Introduction

Sembrar means “to sow”, and this page covers exactly one thing: sembrar 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 sembrar, 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 sembrar in the present. Sembrar in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo sembro tomates” — "I sow tomatoes". Everything on this page uses the forms of sembrar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Sembrar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo sembro
tú sembras
él/ella/Ud. sembra
nosotros/as sembramos
vosotros/as sembráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. sembran

Gerund: sembrando · Past participle: sembrado

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

How the present of sembrar is formed

Sembrar is a regular -ar verb in the present. Take the stem sembr and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving sembro, sembras, sembra, sembramos, sembráis, sembran. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, sembráis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The present of sembrar is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form sembráis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form sembro is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of sembrar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use sembrar 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 is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, sembrar goes in the present. Example: “Yo sembro flores en el jardín” — "I sow flowers in the garden".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about sembrar does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él sembra trigo en primavera” — "He sows wheat in spring".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so sembro can mean both "I sow" and "I am sowing". Example: “Yo sembro tomates” — "I sow tomatoes".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Nosotros sembramos flores en el jardín” — "We sow flowers in the garden".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with sembrar just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él sembra trigo en primavera” — "He sows wheat in spring".

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 reports what happens regularly or what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. 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 sembro tomates” — "I sow tomatoes".

  • Preterite: “Yo sembré tomates” — "I sowed tomatoes".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él sembra flores en el jardín” — "He sows flowers in the garden".

  • Preterite: “Él sembró flores en el jardín” — "He sowed flowers in the garden".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros sembramos trigo en primavera” — "We sow wheat in spring".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros sembramos trigo en primavera” — "We sowed wheat in spring".

  • The two sentences look identical: sembramos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: sembrar 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 sembro flores en el jardín” — "I sow flowers in the garden"

  2. “Tú sembras trigo en primavera” — "You sow wheat in spring"

  3. “Él sembra tomates” — "He sows tomatoes"

  4. “Nosotros sembramos flores en el jardín” — "We sow flowers in the garden"

  5. “Vosotros sembráis trigo en primavera” — "You sow wheat in spring"

  6. “Ellos sembran tomates” — "They sow tomatoes"

  7. “Yo sembro flores en el jardín” — "I sow flowers in the garden"

  8. “Él sembra trigo en primavera” — "He sows wheat in spring"

Common mistakes with sembrar 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 sembra tomates” Right: “Ellos sembran tomates” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form sembran. The singular sembra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo sembré” Right: “Todos los días, yo sembro” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (sembré) is for one finished action, not for routines.

  • Wrong: “Yo sembra tomates.” Right: “Yo sembro tomates” Why: Yo needs the yo form sembro. The él form sembra belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo sembro” Right: “Ayer, yo sembré” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to sembré.

Quiz: sembrar 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 ___ trigo en primavera.” (yo form)

A. sembráis B. sembras C. sembramos D. sembro

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ tomates.” (tú form)

A. sembras B. sembran C. sembro D. sembráis

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ___ flores en el jardín.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. sembras B. sembráis C. sembramos D. sembra

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ trigo en primavera.” (nosotros/as form)

A. sembran B. sembras C. sembra D. sembramos

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ___ tomates.” (vosotros/as form)

A. sembran B. sembra C. sembramos D. sembráis

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ___ flores en el jardín.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. sembran B. sembráis C. sembra D. sembramos

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo sembro B. Todos los días, yo sembré

Answer key

  1. sembro — The yo present of sembrar is sembro.
  2. sembras — The tú present of sembrar is sembras.
  3. sembra — The él/ella/Ud. present of sembrar is sembra.
  4. sembramos — The nosotros/as present of sembrar is sembramos.
  5. sembráis — The vosotros/as present of sembrar is sembráis.
  6. sembran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of sembrar is sembran.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo sembro — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of sembrar?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo sembro tomates. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of sembrar formed?

Take the stem sembr- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving sembro, sembras, sembra, sembramos, sembráis, sembran.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for sembrar?

The present (sembro) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (sembré) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise sembrar in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — sembro, sembras, sembra, sembramos, sembráis, sembran — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the sembrar examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of sembrar when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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