Pretender Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of pretender — “to intend, to claim” 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 pretender 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. Pretender means to intend or to claim, and it is a false friend for English speakers: it does not mean to pretend. Pretendo viajar means I intend to travel, and pretende ser médico means he claims to be a doctor. It takes an infinitive. To see it in a real sentence: Pretendo viajar a México en verano. — “I intend to travel to Mexico in summer.”
Present tense conjugation table: pretender
Every person of pretender in the present tense. The gerund is pretendiendo and the past participle is pretendido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pretendo |
| tú | pretendes |
| él/ella/Ud. | pretende |
| nosotros/as | pretendemos |
| vosotros/as | pretendéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pretenden |
The gerund is pretendiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy pretendiendo” means the action of pretender is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is pretendido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he pretendido” 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 pretender is used.
How the present of pretender is formed
The present of pretender is built from the stem pretend plus the present endings for -er verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -er 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 | pretendo |
| tú | -es | pretendes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | pretende |
| nosotros/as | -emos | pretendemos |
| vosotros/as | -éis | pretendéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | pretenden |
pretender is a regular -er verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is pretend and the endings are the normal -er endings, so there are no surprises to memorise in this tense — the challenge is only using the forms naturally.
The gerund of pretender is pretendiendo and the past participle is pretendido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of pretender
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use pretender 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 pretender 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 pretender is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Pretendo viajar a México en verano.” — I intend to travel to Mexico in summer.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what pretender 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: “Pretende ser médico algún día.” — He/she intends to be a doctor one day.
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: “Pretendo comprar una casa nueva.” — I intend to buy a new house.
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 pretender follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros pretendemos estudiar en el extranjero.” — Tomorrow, we intend to study abroad.
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: “¿Pretendes ser médico algún día?” — Do you intend to be a doctor one day?
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: “Pretendo viajar a México en verano.” — I intend to travel to Mexico in summer.
Preterite: “Pretendí viajar a México en verano.” — I intended to travel to Mexico in summer.
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: “Pretende ser médico algún día.” — He/she intends to be a doctor one day.
Preterite: “Pretendió ser médico algún día.” — He/she intended to be a doctor one day.
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: “Pretendemos comprar una casa nueva.” — We intend to buy a new house.
Preterite: “Pretendimos comprar una casa nueva.” — We intended to buy a new house.
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: pretender 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.
“Pretendo viajar a México en verano.” — I intend to travel to Mexico in summer.
“Pretendes ser médico algún día.” — You intend to be a doctor one day.
“Pretende comprar una casa nueva.” — He/she intends to buy a new house.
“Pretendemos estudiar en el extranjero.” — We intend to study abroad.
“Pretendéis viajar a México en verano.” — You intend to travel to Mexico in summer.
“Pretenden ser médico algún día.” — They intend to be a doctor one day.
“Pretendo comprar una casa nueva.” — I intend to buy a new house.
“Pretende estudiar en el extranjero.” — He/she intends to study abroad.
Common mistakes with pretender 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 pretende viajar a México en verano.” Right: “Yo pretendo viajar a México en verano.” Why: Yo needs the yo form pretendo. The form pretende belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo pretender ser médico algún día.” Right: “Yo pretendo ser médico algún día.” Why: The infinitive pretender cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving pretendo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo pretendo ser médico algún día.” Right: “Ayer yo pretendí ser médico algún día.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to pretendí.
Wrong: “Ellos pretende ser médico algún día.” Right: “Ellos pretenden ser médico algún día.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form pretenden. The singular pretende belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: pretender 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 ___ viajar a México en verano.”
- (a) pretendo
- (b) pretendes
- (c) pretende
Answer: pretendo — The yo form of pretender in the present is pretendo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ ser médico algún día.”
- (a) pretendo
- (b) pretende
- (c) pretendes
Answer: pretendes — The tú form of pretender in the present is pretendes.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ comprar una casa nueva.”
- (a) pretendes
- (b) pretende
- (c) pretendo
Answer: pretende — The él/ella form of pretender in the present is pretende.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ estudiar en el extranjero.”
- (a) pretendemos
- (b) pretendo
- (c) pretendes
Answer: pretendemos — The nosotros/as form of pretender in the present is pretendemos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ viajar a México en verano.”
- (a) pretendo
- (b) pretendes
- (c) pretendéis
Answer: pretendéis — The vosotros/as form of pretender in the present is pretendéis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ ser médico algún día.”
- (a) pretendes
- (b) pretenden
- (c) pretendo
Answer: pretenden — The ellos/ellas form of pretender in the present is pretenden.
7. What does pretender mean in English?
- (a) to intend, to claim
- (b) to pretend
- (c) to be about
Answer: to intend, to claim — Pretender means to intend, to claim.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Pretendí viajar a México en verano.
- (b) Pretenderé viajar a México en verano.
- (c) Pretendo viajar a México en verano.
Answer: Pretendo viajar a México en verano. — “Pretendo viajar a México en verano.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is pretender regular in the present?
Yes. Pretender is regular in the present: pretendo, pretendes, pretende, pretendemos, pretendéis and pretenden. 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 pretender?
The gerund is pretendiendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy pretendiendo. The past participle is pretendido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he pretendido.
What should I watch out for with pretender?
Pretender never means to pretend: that is fingir. Pretender means to intend or to claim. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is pretendo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise pretender in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the pretender examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of pretender — every tense of pretender in one place.
- Pretender examples and quiz — more sentences with pretender 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 pretender and other verbs.