Recibir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of recibir — to receive — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. Recibir means to receive and to get: recibir una carta, recibir un premio, recibir a un invitado (to welcome a guest). It is completely regular. It is formal compared to the everyday conseguir or coger, and it appears in letters, news and official language. This page gives you the complete present tense table for recibir, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo recibo muchos correos cada día.” — “I receive many emails every day”.

Present tense conjugation of recibir

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for recibir. Recibir is a regular -ir verb, so you can build the present tense from the regular endings once you know the stem.

Present tense indicative — recibir

Person Form
yo recibo
tú recibes
él/ella/Ud. recibe
nosotros/as recibimos
vosotros/as recibís
ellos/ellas/Uds. reciben

The gerund of recibir is recibiendo and the past participle is recibido. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of recibir is formed

For a regular -ir verb, the present tense is built on the stem recib- (the infinitive recibir without its -ir ending) plus the present tense endings: yo → recibo, tú → recibes, él/ella/Ud. → recibe, nosotros/as → recibimos, vosotros/as → recibís, ellos/ellas/Uds. → reciben. So recibir gives recibo, recibes, recibe, recibimos, recibís and reciben. There is nothing irregular to memorise for this verb in this tense — the endings do all the work, and the stress falls where the endings put it.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, recibís carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of recibir

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with recibir: “Yo recibo muchos correos cada día.” — “I receive many emails every day”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with recibir: “Ella recibe un regalo de su abuela.” — “She receives a present from her grandmother”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with recibir: “Nosotros recibimos a los invitados en la puerta.” — “We welcome the guests at the door”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with recibir: “Ellos reciben buenas noticias a menudo.” — “They often receive good news”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: recibir now, recibir later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo recibo muchos correos todos los días.” — “I receive many emails every day.”

  • Future: “Yo recibiré muchos correos mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will receive many emails.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella recibe muchos correos ahora.” — “She receives many emails now.”

  • Future: “Ella recibirá muchos correos la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will receive many emails.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros recibimos muchos correos en clase.” — “We receive many emails in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros recibiremos muchos correos el lunes.” — “On Monday we will receive many emails.”

Example sentences: recibir in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of recibir, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “Yo recibo muchos correos cada día.” — “I receive many emails every day.”
  • “Ella recibe un regalo de su abuela.” — “She receives a present from her grandmother.”
  • “Nosotros recibimos a los invitados en la puerta.” — “We welcome the guests at the door.”
  • “Ellos reciben buenas noticias a menudo.” — “They often receive good news.”
  • “¿Tú recibes el periódico en casa?” — “Do you get the newspaper at home?”
  • “Vosotros recibís visitas los domingos.” — “You receive visitors on Sundays.”

Common mistakes with recibir in the present tense

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo recibo — learners write recievo.

Right: Yo recibo muchos correos.

The yo form is recibo: the i stays, it is not recievo.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Recibir a una carta — wrong personal a.

Right: Yo recibo una carta.

The personal a is for people: recibo a los invitados, but recibo una carta.

Quiz: recibir in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of recibir. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of recibir in the present tense?

  • A) recibo
  • B) recibes
  • C) recibe
  • D) recibimos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is recibo.

2. What is the tú form of recibir in the present tense?

  • A) recibo
  • B) recibe
  • C) recibimos
  • D) recibes

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is recibes.

3. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of recibir in the present tense?

  • A) recibes
  • B) recibimos
  • C) recibe
  • D) recibo

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is recibe.

4. What is the nosotros/as form of recibir in the present tense?

  • A) recibe
  • B) recibimos
  • C) recibo
  • D) recibes

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is recibimos.

5. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ muchos correos cada día.” (I receive many emails every day.)

  • A) recibo
  • B) recibes
  • C) recibe
  • D) recibimos

Answer: A — The sentence needs recibo.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ un regalo de su abuela.” (She receives a present from her grandmother.)

  • A) recibo
  • B) recibes
  • C) recibimos
  • D) recibe

Answer: D — The sentence needs recibe.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo recibo — learners write recievo.
  • B) Yo recibo muchos correos.

Answer: B — The yo form is recibo: the i stays, it is not recievo.

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo recibo una carta.
  • B) Recibir a una carta — wrong personal a.

Answer: A — The personal a is for people: recibo a los invitados, but recibo una carta.

Frequently asked questions

Is recibir regular in the present tense?

Yes. recibir is a regular -ir verb and its present tense follows the standard endings, so once you know the stem recib- you can build all six forms. The only thing to watch is the spelling of the endings themselves, including the accents.

What is the yo form of recibir in the present tense?

It is recibo. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for recibir it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of recibir instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of recibir?

Say the six forms aloud in order — recibo, recibes, recibe, recibimos, recibís, reciben — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and the full conjugation page for recibir to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo recibo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo recibí…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo recibiré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

Related pages