Regalar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of regalar — "to give (a gift)" 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 regalar 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. Regalar means "to give as a gift" — you give someone a present for a birthday, for Christmas, for a wedding. It is warmer and more specific than dar (to give): regalar always means a gift, given freely and usually for a celebration. It is also used for giving away things you no longer need (regalo mi ropa vieja, I give away my old clothes). It is a fully regular -ar verb, and its present tense is the language of birthdays, Christmas and generosity all year round. To see it in a real sentence: Yo regalo un libro a mi madre. — "I give my mother a book as a gift.".
Present tense conjugation table: regalar
Every person of regalar in the present tense. The gerund is regalando and the past participle is regalado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regalo |
| tú | regalas |
| él/ella/Ud. | regala |
| nosotros/as | regalamos |
| vosotros/as | regaláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regalan |
How the present indicative of regalar is formed
The present indicative of regalar is built from the stem regal- plus the present indicative endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar 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 | regalo |
| tú | -as | regalas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | regala |
| nosotros/as | -amos | regalamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | regaláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | regalan |
Because regalar is a regular -ar verb, there are no surprises in the present indicative: the stem regal- never changes, and every person takes its normal ending. The only spelling detail to watch is the written accent on the vosotros form, regaláis, which carries an accent on the vowel of the ending. Learn the six endings once and you can conjugate any regular -ar verb the same way.
The gerund of regalar is regalando and the past participle is regalado. 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 regalar
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and regalar 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.
Giving birthday presents
The present describes what you give for birthdays, now or as a habit.
"Yo regalo un libro a mi madre." — "I give my mother a book as a gift."
Giving flowers
Regalar flores is the classic romantic or polite gift.
"Mi novio regala flores cada semana." — "My boyfriend gives flowers every week."
Giving away old things
Regalar also means to give things away to charity or to friends.
"Nosotros regalamos la ropa vieja." — "We give away old clothes."
Christmas presents
The present states a regular Christmas habit.
"Ellos regalan juguetes a los niños." — "They give toys to the children as gifts."
Asking what to give
In questions, regalar asks about gift ideas.
"¿Tú regalas un perfume a tu hermana?" — "Do you give your sister a perfume as a gift?"
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 regalo flores a mi abuela. — "I give my grandmother flowers."
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Yo regalé flores a mi abuela. — 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 regalas un reloj a tu padre. — "You give your father a watch."
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Tú regalabas un reloj a tu padre. — 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: Papá Noel regala juguetes a los niños. — "Father Christmas gives toys to the children."
- Future — what will happen: Papá Noel regalará juguetes a los niños. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: regalar in the present tense
Seven sentences that show regalar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo regalo flores a mi abuela. — "I give my grandmother flowers."
- Tú regalas un reloj a tu padre. — "You give your father a watch."
- Papá Noel regala juguetes a los niños. — "Father Christmas gives toys to the children."
- Nosotros regalamos libros en Navidad. — "We give books at Christmas."
- Vosotros regaláis una bicicleta a vuestro hijo. — "You give your son a bicycle."
- Mis tíos regalan ropa a mis primos. — "My uncles give clothes to my cousins."
- Ella regala bombones a sus amigas. — "She gives chocolates to her friends."
Common mistakes with regalar in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with regalar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ *Yo regalo a un libro a mi madre (a before the gift).
✓ Correct: Yo regalo un libro a mi madre.
The gift is a direct object with no a: regalar un libro. The a belongs before the person: a mi madre.
✗ *Mi novio regala a flores.
✓ Correct: Mi novio regala flores cada semana.
Flowers are things: regalar flores, never regalar a flores.
✗ *Vosotros regaláis una bicicleta (written without the accent: regalais).
✓ Correct: Vosotros regaláis una bicicleta a vuestro hijo.
Regaláis needs the written accent on the á.
✗ *Nosotros regalamos la ropa vieja a (leaving a dangling a with no person after it).
✓ Correct: Nosotros regalamos la ropa vieja.
If there is no recipient, there is no a at all: regalar la ropa vieja. Add a + person only when someone receives the gift.
Quiz: regalar in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of regalar. 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 regalar for tú?
- a) regala
- b) regalas
- c) regalo
- d) regalan
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ flores a mi abuela. — "I give my grandmother flowers."
- a) regalé
- b) regalo
- c) regalan
- d) regalas
3. Complete the sentence: Mi novio ______ flores cada semana. — "My boyfriend gives flowers every week."
- a) regala
- b) regalamos
- c) regaló
- d) regalas
4. Which is the correct present tense form of regalar for nosotros?
- a) regalo
- b) regalan
- c) regalas
- d) regalamos
5. Which sentence uses regalar correctly in the present tense?
- a) Papá Noel regalas juguetes a los niños.
- b) Papá Noel regaló juguetes a los niños.
- c) Papá Noel regala juguetes a los niños.
6. Which is the correct present tense form of regalar for vosotros?
- a) regalo
- b) regalas
- c) regaláis
- d) regala
7. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ juguetes a los niños. — "They give toys to the children as gifts."
- a) regalan
- b) regalaron
- c) regalas
- d) regalo
8. What is the gerund of regalar?
- a) regalado
- b) regalamos
- c) regalando
- d) regalo
Answer key
b) regalas — The tú form is regalas. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; regalo is yo, regala is él/ella and regalan is ellos/ellas.
b) regalo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: regalo. The other options are the wrong person or the wrong tense.
a) regala — The subject is él/ella/Ud., so the present form is regala.
d) regalamos — Nosotros takes regalamos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem regal-.
c) Papá Noel regala juguetes a los niños. — Papá Noel regala juguetes a los niños. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
c) regaláis — Vosotros takes regaláis. Remember the written accent on the ending — it is part of the correct spelling.
a) regalan — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is regalan.
c) regalando — The gerund is regalando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle regalado.
Frequently asked questions
Is regalar regular in the present tense?
Yes. regalar is a regular -ar verb, so its present tense follows the standard endings exactly: regalo, regalas, regala, regalamos, regaláis and regalan.
What is the gerund and the past participle of regalar?
The gerund is regalando and the past participle is regalado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say "I to give (a gift)" in Spanish?
Say regalo. For example: Yo regalo flores a mi abuela. — "I give my grandmother flowers.".
What is the difference between regalar and dar?
regalar means "to give (a gift)", while dar means "to give". They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use regalar when you mean "to give (a gift)" and dar when you mean "to give". The full conjugation of dar is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of regalar — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- regalar 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.