Quebrar in the Present Tense
Quebrar means “to break”, and this page covers exactly one thing: quebrar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about routines, facts and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for quebrar, 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 quebrar in the present. For example: “Yo quebro una pierna en el accidente.” — I break a leg in the accident. Everything on this page uses the forms of quebrar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Quebrar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | quebro |
| tú | quebras |
| él/ella/Ud. | quebra |
| nosotros/as | quebramos |
| vosotros/as | quebráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | quebran |
Gerund: quebrando · Past participle: quebrado
The gerund is quebrando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy quebrando” means the action of quebrar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is quebrado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he quebrado” 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 quebrar is used.
How the present of quebrar is formed
Quebrar is regular in the present tense. Take the stem quebr and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving quebro, quebras, quebra, quebramos, quebráis, quebran. Watch the accents: the yo form is quebro and the él/ella/Ud. form is quebra.
When to use the present of quebrar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use quebrar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. Routines and habits
The present tense is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the right choice, and quebrar is no exception. Example: “Yo quebro una pierna en el accidente todos los días.” — I break a leg in the accident every day.
2. Facts and general truths
The present states facts that are true in general, not just right now. Use it to say what quebrar means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Quebra una promesa importante.” — He/she breaks an important promise.
3. What is happening right now
The present also describes actions in progress at this very moment. When something is happening as you speak, the present tense says so directly. Example: “Yo quebro el cristal de la ventana ahora.” — I break the window glass now.
4. Scheduled events in the near future
Spanish often uses the present for things that are already arranged, such as plans for tomorrow or next week. The present sounds more certain than the future in these cases. Example: “Nosotros quebramos con la crisis de la empresa.” — We break with the company's crisis.
5. Instructions and everyday speech
In everyday speech the present gives instructions, makes offers and states what someone does. It is the tense you will hear most often in conversation. Example: “Tú quebras una pierna en el accidente.” — You break a leg in the accident.
Present Tense vs 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 describes routines, facts and what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.
Present Tense: “Yo quebro una pierna en el accidente todos los días.” — I break a leg in the accident every day.
Preterite: “Ayer, yo quebré una pierna en el accidente.” — Yesterday, I broke a leg in the accident.
The present sentence describes a habit; the preterite sentence reports one finished action. Todos los días points to the present, ayer points to the preterite.
Present Tense: “Él quebra una promesa importante cada semana.” — He/she breaks an important promise every week.
Preterite: “La semana pasada, él quebró una promesa importante.” — Last week, he broke an important promise.
Cada semana describes a routine, so the present is right; la semana pasada names one finished week, so the preterite is right.
Present Tense: “Nosotros quebramos el cristal de la ventana a menudo.” — We break the window glass often.
Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros quebramos el cristal de la ventana.” — Yesterday, we broke the window glass.
The present sentence counts no single event; the preterite sentence counts one finished action. That difference — habit versus finished event — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: quebrar 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.
“Quebro una pierna en el accidente.” — I break a leg in the accident.
“Quebras una promesa importante.” — You break an important promise.
“Quebra el cristal de la ventana.” — He/she breaks the window glass.
“Quebramos con la crisis de la empresa.” — We break with the company's crisis.
“Quebráis una pierna en el accidente.” — You break a leg in the accident.
“Quebran una promesa importante.” — They break an important promise.
“Quebro el cristal de la ventana.” — I break the window glass.
“Quebra con la crisis de la empresa.” — He/she breaks with the company's crisis.
Common mistakes with quebrar 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: “Ellos quebra una pierna en el accidente.” Right: “Ellos quebran una pierna en el accidente.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form quebran. The singular quebra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Wrong: “Yo quebro una promesa importante ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo quebré una promesa importante.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to quebré.
Wrong: “Nosotros quebras el cristal de la ventana.” Right: “Nosotros quebramos el cristal de la ventana.” Why: Nosotros needs quebramos. The tú form quebras belongs with tú.
Wrong: “Ellos quebro con la crisis de la empresa todos los días.” Right: “Ellos quebran con la crisis de la empresa todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form quebran, not the yo form quebro. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.
Quiz: quebrar 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 ______ una pierna en el accidente.” (A leg in the accident.)
- (a) quebro
- (b) quebras
- (c) quebra
Answer: quebro — The yo form of quebrar in the present is quebro. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ una promesa importante?” (An important promise.)
- (a) quebro
- (b) quebra
- (c) quebras
Answer: quebras — The tú form of quebrar in the present is quebras. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ el cristal de la ventana.” (The window glass.)
- (a) quebras
- (b) quebra
- (c) quebro
Answer: quebra — The él/ella/Ud. form of quebrar in the present is quebra. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ con la crisis de la empresa.” (With the company's crisis.)
- (a) quebramos
- (b) quebro
- (c) quebras
Answer: quebramos — The nosotros/as form of quebrar in the present is quebramos. 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 quebrar in the present?
- (a) quebro
- (b) quebras
- (c) quebráis
Answer: quebráis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes quebráis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros quebráis una pierna en el accidente.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ una promesa importante.” (An important promise.)
- (a) quebras
- (b) quebran
- (c) quebro
Answer: quebran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of quebrar in the present is quebran. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
7. Which is the correct yo form of quebrar in the present?
- (a) quebro
- (b) quebras
- (c) quebra
Answer: quebro — The yo form is quebro. The other two options are the forms for other persons.
8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?
- (a) Yo quebré una pierna en el accidente todos los días.
- (b) Nosotros quebraremos una pierna en el accidente mañana.
- (c) Yo quebro una pierna en el accidente todos los días.
Answer: Yo quebro una pierna en el accidente todos los días. — “Yo quebro una pierna en el accidente todos los días.” describes a habit, so it takes the present. The second option reports a finished action in the past, and the third looks to the future.
Frequently asked questions
Is quebrar regular in the present?
Yes. Quebrar is regular in the present: quebro, quebras, quebra, quebramos, quebráis, quebran. Watch the accents on the yo and él forms, and remember that only context tells the nosotros form apart from the present-tense nosotros form when they are identical.
What is the past participle of quebrar?
The past participle is quebrado: 'He quebrado' means 'I have broken'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is quebrando.
Does quebrar take a preposition?
It depends on the meaning. Quebrar is fully regular: quebré, quebraba, quebraré. Quebrar una promesa is to break a promise. In the examples on this page, quebrar appears with complements such as una pierna en el accidente and una promesa importante, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.
How do I remember the present forms of quebrar?
Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo quebro, tú quebras, él/ella/Ud. quebra, nosotros/as quebramos, vosotros/as quebráis, ellos/ellas/Uds. quebran. Then write three of your own sentences with quebrar in the present, using the examples on this page as models.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of quebrar — every tense of quebrar in one place.
- Quebrar examples and quiz — more sentences with quebrar 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 quebrar and other verbs.