Introduction

revolver means “to stir, to turn over”, and this page covers exactly one thing: revolver in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for revolver, 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 revolver in the present. For example: “Yo revuelvo la sopa todos los días.” — “I stir the soup.” Everything on this page uses the forms of revolver exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

revolver in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo revuelvo
tú revuelves
él/ella/Ud. revuelve
nosotros/as revolvemos
vosotros/as revolvéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. revuelven

Gerund: revolviendo · Past participle: revuelto

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

How the present of revolver is formed

revolver is a -er verb. Take the stem revolv and add the present endings for -er verbs: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en, giving revuelvo, revuelves, revuelve, revolvemos, revolvéis and revuelven. The stem change o → ue does not affect the present of revolver in the same way it affects the present, so read the table above carefully and do not carry the changed stem into this tense by habit.

The present of revolver rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form revuelvo is the form you will use most when you talk about yourself, so say it out loud until it comes without thinking. Second, the nosotros form revolvemos and the ellos form revuelven are the ones learners confuse most often, because they are the forms used for groups. Practise the six forms in order — yo, tú, él, nosotros, vosotros, ellos — and the pattern will settle.

When to use the present of revolver

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use revolver in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. A habit or routine

revolver in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about the soup is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo revuelvo la sopa cada día.” — “I stir the soup.”

2. A fact or general truth

General truths about the soup also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él revuelve la sopa siempre.” — “He stirs the soup.”

3. Something happening right now

Use the present for what is happening at this moment. It is the simplest way to describe an action in progress when you do not need the gerund. Example: “Nosotros revolvemos la sopa ahora mismo.” — “We stir the soup.”

4. A scheduled near-future event

Spanish often uses the present for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense. Example: “Ellos revuelven la sopa mañana.” — “They stir the soup.”

5. Instructions and explanations

When you explain how something works — how to talk about the soup — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú revuelves la sopa normalmente.” — “you stir the soup.”

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the hardest decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or 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 the tense. Time words help: cada día and siempre point to the present, while ayer points to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo revuelvo la sopa cada día.” — “I stir the soup.”

  • Preterite: “Yo revolví la sopa ayer.” — “I stirred the soup.”

  • The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él revuelve la sopa siempre.” — “He stirs the soup.”

  • Preterite: “Él revolvió la sopa ayer.” — “He stirred the soup.”

  • The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros revolvemos la sopa todos los días.” — “We stir the soup.”

  • Preterite: “Nosotros revolvimos la sopa ayer.” — “We stirred the soup.”

  • The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.

Example sentences: revolver 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. “Yo revuelvo la sopa cada día.” — “I stir the soup.”
  2. “Tú revuelves la sopa cada día.” — “you stir the soup.”
  3. “Él revuelve la sopa siempre.” — “He stirs the soup.”
  4. “Nosotros revolvemos la sopa todos los días.” — “We stir the soup.”
  5. “Vosotros revolvéis la sopa cada semana.” — “You stir the soup.”
  6. “Ellos revuelven la sopa normalmente.” — “They stir the soup.”
  7. “Yo revuelvo la sopa ahora mismo.” — “I stir the soup.”
  8. “Él revuelve la sopa cada día.” — “He stirs the soup.”

Common mistakes

Using the unchanged stem

Learners often write revolvo for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is revuelvo. Because revolver changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo revuelvo la sopa — until the changed stem feels natural.

Confusing revolver with revisar

revolver and revisar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of revolver — stir — the sentence needs revolver; if it needs the meaning of revisar, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo revuelva la sopa. Using the indicative — Espero que yo revuelvo — is one of the most frequent learner errors with revolver. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Using the unchanged stem

Learners often write revolvo for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is revuelvo. Because revolver changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo revuelvo la sopa — until the changed stem feels natural.

Using the wrong tense for revolver

The most general mistake is choosing the wrong tense altogether: using the present where Spanish needs the preterite, or the other way round. Check the time words first — ayer and la semana pasada point to the past, cada día and siempre point to the present — and then check whether the action is finished or ongoing. If you can answer those two questions, the tense usually chooses itself.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

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

  • A. revuelves
  • B. revuelve
  • C. revolvemos
  • D. revuelvo

2. What is the tu form of revolver in the present tense?

  • A. revuelves
  • B. revuelvo
  • C. revuelve
  • D. revolvemos

3. What is the el form of revolver in the present tense?

  • A. revolvemos
  • B. revuelve
  • C. revuelvo
  • D. revuelves

4. What is the nosotros form of revolver in the present tense?

  • A. revuelves
  • B. revuelve
  • C. revolvemos
  • D. revuelvo

5. What is the vosotros form of revolver in the present tense?

  • A. revuelvo
  • B. revuelves
  • C. revuelve
  • D. revolvéis

6. What is the ellos form of revolver in the present tense?

  • A. revuelven
  • B. revuelvo
  • C. revuelves
  • D. revuelve

7. What is the yo form of revolver in the present tense?

  • A. revolvemos
  • B. revuelvo
  • C. revuelves
  • D. revuelve

8. What is the el form of revolver in the present tense?

  • A. revuelves
  • B. revolvemos
  • C. revuelve
  • D. revuelvo

Answer key

  1. revuelvo — The present table gives yo = revuelvo.
  2. revuelves — The present table gives tu = revuelves.
  3. revuelve — The present table gives el = revuelve.
  4. revolvemos — The present table gives nosotros = revolvemos.
  5. revolvéis — The present table gives vosotros = revolvéis.
  6. revuelven — The present table gives ellos = revuelven.
  7. revuelvo — The present table gives yo = revuelvo.
  8. revuelve — The present table gives el = revuelve.

Frequently asked questions

How do you form the present of revolver?

Take the stem revolv and add the present endings for -er verbs. The six forms are revuelvo, revuelves, revuelve, revolvemos, revolvéis and revuelven. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.

When should I use the present of revolver?

Use it for habits, facts and things happening now. The five rules in the section above cover the situations you will meet most often. If the action is a routine or a present fact, the present is the right choice.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite of revolver?

The present form for yo is revuelvo and the preterite form is revolví — different forms for different meanings. The present reports what happens regularly or now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The contrasted pairs above show the same situation in both tenses, so compare them side by side.

Is revolver regular in the present?

Yes — revolver is regular in the present and follows the standard -er endings. The full conjugation of revolver is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.

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