Reparar in the Present Tense

Reparar means “to repair”, and this page covers exactly one thing: reparar 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 reparar, 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 reparar in the present. For example: “Yo reparo el coche en el taller.” — I repair the car in the workshop. Everything on this page uses the forms of reparar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Reparar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo reparo
tú reparas
él/ella/Ud. repara
nosotros/as reparamos
vosotros/as reparáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. reparan

Gerund: reparando · Past participle: reparado

The gerund is reparando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy reparando” means the action of reparar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is reparado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he reparado” 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 reparar is used.

How the present of reparar is formed

Reparar is regular in the present tense. Take the stem repar and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving reparo, reparas, repara, reparamos, reparáis, reparan. Watch the accents: the yo form is reparo and the él/ella/Ud. form is repara.

When to use the present of reparar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use reparar 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 reparar is no exception. Example: “Yo reparo el coche en el taller todos los días.” — I repair the car in the workshop 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 reparar means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Repara el móvil en la tienda.” — He/she repairs the phone in the shop.

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 reparo la bicicleta del niño ahora.” — I repair the child's bicycle 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 reparamos el tejado después de la tormenta.” — We repair the roof after the storm.

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 reparas el coche en el taller.” — You repair the car in the workshop.

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 reparo el coche en el taller todos los días.” — I repair the car in the workshop every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo reparé el coche en el taller.” — Yesterday, I repaired the car in the workshop.

  • 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 repara el móvil en la tienda cada semana.” — He/she repairs the phone in the shop every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él reparó el móvil en la tienda.” — Last week, he repaired the phone in the shop.

  • 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 reparamos la bicicleta del niño a menudo.” — We repair the child's bicycle often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros reparamos la bicicleta del niño.” — Yesterday, we repaired the child's bicycle.

  • 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: reparar 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.

  1. “Reparo el coche en el taller.” — I repair the car in the workshop.

  2. “Reparas el móvil en la tienda.” — You repair the phone in the shop.

  3. “Repara la bicicleta del niño.” — He/she repairs the child's bicycle.

  4. “Reparamos el tejado después de la tormenta.” — We repair the roof after the storm.

  5. “Reparáis el coche en el taller.” — You repair the car in the workshop.

  6. “Reparan el móvil en la tienda.” — They repair the phone in the shop.

  7. “Reparo la bicicleta del niño.” — I repair the child's bicycle.

  8. “Repara el tejado después de la tormenta.” — He/she repairs the roof after the storm.

Common mistakes with reparar 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 repara el coche en el taller.” Right: “Ellos reparan el coche en el taller.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form reparan. The singular repara belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Yo reparo el móvil en la tienda ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo reparé el móvil en la tienda.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to reparé.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros reparas la bicicleta del niño.” Right: “Nosotros reparamos la bicicleta del niño.” Why: Nosotros needs reparamos. The tú form reparas belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos reparo el tejado después de la tormenta todos los días.” Right: “Ellos reparan el tejado después de la tormenta todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form reparan, not the yo form reparo. 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: reparar 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 ______ el coche en el taller.” (The car in the workshop.)

  • (a) reparo
  • (b) reparas
  • (c) repara

Answer: reparo — The yo form of reparar in the present is reparo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ el móvil en la tienda?” (The phone in the shop.)

  • (a) reparo
  • (b) repara
  • (c) reparas

Answer: reparas — The tú form of reparar in the present is reparas. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ la bicicleta del niño.” (The child's bicycle.)

  • (a) reparas
  • (b) repara
  • (c) reparo

Answer: repara — The él/ella/Ud. form of reparar in the present is repara. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ el tejado después de la tormenta.” (The roof after the storm.)

  • (a) reparamos
  • (b) reparo
  • (c) reparas

Answer: reparamos — The nosotros/as form of reparar in the present is reparamos. 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 reparar in the present?

  • (a) reparo
  • (b) reparas
  • (c) reparáis

Answer: reparáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes reparáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros reparáis el coche en el taller.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el móvil en la tienda.” (The phone in the shop.)

  • (a) reparas
  • (b) reparan
  • (c) reparo

Answer: reparan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of reparar in the present is reparan. 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 reparar in the present?

  • (a) reparo
  • (b) reparas
  • (c) repara

Answer: reparo — The yo form is reparo. The other two options are the forms for other persons.

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo reparé el coche en el taller todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros repararemos el coche en el taller mañana.
  • (c) Yo reparo el coche en el taller todos los días.

Answer: Yo reparo el coche en el taller todos los días. — “Yo reparo el coche en el taller 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 reparar regular in the present?

Yes. Reparar is regular in the present: reparo, reparas, repara, reparamos, reparáis, reparan. 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 reparar?

The past participle is reparado: 'He reparado' means 'I have repaired'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is reparando.

Does reparar take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Reparar is fully regular: reparé, reparaba, repararé. Reparar el coche is to repair the car. In the examples on this page, reparar appears with complements such as el coche en el taller and el móvil en la tienda, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of reparar?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo reparo, tú reparas, él/ella/Ud. repara, nosotros/as reparamos, vosotros/as reparáis, ellos/ellas/Uds. reparan. Then write three of your own sentences with reparar in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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