Persuadir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of persuadir — “to persuade” 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 persuadir 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. Persuadir means to persuade, and it is the verb for convincing someone with words: persuadir a María, persuadir con argumentos. It takes a for the person persuaded, and de plus an infinitive for what they are persuaded to do. It is a regular -ir verb. To see it in a real sentence: Persuado a María con argumentos. — “I persuade María with arguments.”
Present tense conjugation table: persuadir
Every person of persuadir in the present tense. The gerund is persuadiendo and the past participle is persuadido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | persuado |
| tú | persuades |
| él/ella/Ud. | persuade |
| nosotros/as | persuadimos |
| vosotros/as | persuadís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | persuaden |
The gerund is persuadiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy persuadiendo” means the action of persuadir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is persuadido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he persuadido” 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 persuadir is used.
How the present of persuadir is formed
The present of persuadir is built from the stem persuad 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 | persuado |
| tú | -es | persuades |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | persuade |
| nosotros/as | -imos | persuadimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | persuadís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | persuaden |
persuadir is a regular -ir verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is persuad 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 persuadir is persuadiendo and the past participle is persuadido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of persuadir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use persuadir 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 persuadir 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 persuadir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Persuado a María con argumentos.” — I persuade María with arguments.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what persuadir 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: “Persuade a su padre de viajar.” — He/she persuades his father to travel.
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: “Persuado al jefe con datos.” — I persuade the boss with data.
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 persuadir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros persuadimos a los niños de estudiar.” — Tomorrow, we persuade the children to study.
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: “¿Persuades a su padre de viajar?” — Do you persuade his father to travel?
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: “Persuado a María con argumentos.” — I persuade María with arguments.
Preterite: “Persuadí a María con argumentos.” — I persuaded María with arguments.
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: “Persuade a su padre de viajar.” — He/she persuades his father to travel.
Preterite: “Persuadió a su padre de viajar.” — He/she persuaded his father to travel.
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: “Persuadimos al jefe con datos.” — We persuade the boss with data.
Preterite: “Persuadimos al jefe con datos.” — We persuaded the boss with data.
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: persuadir 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.
“Persuado a María con argumentos.” — I persuade María with arguments.
“Persuades a su padre de viajar.” — You persuade his father to travel.
“Persuade al jefe con datos.” — He/she persuades the boss with data.
“Persuadimos a los niños de estudiar.” — We persuade the children to study.
“Persuadís a María con argumentos.” — You persuade María with arguments.
“Persuaden a su padre de viajar.” — They persuade his father to travel.
“Persuado al jefe con datos.” — I persuade the boss with data.
“Persuade a los niños de estudiar.” — He/she persuades the children to study.
Common mistakes with persuadir 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 persuade a María con argumentos.” Right: “Yo persuado a María con argumentos.” Why: Yo needs the yo form persuado. The form persuade belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo persuadir a su padre de viajar.” Right: “Yo persuado a su padre de viajar.” Why: The infinitive persuadir cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving persuado.
Wrong: “Ayer yo persuado a su padre de viajar.” Right: “Ayer yo persuadí a su padre de viajar.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to persuadí.
Wrong: “Ellos persuade a su padre de viajar.” Right: “Ellos persuaden a su padre de viajar.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form persuaden. The singular persuade belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: persuadir 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 María con argumentos.”
- (a) persuado
- (b) persuades
- (c) persuade
Answer: persuado — The yo form of persuadir in the present is persuado.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ a su padre de viajar.”
- (a) persuado
- (b) persuade
- (c) persuades
Answer: persuades — The tú form of persuadir in the present is persuades.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ al jefe con datos.”
- (a) persuades
- (b) persuade
- (c) persuado
Answer: persuade — The él/ella form of persuadir in the present is persuade.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ a los niños de estudiar.”
- (a) persuadimos
- (b) persuado
- (c) persuades
Answer: persuadimos — The nosotros/as form of persuadir in the present is persuadimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ a María con argumentos.”
- (a) persuado
- (b) persuades
- (c) persuadís
Answer: persuadís — The vosotros/as form of persuadir in the present is persuadís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ a su padre de viajar.”
- (a) persuades
- (b) persuaden
- (c) persuado
Answer: persuaden — The ellos/ellas form of persuadir in the present is persuaden.
7. What does persuadir mean in English?
- (a) to persuade
- (b) to convince
- (c) to be about
Answer: to persuade — Persuadir means to persuade.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Persuadí a María con argumentos.
- (b) Persuadiré a María con argumentos.
- (c) Persuado a María con argumentos.
Answer: Persuado a María con argumentos. — “Persuado a María con argumentos.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is persuadir regular in the present?
Yes. Persuadir is regular in the present: persuado, persuades, persuade, persuadimos, persuadís and persuaden. 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 persuadir?
The gerund is persuadiendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy persuadiendo. The past participle is persuadido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he persuadido.
What should I watch out for with persuadir?
Persuadir takes a for the person: persuado a María. Add de plus an infinitive for the action: persuadir de viajar. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is persuado, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise persuadir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the persuadir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of persuadir — every tense of persuadir in one place.
- Persuadir examples and quiz — more sentences with persuadir 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 persuadir and other verbs.