Prometer Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of prometer — "to promise" 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 prometer 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. Prometer means "to promise", and it is the verb for every commitment — a promise to a friend, a promise to a child, a politician's promise, a promise to yourself. It usually takes an indirect object for the person promised (te prometo, I promise you) and an infinitive or a que-clause for what is promised. It is a regular -er verb, and its present tense is the language of commitments being made right now. A useful note: lo prometo means "I promise", and te lo prometo (I promise you) is one of the most common phrases in the language. To see it in a real sentence: Yo te prometo que vendré mañana. — "I promise you that I will come tomorrow.".
Present tense conjugation table: prometer
Every person of prometer in the present tense. The gerund is prometiendo and the past participle is prometido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | prometo |
| tú | prometes |
| él/ella/Ud. | promete |
| nosotros/as | prometemos |
| vosotros/as | prometéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | prometen |
How the present indicative of prometer is formed
The present indicative of prometer is built from the stem promet- plus the present indicative 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 | prometo |
| tú | -es | prometes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | promete |
| nosotros/as | -emos | prometemos |
| vosotros/as | -éis | prometéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | prometen |
Because prometer is a regular -er verb, there are no surprises in the present indicative: the stem promet- never changes, and every person takes its normal ending. The only spelling detail to watch is the written accent on the vosotros form, prometéis, which carries an accent on the vowel of the ending. Learn the six endings once and you can conjugate any regular -er verb the same way.
The gerund of prometer is prometiendo and the past participle is prometido. Both are regular for this verb, and the participle is the form you need for all the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present tense of prometer
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and prometer appears in all of them. The five uses below are the ones you will meet most often, each with an example that shows the verb in a natural sentence.
Promising someone something
The present makes a promise right now, with the person as an indirect object.
"Yo te prometo que vendré mañana." — "I promise you that I will come tomorrow."
Promising to do something
Prometer + infinitive is the standard pattern for promising an action.
"Tú prometes ayudarme con los deberes." — "You promise to help me with my homework."
Promising a surprise
The present is used for a promise made in the moment.
"Mi padre promete una sorpresa." — "My father promises a surprise."
Promising in general
The present states a habit of keeping or making promises.
"Nosotros prometemos poco y cumplimos mucho." — "We promise little and deliver a lot."
Politicians promising
In news language, prometer covers electoral promises.
"Los políticos prometen muchas cosas." — "The politicians promise many things."
The present tense vs the closest tenses
Present — habit or general fact vs Preterite — one finished occasion
The present describes a habit, a routine or a general fact — something that happens again and again or that is true in general. The preterite reports one finished occasion in the past. Use the present when the action repeats or is still true, and the preterite when you are telling what happened once, on a specific day.
- Present — habit or general fact: Yo te prometo que no llegaré tarde. — "I promise you I won't be late."
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Yo te prometí que no llegaré tarde. — the same idea, placed in the preterite.
Present — now vs Imperfect — a past habit or background
The present talks about now. The imperfect talks about the past as a background — a repeated habit, an ongoing situation, something that used to happen. If you can add "used to" in English, the imperfect is usually the right choice; if it is happening now or always, use the present.
- Present — now: Tú prometes demasiado y cumples poco. — "You promise too much and deliver little."
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Tú prometías demasiado y cumples poco. — the same idea, placed in the imperfect.
Present — now or a fixed plan vs Future — what will happen
The present describes what happens now, what you do regularly, or a plan that is already fixed. The future describes what will happen later — a promise, a prediction, a plan that is not yet under way. Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans, but the future is the form for a clear statement about tomorrow.
- Present — now or a fixed plan: Ella promete visitarme pronto. — "She promises to visit me soon."
- Future — what will happen: Ella prometerá visitarme pronto. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: prometer in the present tense
Seven sentences that show prometer in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo te prometo que no llegaré tarde. — "I promise you I won't be late."
