Recordar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of recordar — to remember — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. Recordar means to remember and to remind: recuerdo su nombre, me recuerda a mi abuela. It is an o → ue stem-changing verb (recuerdo, recuerdas, recuerda). Recordar que is to remember that; recordar a alguien de algo is to remind someone of something. This page gives you the complete present tense table for recordar, 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 recuerdo su nombre perfectamente.” — “I remember his name perfectly”.

Present tense conjugation of recordar

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for recordar. Recordar is an o → ue stem-changing irregular -ar verb (irregular in present, present-subjunctive, imperative-affirmative, imperative-negative), so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.

Present tense indicative — recordar

Person Form
yo recuerdo
tú recuerdas
él/ella/Ud. recuerda
nosotros/as recordamos
vosotros/as recordáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. recuerdan

The gerund of recordar is recordando and the past participle is recordado. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of recordar is formed

The present tense of recordar does not follow the regular pattern. It has a o → ue stem change, so the stem vowel changes in the stressed forms. If recordar were regular, the present tense forms would be yo → recordo, tú → recordas, él/ella/Ud. → recorda, nosotros/as → recordamos, vosotros/as → recordáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → recordan — but recordar breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are recuerdo, recuerdas, recuerda, recordamos, recordáis and recuerdan.

The stem change affects the stressed forms only: recuerdo, recuerdas, recuerda and recuerdan change, while recordamos and recordáis keep the plain stem. That is the rule for every o → ue stem-changing verb, and it is why the nosotros and vosotros forms are the safe ones to fall back on when you are unsure.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, recordáis 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 recordar

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with recordar: “Yo recuerdo su nombre perfectamente.” — “I remember his name perfectly”. 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 recordar: “Ella recuerda a su abuela cada día.” — “She remembers her grandmother every day”. 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 recordar: “Nosotros recordamos el viaje con cariño.” — “We remember the trip fondly”. 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 recordar: “Ellos recuerdan las reglas del juego.” — “They remember the rules of the game”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: recordar now, recordar 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 recuerdo su nombre todos los días.” — “I remember his name every day.”

  • Future: “Yo recordaré su nombre mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will remember his name.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella recuerda su nombre ahora.” — “She remembers his name now.”

  • Future: “Ella recordará su nombre la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will remember his name.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros recordamos su nombre en clase.” — “We remember his name in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros recordaremos su nombre el lunes.” — “On Monday we will remember his name.”

Example sentences: recordar in the present tense

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

  • “Yo recuerdo su nombre perfectamente.” — “I remember his name perfectly.”
  • “Ella recuerda a su abuela cada día.” — “She remembers her grandmother every day.”
  • “Nosotros recordamos el viaje con cariño.” — “We remember the trip fondly.”
  • “Ellos recuerdan las reglas del juego.” — “They remember the rules of the game.”
  • “¿Tú recuerdas dónde dejaste las llaves?” — “Do you remember where you left the keys?”
  • “Vosotros recordáis la lección de ayer.” — “You remember yesterday’s lesson.”

Common mistakes with recordar in the present tense

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo recordo su nombre.

Right: Yo recuerdo su nombre.

Recordar changes o to ue: recuerdo, not recordo.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Recordar de su nombre — wrong preposition.

Right: Yo recuerdo su nombre.

To remember something is recordar algo, with no preposition; acordarse de is the reflexive alternative.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Using the plain stem in a stressed form.

Right: Use the changed stem: recuerdo.

The o → ue stem change applies to the stressed forms of recordar — the yo form is recuerdo, not the plain stem.

Quiz: recordar in the present tense

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

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

  • A) recuerdo
  • B) recuerdas
  • C) recuerda
  • D) recordamos

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

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

  • A) recuerdo
  • B) recuerda
  • C) recordamos
  • D) recuerdas

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

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

  • A) recuerdas
  • B) recordamos
  • C) recuerda
  • D) recuerdo

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

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

  • A) recuerda
  • B) recordamos
  • C) recuerdo
  • D) recuerdas

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

5. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ su nombre perfectamente.” (I remember his name perfectly.)

  • A) recuerdo
  • B) recuerdas
  • C) recuerda
  • D) recordamos

Answer: A — The sentence needs recuerdo.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ a su abuela cada día.” (She remembers her grandmother every day.)

  • A) recuerdo
  • B) recuerdas
  • C) recordamos
  • D) recuerda

Answer: D — The sentence needs recuerda.

7. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo recordo su nombre.
  • B) Yo recuerdo su nombre.

Answer: B — Recordar changes o to ue: recuerdo, not recordo.

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo recuerdo su nombre.
  • B) Recordar de su nombre — wrong preposition.

Answer: A — To remember something is recordar algo, with no preposition; acordarse de is the reflexive alternative.

Frequently asked questions

Is recordar regular in the present tense?

No. recordar is irregular in the present tense: the forms are recuerdo, recuerdas, recuerda, recordamos, recordáis and recuerdan. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.

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

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

When do I use the present tense of recordar 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 recordar?

Say the six forms aloud in order — recuerdo, recuerdas, recuerda, recordamos, recordáis, recuerdan — 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 recordar 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 recuerdo…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo recordé…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo recordaré…”. 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.

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