Presentar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb presentar means to introduce, to present, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Presentar means to introduce or to present, and it covers introducing people to each other, presenting a project at work and presenting a complaint. It is fully regular, and it takes a direct object for the person or thing introduced and a for the person they are introduced to. Like every Spanish verb, presentar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say presento a María a sus padres, and in the preterite you say presenté sus respetos al director. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: presentar
- English: to introduce, to present
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: presentando
- Past participle: presentado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + presentado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for presentar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Presentar a María a sus padres: the first a marks the person introduced, the second marks the person they meet.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for presentar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presento |
| tú | presentas |
| él/ella/Ud. | presenta |
| nosotros/as | presentamos |
| vosotros/as | presentáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presentan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presenté |
| tú | presentaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | presentó |
| nosotros/as | presentamos |
| vosotros/as | presentasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presentaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presentaba |
| tú | presentabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | presentaba |
| nosotros/as | presentábamos |
| vosotros/as | presentabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presentaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presentaré |
| tú | presentarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | presentará |
| nosotros/as | presentaremos |
| vosotros/as | presentaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presentarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presentaría |
| tú | presentarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | presentaría |
| nosotros/as | presentaríamos |
| vosotros/as | presentaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presentarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he presentado |
| tú | has presentado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha presentado |
| nosotros/as | hemos presentado |
| vosotros/as | habéis presentado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han presentado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había presentado |
| tú | habías presentado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había presentado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos presentado |
| vosotros/as | habíais presentado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían presentado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré presentado |
| tú | habrás presentado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá presentado |
| nosotros/as | habremos presentado |
| vosotros/as | habréis presentado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán presentado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría presentado |
| tú | habrías presentado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría presentado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos presentado |
| vosotros/as | habríais presentado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían presentado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presente |
| tú | presentes |
| él/ella/Ud. | presente |
| nosotros/as | presentemos |
| vosotros/as | presentéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presenten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | presentara |
| tú | presentaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | presentara |
| nosotros/as | presentáramos |
| vosotros/as | presentarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presentaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | presenta |
| él/ella/Ud. | presente |
| nosotros/as | presentemos |
| vosotros/as | presentad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presenten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | presentes |
| él/ella/Ud. | presente |
| nosotros/as | presentemos |
| vosotros/as | presentéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | presenten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | presentando | with estar for the progressive: estoy presentando |
| Past participle | presentado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he presentado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Presento a María a sus padres. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, presenté el proyecto en la reunión. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, presentaba sus respetos al director. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, presentaré una queja en la oficina. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Presentaría a María a sus padres si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he presentado el proyecto en la reunión. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había presentado sus respetos al director antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré presentado una queja en la oficina. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría presentado a María a sus padres con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él presente el proyecto en la reunión. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él presentara sus respetos al director, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Presenta una queja en la oficina! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For presentar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No presentes a María a sus padres. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with presentar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Presento a María a sus padres. — I present María to her parents.
- Presenta el proyecto en la reunión. — He/she presents the project at the meeting.
- Ayer, presenté sus respetos al director. — Yesterday, I presented my respects to the director.
- Antes, nosotros presentábamos una queja en la oficina. — Before, we used to present a complaint at the office.
- Mañana, tú presentarás a María a sus padres. — Tomorrow, you will present María to her parents.
- Yo presentaría el proyecto en la reunión si tuviera más tiempo. — I would present the project at the meeting if I had more time.
- Él ha presentado sus respetos al director. — He has presented my respects to the director.
- Espero que él presente una queja en la oficina. — I hope he presents a complaint at the office.
- Yo ya había presentado a María a sus padres antes de salir. — I had already presented María to her parents before leaving.
- Ellos presentaban el proyecto en la reunión cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to present the project at the meeting when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo presenta a María a sus padres. — Right: Yo presento a María a sus padres. — The person matters: presenta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is presento. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo presento el proyecto en la reunión. — Right: Ayer yo presenté el proyecto en la reunión. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: presento is happening now, while presenté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating presentar and introducir as identical in every context. — Right: Presentar means to introduce, to present, while introducir means to introduce, the more formal synonym. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: presentar fits sentences such as Presento a María a sus padres, while introducir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy presentado el proyecto en la reunión. — Right: Yo he presentado el proyecto en la reunión. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he presentado, has presentado, ha presentado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo presenté sus respetos al director todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo presentaba sus respetos al director todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (presentaba), not the preterite. The preterite (presenté) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on presentar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a María a sus padres. (present tense) A. presento B. presentas C. presenta D. presentamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el proyecto en la reunión. (preterite) A. presenté B. presentaste C. presentaron D. presentó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ sus respetos al director. (imperfect) A. presentabas B. presentaban C. presentábamos D. presentaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ una queja en la oficina. (future) A. presentaremos B. presentarás C. presentaré D. presentará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a María a sus padres si pudiera. (conditional) A. presentaría B. presentarías C. presentarían D. presento
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el proyecto en la reunión. (present subjunctive) A. presentes B. presentemos C. presento D. presente
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ sus respetos al director, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. presentáramos B. presento C. presentara D. presentaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una queja en la oficina. (present perfect) A. han presentado B. hemos presentado C. he presentado D. has presentado
Complete the command: ¡___ a María a sus padres! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. presenta B. presente C. presentemos D. presentad
Which is the gerund of presentar, used with estar for the progressive? A. presentado B. presento C. presenté D. presentando
Answer key
- presento — The first-person present of presentar is presento. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- presentó — The third-person preterite of presentar is presentó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- presentábamos — The nosotros imperfect of presentar is presentábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- presentarás — The second-person future of presentar is presentarás.
- presentaría — The first-person conditional of presentar is presentaría, the form for what would happen.
- presente — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of presentar is presente.
- presentara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of presentar is presentara.
- hemos presentado — The nosotros present perfect of presentar is hemos presentado: hemos + presentado.
- presenta — The affirmative tú imperative of presentar is presenta.
- presentando — The gerund of presentar is presentando: estoy presentando. The participle presentado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does presentar mean in English?
Presentar means to introduce, to present. It is used in everyday situations such as Presento a María a sus padres. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is presentar regular or irregular?
Presentar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including presento in the present and presenté in the preterite.
What is the difference between presentar and introducir?
Presentar means to introduce, to present, while introducir means to introduce, the more formal synonym. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use presentar when you mean to introduce, to present, as in Presento a María a sus padres, and use introducir for to introduce, the more formal synonym. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I introduce” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo presenté el proyecto en la reunión. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo presentaba sus respetos al director. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he presentado el proyecto en la reunión.
How do I practise presentar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the presentar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Presentar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for presentar.
- Presentar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for presentar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Saludar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with presentar.
- Guardar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with presentar.
- Sacar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with presentar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.