Introduction

Preguntar means “to ask (a question)”, and this page covers exactly one thing: preguntar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for preguntar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about preguntar in the present. Preguntar is the verb for asking a question. It is followed by the question itself, or by por or sobre for the topic. For example: “Yo pregunto al profesor.” — I ask the teacher. Everything on this page uses the forms of preguntar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Preguntar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo pregunto
tú preguntas
él/ella/Ud. pregunta
nosotros/as preguntamos
vosotros/as preguntáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. preguntan

Gerund: preguntando · Past participle: preguntado

The gerund is preguntando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy preguntando” means the action of preguntar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is preguntado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he preguntado” 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 preguntar is used.

How the present of preguntar is formed

Preguntar is a regular -ar verb, so the present follows the standard pattern with no surprises. Take the stem pregunt (the infinitive without its -ar ending) and add the present endings: -o for yo, -as or -es for tú, -a or -e for él/ella/Ud., -amos / -emos / -imos for nosotros, -áis for vosotros, and -an or -en for ellos/ellas/Uds.. That gives you pregunto, preguntas, pregunta, preguntamos, preguntáis and preguntan. Because the verb is regular, once you know the stem and the six endings you can produce every form without memorising a list, and the same pattern works for every other regular -ar verb you learn.

When to use the present of preguntar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use preguntar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Asking a question

Preguntar is the verb for asking a question. It is followed by the question itself, or by por or sobre for the topic. Example: “Yo pregunto al profesor.” — I ask the teacher.

2. Asking about something

Preguntar por + thing or person means to ask about someone or something. It is how you enquire after a person or a topic. Example: “¿Tú preguntas por María?” — Do you ask about María?

3. Asking someone something

Preguntar a alguien + question means to ask someone something. The person takes the personal a, and the question follows. Example: “Nosotros preguntamos al profesor por el examen.” — We ask the teacher about the exam.

4. Habits and routines

The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and preguntar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo pregunto al profesor.” — I ask the teacher.

5. What is happening right now

The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with preguntar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros preguntamos al profesor por el examen.” — We ask the teacher about the exam.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.

  • Present Tense: “Yo pregunto al profesor todos los días.” — I ask the teacher every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer yo pregunté al profesor.” — Yesterday I asked the teacher.

  • Todos los días describes a routine, so the present is right; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite is right.

  • Present Tense: “Ellos preguntan por el precio siempre.” — They always ask about the price.

  • Preterite: “Ellos preguntaron por el precio ayer.” — They asked about the price yesterday.

  • Siempre signals a routine, so the present fits; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite fits.

  • Present Tense: “Yo pregunto al profesor.” — I ask the teacher.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo pregunté al profesor.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.

  • The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: preguntar 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.

  1. “Yo pregunto al profesor.” — I ask the teacher.

  2. “¿Tú preguntas por María?” — Do you ask about María?

  3. “El estudiante pregunta por el examen.” — The student asks about the exam.

  4. “Nosotros preguntamos al profesor por el examen.” — We ask the teacher about the exam.

  5. “Vosotros preguntáis demasiado.” — You ask too much.

  6. “Ellos preguntan por el precio.” — They ask about the price.

  7. “Yo pregunto siempre en clase.” — I always ask questions in class.

  8. “Mi hijo pregunta por todo.” — My son asks about everything.

Common mistakes with preguntar 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 pregunto el profesor.” Right: “Yo pregunto al profesor.” Why: Asking a person needs the personal a: pregunto al profesor. Without the a the sentence sounds unfinished to a native speaker.

  • Wrong: “Ellos pregunta por el precio.” Right: “Ellos preguntan por el precio.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form preguntan. The singular pregunta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el estudiante.

  • Wrong: “Yo pregunto al profesor ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo pregunté al profesor.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to pregunté.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros preguntas demasiado.” Right: “Nosotros preguntamos demasiado.” Why: Nosotros needs preguntamos. The tú form preguntas belongs with tú.

Quiz: preguntar 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 ______ al profesor.” (I ask the teacher.)

  • (a) preguntas
  • (b) pregunta
  • (c) pregunto

Answer: pregunto — The yo form of preguntar in the present is pregunto. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ por María?” (Do you ask about María?)

  • (a) pregunta
  • (b) preguntas
  • (c) pregunto

Answer: preguntas — The tú form of preguntar in the present is preguntas. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

3. Complete the sentence: “El estudiante ______ por el examen.” (The student asks about the exam.)

  • (a) pregunta
  • (b) pregunto
  • (c) preguntas

Answer: pregunta — The él/ella/Ud. form of preguntar in the present is pregunta. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ al profesor por el examen.” (We ask the teacher about the exam.)

  • (a) pregunto
  • (b) preguntas
  • (c) preguntamos

Answer: preguntamos — The nosotros/as form of preguntar in the present is preguntamos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

5. What is the vosotros/as form of preguntar in the present?

  • (a) preguntas
  • (b) preguntáis
  • (c) pregunto

Answer: preguntáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes preguntáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros preguntáis demasiado.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ por el precio.” (They ask about the price.)

  • (a) pregunto
  • (b) preguntas
  • (c) preguntan

Answer: preguntan — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is preguntan.

7. Which is the correct yo form of preguntar in the present?

  • (a) pregunto
  • (b) pregunta
  • (c) preguntan

Answer: pregunto — The yo form is pregunto. The other two options are the él/ella and ellos/ellas forms.

8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?

  • (a) Yo pregunto al profesor todos los días.
  • (b) Ayer yo pregunté al profesor.
  • (c) Ayer yo pregunté al profesor.

Answer: Yo pregunto al profesor todos los días. — “Yo pregunto al profesor todos los días.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.

Frequently asked questions

Is preguntar regular in the present tense?

Yes. Preguntar is a regular -ar verb: the stem is pregunt- and the present endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis and -an. There are no stem changes, so the whole table follows the standard pattern.

Does preguntar take a preposition before a person?

Yes, it takes the personal a: preguntar al profesor, preguntar a María. Before a topic, use por: preguntar por el examen, preguntar por el precio. The two prepositions mark different things: the person and the topic.

What is the difference between preguntar and pedir?

Preguntar means to ask a question, to seek information, while pedir means to ask for something, to request it. You ask the teacher a question (preguntar) and you ask the teacher for help (pedir ayuda). The difference is information versus a thing or a favour.

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