Perdonar Present Tense in Spanish
Introduction
perdonar means "to forgive" 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 perdonar, 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 perdono a mi hermano por el error. — "Every day, I forgive my brother for the mistake." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of perdonar: full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| Yo | perdono |
| Tú | perdonas |
| Él / Ella | perdona |
| Nosotros | perdonamos |
| Vosotros | perdonáis |
| Ellos | perdonan |
The gerund of perdonar is perdonando and the past participle is perdonado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy perdonando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he perdonado).
How the present tense of perdonar is formed
The present tense of perdonar is built from the stem perdon- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo perdono, tú perdonas, él perdona, nosotros perdonamos, vosotros perdonáis and ellos perdonan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is perdonando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy perdonando. The past participle is perdonado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he perdonado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with perdonar
1. Forgiving family
Perdono a mi hermano por el error is the most personal use of this verb. It means you let go of a hurt, and it is a sentence that carries real emotional weight in Spanish. For example: Yo perdono a mi hermano por el error. — "I forgive my brother for the mistake."
2. Forgiving the past
Perdono los errores del pasado shows the verb with an abstract object. It means you stop holding past mistakes against someone, including yourself. For example: Tú perdonas los errores del pasado. — "You forgive the mistakes of the past."
3. Forgiving a debt
Perdono una deuda grande is the financial use: it means you cancel what someone owes you. It appears in business, in banks and in everyday generosity. For example: Él / Ella perdona a tu amigo. — "He / She forgives your friend."
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, to talk about tomorrow's plan you can use the future — Mañana, yo perdonaré una deuda grande. — "Tomorrow, I will forgive a large debt." — but in conversation you will also hear the present used the same way.
5. General truths and routines
Finally, the present tense states general truths and routines: what usually happens, what is always true, what people normally do. It is the tense of habits and of facts that do not belong to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él / ella perdona a mi hermano por el error. — "Normally, he / she forgives my brother for the mistake."
Present vs preterite: perdonar
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 perdonar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo perdono a mi hermano por el error. — "Every day, I forgive my brother for the mistake."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo perdoné a mi hermano por el error. — "Yesterday, I forgave my brother for the mistake."
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, yo perdono los errores del pasado. — "Every day, I forgive the mistakes of the past."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo perdoné los errores del pasado. — "Yesterday, I forgave the mistakes of the past."
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, yo perdono a tu amigo. — "Every day, I forgive your friend."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo perdoné a tu amigo. — "Yesterday, I forgave your friend."
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: perdonar in the present tense
These six sentences show perdonar 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 perdono a mi hermano por el error. — "I forgive my brother for the mistake."
- Tú perdonas los errores del pasado. — "You forgive the mistakes of the past."
- Él / Ella perdona a tu amigo. — "He / She forgives your friend."
- Nosotros perdonamos una deuda grande. — "We forgive a large debt."
- Vosotros perdonáis a mi hermano por el error. — "You forgive my brother for the mistake."
- Ellos perdonan los errores del pasado. — "They forgive the mistakes of the past."
Common mistakes with perdonar in the present tense
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo perdono mi hermano.
- Right: Yo perdono a mi hermano.
- Why: When the object is a person, perdonar needs the personal a: perdono a mi hermano, perdono a tu amigo.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Perdono a mi hermano por el error, pero no lo perdono.
- Right: Perdono a mi hermano por el error.
- Why: The second clause contradicts the first. If you forgive, say so once, clearly, and let the sentence stand.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Perdonar es lo mismo que disculpar.
- Right: Perdonar means to forgive; disculpar means to excuse.
- Why: Perdonar is about letting go of a hurt. Disculpar is about accepting an excuse for a small fault. The two verbs belong to different situations.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo perdono a mi hermano por el error.
- Right: Ayer, yo perdoné a mi hermano por el error.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo perdonais a mi hermano por el error.
- Right: Yo perdonáis a mi hermano por el error.
- Why: The form is perdonáis, with a written accent. The accent is part of the spelling, and without it the word is misspelled.
Quiz: the present tense of perdonar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of perdonar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of perdonar in the present tense?
- (a) perdono
- (b) perdonas
- (c) perdona
- (d) perdonamos
Answer: (a) perdono. The i form is perdono. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the you form of perdonar in the present tense?
- (a) perdono
- (b) perdona
- (c) perdonamos
- (d) perdonas
Answer: (d) perdonas. The you form is perdonas. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the he / she form of perdonar in the present tense?
- (a) perdonas
- (b) perdonamos
- (c) perdona
- (d) perdono
Answer: (c) perdona. The he / she form is perdona. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the we form of perdonar in the present tense?
- (a) perdona
- (b) perdonamos
- (c) perdono
- (d) perdonas
Answer: (b) perdonamos. The we form is perdonamos. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the they form of perdonar in the present tense?
- (a) perdonan
- (b) perdono
- (c) perdonas
- (d) perdona
Answer: (a) perdonan. The they form is perdonan. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ a mi hermano por el error.
- (a) perdona
- (b) perdonamos
- (c) perdono
- (d) perdonas
Answer: (c) perdono. The sentence needs the yo form perdono (Every day, I forgive my brother for the mistake.)
7. What is the gerund of perdonar?
- (a) perdonado
- (b) perdonar
- (c) perdona
- (d) perdonando
Answer: (d) perdonando. The gerund is perdonando, used for the progressive: estoy perdonando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo perdono los errores del pasado.
- (b) Antes, yo perdonaba los errores del pasado.
- (c) Ayer, yo perdoné los errores del pasado.
- (d) Mañana, yo perdonaré los errores del pasado.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo perdono los errores del pasado.. Cada día, yo perdono los errores del pasado. (Every day, I forgive the mistakes of the past.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo perdoné los errores del pasado. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo perdonaré los errores del pasado. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of perdonar
Does perdonar take a or por?
Both: perdono a mi hermano por el error. The a goes before the person you forgive, and por goes before the reason.
Is perdonar regular?
Yes. Perdonar is a regular -ar verb: perdono, perdonaste, perdonaba, perdonaré. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes.
What is the difference between perdonar and disculpar?
Perdonar is forgiving a real hurt. Disculpar is excusing a small fault, like being late. You perdonar a betrayal; you disculpar a delay.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with perdonar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo perdono a mi hermano por el error. — "Every day, I forgive my brother for the mistake." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo perdoné a mi hermano por el error. — "Yesterday, I forgave my brother for the mistake." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.