- Tú prometes demasiado y cumples poco. — "You promise too much and deliver little."
- Ella promete visitarme pronto. — "She promises to visit me soon."
- Nosotros prometemos ayudarte siempre. — "We promise to help you always."
- Vosotros prometéis portaros bien. — "You promise to behave well."
- Ellos prometen un regalo a los niños. — "They promise a present to the children."
- El jefe promete un aumento de sueldo. — "The boss promises a pay rise."
Common mistakes with prometer in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with prometer in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ *Yo prometo a que vendré mañana.
✓ Correct: Yo te prometo que vendré mañana.
After prometer, que follows directly: prometer que vendré. Never put a before que.
✗ *Yo prometo ti que vendré (using ti instead of te).
✓ Correct: Yo te prometo que vendré mañana.
The person promised is an indirect object pronoun: te prometo, not prometo ti.
✗ *Tú prometes a ayudarme.
✓ Correct: Tú prometes ayudarme con los deberes.
Prometer + infinitive takes no preposition: prometer ayudar, not prometer a ayudar.
✗ *Vosotros prometéis portaros bien (written without the accent: prometeis).
✓ Correct: Vosotros prometéis portaros bien.
Prometéis needs the written accent on the é.
Quiz: prometer in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of prometer. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below — every answer is explained.
1. Which is the correct present tense form of prometer for tú?
- a) prometes
- b) prometen
- c) prometo
- d) promete
2. Complete the sentence: Yo te ______ que no llegaré tarde. — "I promise you I won't be late."
- a) prometen
- b) prometí
- c) prometes
- d) prometo
3. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ ayudarme con los deberes. — "You promise to help me with my homework."
- a) prometes
- b) prometiste
- c) promete
- d) prometemos
4. Which is the correct present tense form of prometer for nosotros?
- a) prometen
- b) prometes
- c) prometo
- d) prometemos
5. Which sentence uses prometer correctly in the present tense?
- a) Ella prometes visitarme pronto.
- b) Ella prometió visitarme pronto.
- c) Ella promete visitarme pronto.
6. Which is the correct present tense form of prometer for vosotros?
- a) prometes
- b) prometo
- c) promete
- d) prometéis
7. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ poco y cumplimos mucho. — "We promise little and deliver a lot."
- a) prometemos
- b) prometen
- c) prometo
- d) prometimos
8. What is the gerund of prometer?
- a) prometido
- b) prometemos
- c) prometiendo
- d) prometo
Answer key
a) prometes — The tú form is prometes. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; prometo is yo, promete is él/ella and prometen is ellos/ellas.
d) prometo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: prometo. The other options are the wrong person or the wrong tense.
a) prometes — The subject is tú, so the present form is prometes.
d) prometemos — Nosotros takes prometemos. In the present the nosotros ending for -er verbs is -emos, attached to the stem promet-.
c) Ella promete visitarme pronto. — Ella promete visitarme pronto. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) prometéis — Vosotros takes prometéis. Remember the written accent on the ending — it is part of the correct spelling.
a) prometemos — The subject is nosotros/as, so the present form is prometemos.
c) prometiendo — The gerund is prometiendo. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle prometido.
Frequently asked questions
Is prometer regular in the present tense?
Yes. prometer is a regular -er verb, so its present tense follows the standard endings exactly: prometo, prometes, promete, prometemos, prometéis and prometen.
What is the gerund and the past participle of prometer?
The gerund is prometiendo and the past participle is prometido. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say "I to promise" in Spanish?
Say prometo. For example: Yo te prometo que no llegaré tarde. — "I promise you I won't be late.".
What is the difference between prometer and cumplir?
prometer means "to promise", while cumplir means "to fulfil". They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use prometer when you mean "to promise" and cumplir when you mean "to fulfil". The full conjugation of cumplir is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of prometer — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- prometer examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a longer quiz.
- Spanish Present tense guide — how the present tense works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.