Parir Present Tense in Spanish
parir means "to give birth" 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 parir, 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: Yo paro a su primer hijo en casa. — "I give birth her first child at home." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of parir: full table
Every person of parir in the present tense. The gerund is pariendo and the past participle is parido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | paro |
| tú | pares |
| él/ella/Ud. | pare |
| nosotros/as | parimos |
| vosotros/as | parís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | paren |
The gerund of parir is pariendo and the past participle is parido. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy pariendo), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he parido).
How the present tense of parir is formed
The present tense of parir is built from the stem par- 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 paro, tú pares, él pare, nosotros parimos, vosotros parís and ellos paren. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ir verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | paro |
| tú | -es | pares |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | pare |
| nosotros/as | -imos | parimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | parís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | paren |
parir 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 parís.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is pariendo, used for the progressive with estar: estoy pariendo. The past participle is parido, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he parido. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with parir
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Yo paro a su primer hijo en casa. — "I give birth her first child at home." The complement in this sentence is about her first child at home, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear parir in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú pares a gemelos en el hospital. — "Now, you give birth twins in hospital." The complement in this sentence is about twins in hospital, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear parir in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, ella pare a su hija en primavera. — "Normally, she gives birth her daughter in spring." The complement in this sentence is about her daughter in spring, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear parir 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 parimos sin complicaciones en la clínica. — "Tomorrow, we give birth without complications in the clinic." The complement in this sentence is about complications in the clinic, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear parir 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: Ellos paren a su primer hijo en casa. — "they give birth her first child at home." The complement in this sentence is about her first child at home, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear parir in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: parir
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 parir.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Yo paro a su primer hijo en casa. — "I give birth her first child at home."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo parí a su primer hijo en casa. — "Yesterday, I gave birth her first child at home."
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): Tú pares a gemelos en el hospital. — "you give birth twins in hospital."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú pariste a gemelos en el hospital. — "Yesterday, you gave birth twins in hospital."
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): Ella pare a su hija en primavera. — "she gives birth her daughter in spring."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, ella parió a su hija en primavera. — "Yesterday, she gave birth her daughter in spring."
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: parir in the present tense
These eight sentences show parir 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 paro a su primer hijo en casa. — "I give birth her first child at home."
- Tú pares a gemelos en el hospital. — "you give birth twins in hospital."
- Ella pare a su hija en primavera. — "she gives birth her daughter in spring."
- Nosotros parimos sin complicaciones en la clínica. — "we give birth without complications in the clinic."
- Vosotros parís a su primer hijo en casa. — "you (plural) give birth her first child at home."
- Ellos paren a gemelos en el hospital. — "they give birth twins in hospital."
- Yo paro a su hija en primavera. — "I give birth her daughter in spring."
- Tú pares sin complicaciones en la clínica. — "you give birth without complications in the clinic."
Common mistakes with parir in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros paris a su primer hijo en casa.
- Right: Vosotros parís a su primer hijo en casa.
- Why: The vosotros form parís carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me paro a su primer hijo en casa.
- Right: Yo paro a su primer hijo en casa.
- Why: parir 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 paro a gemelos en el hospital.
- Right: Ayer, yo parí a gemelos en el hospital.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo parí a gemelos en el hospital. — "Yesterday, I gave birth twins in hospital." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo paro a su hija en primavera.
- Right: Antes, yo paría a su hija en primavera.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo paría a su hija en primavera. — "In the past, I used to give birth her daughter in spring." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros pare a su primer hijo en casa.
- Right: Nosotros parimos a su primer hijo en casa.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes parimos, while pare belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of parir
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of parir. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of parir in the present tense?
- (a) paro
- (b) pares
- (c) pare
- (d) parimos
Answer: (a) paro. The yo form is paro. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of parir in the present tense?
- (a) paro
- (b) pare
- (c) parimos
- (d) pares
Answer: (d) pares. The tú form is pares. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of parir in the present tense?
- (a) pares
- (b) parimos
- (c) pare
- (d) paro
Answer: (c) pare. The él/ella form is pare. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of parir in the present tense?
- (a) pare
- (b) parimos
- (c) paro
- (d) pares
Answer: (b) parimos. The nosotros form is parimos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of parir in the present tense?
- (a) paren
- (b) paro
- (c) pares
- (d) pare
Answer: (a) paren. The ellos/ellas form is paren. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a su primer hijo en casa.
- (a) pares
- (b) pare
- (c) parimos
- (d) paro
Answer: (d) paro. The sentence needs the yo form paro (Every day, I give birth her first child at home.)
7. What is the gerund of parir?
- (a) parido
- (b) paro
- (c) parir
- (d) pariendo
Answer: (d) pariendo. The gerund is pariendo, used for the progressive: estoy pariendo.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Ayer, yo parí a gemelos en el hospital.
- (b) Mañana, yo pariré a gemelos en el hospital.
- (c) Yo paro a gemelos en el hospital.
- (d) Antes, yo paría a gemelos en el hospital.
Answer: (c) Yo paro a gemelos en el hospital.. Yo paro a gemelos en el hospital. (I give birth twins in hospital.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo parí a gemelos en el hospital. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo pariré a gemelos en el hospital. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of parir
Is parir regular in the present tense?
Yes. parir is a regular -ir verb: paro, pares, pare, parimos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
How do you say 'give birth' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Yo paro a su primer hijo en casa. — "I give birth her first child at home." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with parir?
Use the present for habits and routines: Yo paro a gemelos en el hospital. — "I give birth twins in hospital." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo parí a gemelos en el hospital. — "Yesterday, I gave birth twins in hospital." 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 parir?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros parimos sin complicaciones en la clínica. — "Tomorrow, we give birth without complications in the clinic." 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.