Regularizar Present Tense in Spanish
regularizar means "to regularise" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for regularizar, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo regularizo su situación en el país. — "Every day, I regularise his situation in the country." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of regularizar: full table
Every person of regularizar in the present tense. The gerund is regularizando and the past participle is regularizado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | regularizo |
| tú | regularizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | regulariza |
| nosotros/as | regularizamos |
| vosotros/as | regularizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | regularizan |
The gerund of regularizar is regularizando and the past participle is regularizado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy regularizando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he regularizado).
How the present tense of regularizar is formed
The present tense of regularizar is built from the stem regulariz- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo regularizo, tú regularizas, él regulariza, nosotros regularizamos, vosotros regularizáis and ellos regularizan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | regularizo |
| tú | -as | regularizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | regulariza |
| nosotros/as | -amos | regularizamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | regularizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | regularizan |
Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is regularicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example regularice.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is regularizando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy regularizando. The past participle is regularizado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he regularizado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with regularizar
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo regularizo su situación en el país. — "Every day, I regularise his situation in the country." The complement in this sentence is about his situation in the country, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear regularizar in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú regularizas los papeles de la empresa. — "Now, you regularise the company's papers." The complement in this sentence is about the company's papers, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear regularizar in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él regulariza la matrícula del coche. — "Normally, he/she regularises the car's registration." The complement in this sentence is about the car's registration, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear regularizar in the present tense.
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example: Mañana, nosotros regularizamos el pago de los impuestos. — "Tomorrow, we regularise the payment of the taxes." The complement in this sentence is about the payment of the taxes, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear regularizar in the present tense.
5. Frequent actions
With words such as siempre, a menudo and todos los días, the present tense shows how often something happens. For example: Siempre, ellos regularizan su situación en el país. — "Always, they regularise his situation in the country." The complement in this sentence is about his situation in the country, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear regularizar in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: regularizar
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with regularizar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo regularizo su situación en el país. — "Every day, I regularise his situation in the country."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo regularicé su situación en el país. — "Yesterday, I regularised his situation in the country."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, tú regularizas los papeles de la empresa. — "Every day, you regularise the company's papers."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú regularizaste los papeles de la empresa. — "Yesterday, you regularised the company's papers."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, él regulariza la matrícula del coche. — "Every day, he/she regularises the car's registration."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él regularizó la matrícula del coche. — "Yesterday, he/she regularised the car's registration."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: regularizar in the present tense
These eight sentences show regularizar in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo regularizo su situación en el país. — "I regularise his situation in the country."
- Tú regularizas los papeles de la empresa. — "you regularise the company's papers."
- Él regulariza la matrícula del coche. — "he/she regularises the car's registration."
- Nosotros regularizamos el pago de los impuestos. — "we regularise the payment of the taxes."
- Vosotros regularizáis su situación en el país. — "you (plural) regularise his situation in the country."
- Ellos regularizan los papeles de la empresa. — "they regularise the company's papers."
- Yo regularizo la matrícula del coche. — "I regularise the car's registration."
- Tú regularizas el pago de los impuestos. — "you regularise the payment of the taxes."
Common mistakes with regularizar in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros regularizais su situación en el país.
- Right: Vosotros regularizáis su situación en el país.
- Why: The vosotros form regularizáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me regularizo su situación en el país.
- Right: Yo regularizo su situación en el país.
- Why: regularizar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add. The extra pronoun changes the meaning of the sentence.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo regularizo los papeles de la empresa.
- Right: Ayer, yo regularicé los papeles de la empresa.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo regularicé los papeles de la empresa. — "Yesterday, I regularised the company's papers." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo regularizo la matrícula del coche.
- Right: Antes, yo regularizaba la matrícula del coche.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo regularizaba la matrícula del coche. — "In the past, I used to regularise the car's registration." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros regulariza su situación en el país.
- Right: Nosotros regularizamos su situación en el país.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes regularizamos, while regulariza belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of regularizar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of regularizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of regularizar in the present tense?
- (a) regularizo
- (b) regularizas
- (c) regulariza
- (d) regularizamos
Answer: (a) regularizo. The yo form is regularizo. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of regularizar in the present tense?
- (a) regularizo
- (b) regulariza
- (c) regularizamos
- (d) regularizas
Answer: (d) regularizas. The tú form is regularizas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of regularizar in the present tense?
- (a) regularizas
- (b) regularizamos
- (c) regulariza
- (d) regularizo
Answer: (c) regulariza. The él/ella form is regulariza. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of regularizar in the present tense?
- (a) regulariza
- (b) regularizamos
- (c) regularizo
- (d) regularizas
Answer: (b) regularizamos. The nosotros form is regularizamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of regularizar in the present tense?
- (a) regularizan
- (b) regularizo
- (c) regularizas
- (d) regulariza
Answer: (a) regularizan. The ellos/ellas form is regularizan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ su situación en el país.
- (a) regularizas
- (b) regulariza
- (c) regularizamos
- (d) regularizo
Answer: (d) regularizo. The sentence needs the yo form regularizo (Every day, I regularise his situation in the country.)
7. What is the gerund of regularizar?
- (a) regularizado
- (b) regularizo
- (c) regularizar
- (d) regularizando
Answer: (d) regularizando. The gerund is regularizando, used for the progressive: estoy regularizando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Ayer, yo regularicé los papeles de la empresa.
- (b) Mañana, yo regularizaré los papeles de la empresa.
- (c) Cada día, yo regularizo los papeles de la empresa.
- (d) Antes, yo regularizaba los papeles de la empresa.
Answer: (c) Cada día, yo regularizo los papeles de la empresa.. Cada día, yo regularizo los papeles de la empresa. (Every day, I regularise the company's papers.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo regularicé los papeles de la empresa. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo regularizaré los papeles de la empresa. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of regularizar
Is regularizar regular in the present tense?
Almost. regularizar is a spelling-changing (z → c before e) -ar verb, so its endings are regular, but watch the spelling: Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is regularicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example regularice.
How do you say 'regularise' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo regularizo su situación en el país. — "Every day, I regularise his situation in the country." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with regularizar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo regularizo los papeles de la empresa. — "Every day, I regularise the company's papers." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo regularicé los papeles de la empresa. — "Yesterday, I regularised the company's papers." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.
Can I use the present tense for the future with regularizar?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros regularizamos el pago de los impuestos. — "Tomorrow, we regularise the payment of the taxes." Spanish often uses the present for a plan that feels certain, where English would use the future. Add a time word such as mañana so the listener knows you mean the future.