished event. If the action repeats, use the present; if it happened once and ended, use the preterite.

Example sentences: originar in the present

  1. Yo origino todos los días. — I originate every day.
  2. Tú originas en el trabajo. — You originate at work.
  3. Él origina con mi familia. — He originates with my family.
  4. Nosotros originamos por la mañana. — We originate in the morning.
  5. Vosotros origináis cuando hay tiempo. — You originate when there is time.
  6. Ellos originan a veces. — They originate sometimes.
  7. Yo origino en el trabajo. — I originate at work.
  8. Él origina todos los días. — He originates every day.

Common mistakes with originar in the present

1. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros originais.

Right: Vosotros origináis.

The vosotros form origináis carries a written accent on the ending. Without it the word is misspelled, and in speech the stress falls in the wrong place.

2. Using the present for a finished event

Wrong: Ayer yo origino.

Right: Ayer yo originé.

Ayer belongs with the preterite. The present origino talks about now or about a habit; a finished yesterday needs originé.

3. Using the yo form for every person

Wrong: Ellos origino.

Right: Ellos originan.

Each person has its own form: ellos take originan, not the yo form origino. The -n ending on originan is what marks the third-person plural.

4. Using the present instead of the progressive

Wrong: Estoy origino.

Right: Estoy originando.

After estar, Spanish needs the gerund: estoy originando. The conjugated present origino never follows estar.

Quiz: originar in the present

Test yourself on the present tense of originar. Choose the correct answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of originar in the present indicative?

- (a) originas
- (b) originamos
- (c) origina
- (d) origino

2. What is the nosotros/as form of originar in the present indicative?

- (a) originas
- (b) origina
- (c) originamos
- (d) origino

3. What is the vosotros/as form of originar in the present indicative?

- (a) origináis
- (b) origina
- (c) origino
- (d) originas

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of originar in the present indicative?

- (a) originan
- (b) originas
- (c) origino
- (d) origina

5. What is the yo form of originar in the present indicative?

- (a) originamos
- (b) originas
- (c) origina
- (d) origino

6. What is the tú form of originar in the present indicative?

- (a) origina
- (b) originas
- (c) origino
- (d) originamos

7. What is the gerund of originar?

- (a) originando
- (b) originar
- (c) originado
- (d) origino

8. What is the past participle of originar?

- (a) originé
- (b) originar
- (c) originado
- (d) originando

Answer key

1. (c) — In the present indicative, the él/ella/Ud. form of originar is origina. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 2. (c) — In the present indicative, the nosotros/as form of originar is originamos. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 3. (a) — In the present indicative, the vosotros/as form of originar is origináis. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 4. (a) — In the present indicative, the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of originar is originan. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 5. (d) — In the present indicative, the yo form of originar is origino. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 6. (b) — In the present indicative, the tú form of originar is originas. The other options are the same tense but different persons. 7. (a) — The gerund of originar is originando. It is used with estar for the progressive: «Estoy originando». 8. (c) — The past participle of originar is originado. It follows haber in all the perfect tenses: «he originado».

Frequently asked questions

Is originar regular in the present?

Yes — originar is regular in the present. The stem origin never changes and the endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an for -ar verbs (with the matching sets for -er and -ir verbs).

What is the yo form of originar in the present?

It is origino. Use it for talking about yourself right now.

How is the present different from the preterite for originar?

The present (origino) describes habits and what is happening now; the preterite (originé) reports a single finished event. «Yo origino todos los días» is a habit, while «Ayer yo originé» is one event that ended yesterday.

Can I use the present of originar with estar and the gerund?

Yes — «Estoy originando» means «I am originating right now», with the emphasis on the action in progress. The plain present «Yo origino» is also correct for what is happening now; the gerund version simply stresses the moment.

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