Respetar Present Tense in Spanish
Introduction
respetar means "to respect" 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 respetar, 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 respeto a mis padres. — "Every day, I respect my parents." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of respetar: full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| Yo | respeto |
| Tú | respetas |
| Él / Ella | respeta |
| Nosotros | respetamos |
| Vosotros | respetáis |
| Ellos | respetan |
The gerund of respetar is respetando and the past participle is respetado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy respetando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he respetado).
How the present tense of respetar is formed
The present tense of respetar is built from the stem respet- 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 respeto, tú respetas, él respeta, nosotros respetamos, vosotros respetáis and ellos respetan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is respetando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy respetando. The past participle is respetado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he respetado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with respetar
1. At home and in the family
In Spanish homes respetar is a daily verb. Children respetar a sus padres and respetar a sus abuelos, and adults use it when they talk about how a family should work. It is not a formal word reserved for ceremonies; it belongs in ordinary sentences about everyday behaviour. For example: Yo respeto a mis padres. — "I respect my parents."
2. Rules, laws and timetables
Respetar also applies to things rather than people: respetar las normas, respetar la ley, respetar el horario. In this use it means to follow or observe something, and it appears constantly in school rules, workplace notices and public signs. For example: Tú respetas las normas de la casa. — "You respect the house rules."
3. Opinions and differences
A third common use is respetar una opinión or respetar una decisión. Here it means accepting that someone else may think differently. It is the verb Spanish speakers reach for in debates, in politics and in any conversation where disagreement has to stay polite. For example: Él / Ella respeta la opinión de los demás. — "He / She respects other people's opinions."
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, to talk about tomorrow's plan you can use the future — Mañana, yo respetaré el turno en la cola. — "Tomorrow, I will respect my turn in the queue." — but in conversation you will also hear the present used the same way.
5. General truths and routines
Finally, the present tense states general truths and routines: what usually happens, what is always true, what people normally do. It is the tense of habits and of facts that do not belong to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él / ella respeta a mis padres. — "Normally, he / she respects my parents."
Present vs preterite: respetar
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 respetar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo respeto a mis padres. — "Every day, I respect my parents."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo respeté a mis padres. — "Yesterday, I respected my parents."
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, yo respeto las normas de la casa. — "Every day, I respect the house rules."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo respeté las normas de la casa. — "Yesterday, I respected the house rules."
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, yo respeto la opinión de los demás. — "Every day, I respect other people's opinions."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo respeté la opinión de los demás. — "Yesterday, I respected other people's opinions."
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: respetar in the present tense
These six sentences show respetar 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 respeto a mis padres. — "I respect my parents."
- Tú respetas las normas de la casa. — "You respect the house rules."
- Él / Ella respeta la opinión de los demás. — "He / She respects other people's opinions."
- Nosotros respetamos el turno en la cola. — "We respect my turn in the queue."
- Vosotros respetáis a mis padres. — "You respect my parents."
- Ellos respetan las normas de la casa. — "They respect the house rules."
Common mistakes with respetar in the present tense
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo respeto mis padres.
- Right: Yo respeto a mis padres.
- Why: When the object is a person, respetar needs the personal a. Without it the sentence sounds unfinished to a native speaker: respeto a mis padres, respeto a mi profesora.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Nosotros respetamos las normas, pero tú no respetas.
- Right: Nosotros respetamos las normas, pero tú no las respetas.
- Why: Spanish often repeats the object pronoun (las) when the object was already mentioned. The bare verb is not wrong, but las respetas is the natural, complete version.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Respetar es lo mismo que obedecer.
- Right: Respetar means to show respect; obedecer means to obey.
- Why: The two verbs overlap but they are not synonyms. You can respetar a rule without obeying it in the strict sense, and you can obey an order while showing no respect at all.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo respeto a mis padres.
- Right: Ayer, yo respeté a mis padres.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo respetais a mis padres.
- Right: Yo respetáis a mis padres.
- Why: The form is respetáis, with a written accent. The accent is part of the spelling, and without it the word is misspelled.
Quiz: the present tense of respetar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of respetar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of respetar in the present tense?
- (a) respeto
- (b) respetas
- (c) respeta
- (d) respetamos
Answer: (a) respeto. The i form is respeto. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the you form of respetar in the present tense?
- (a) respeto
- (b) respeta
- (c) respetamos
- (d) respetas
Answer: (d) respetas. The you form is respetas. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the he / she form of respetar in the present tense?
- (a) respetas
- (b) respetamos
- (c) respeta
- (d) respeto
Answer: (c) respeta. The he / she form is respeta. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the we form of respetar in the present tense?
- (a) respeta
- (b) respetamos
- (c) respeto
- (d) respetas
Answer: (b) respetamos. The we form is respetamos. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the they form of respetar in the present tense?
- (a) respetan
- (b) respeto
- (c) respetas
- (d) respeta
Answer: (a) respetan. The they form is respetan. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ a mis padres.
- (a) respeta
- (b) respetamos
- (c) respeto
- (d) respetas
Answer: (c) respeto. The sentence needs the yo form respeto (Every day, I respect my parents.)
7. What is the gerund of respetar?
- (a) respetado
- (b) respetar
- (c) respeta
- (d) respetando
Answer: (d) respetando. The gerund is respetando, used for the progressive: estoy respetando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo respeto las normas de la casa.
- (b) Antes, yo respetaba las normas de la casa.
- (c) Ayer, yo respeté las normas de la casa.
- (d) Mañana, yo respetaré las normas de la casa.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo respeto las normas de la casa.. Cada día, yo respeto las normas de la casa. (Every day, I respect the house rules.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo respeté las normas de la casa. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo respetaré las normas de la casa. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of respetar
Does respetar always need the personal a?
Only when the direct object is a specific person or a pet treated as a person: respeto a mi madre, respeto a mi jefe. With things there is no a: respeto las normas, respeto el silencio.
What is the difference between respetar and obedecer?
Respetar is about attitude and recognition: you show that something or someone matters. Obedecer is about following an order or a rule. In practice the two often appear together, but they describe different things.
How do you say 'respect yourself' in Spanish?
With the reflexive form: respétate a ti mismo. It is the same verb with a reflexive pronoun, and it is a common piece of advice in Spanish: hay que respetarse a uno mismo.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with respetar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo respeto a mis padres. — "Every day, I respect my parents." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo respeté a mis padres. — "Yesterday, I respected my parents." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.