Sobrar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of sobrar — “to be left over, to be too much” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for sobrar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Sobrar means to be left over or to be too much, and it is used for food, money, time and people: sobra comida, sobran tres sillas. The subject is the thing left over, so the verb usually appears in the third person, singular or plural. It is a fully regular -ar verb. To see it in a real sentence: Sobra comida después de la cena. — “There is food left over after dinner.”
Present tense conjugation table: sobrar
Every person of sobrar in the present tense. The gerund is sobrando and the past participle is sobrado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sobro |
| tú | sobras |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobra |
| nosotros/as | sobramos |
| vosotros/as | sobráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobran |
The gerund is sobrando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy sobrando” means the action of sobrar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is sobrado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he sobrado” 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 sobrar is used.
How the present of sobrar is formed
The present of sobrar is built from the stem sobr plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | sobro |
| tú | -as | sobras |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | sobra |
| nosotros/as | -amos | sobramos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | sobráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | sobran |
sobrar is a regular -ar verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is sobr and the endings are the normal -ar endings, so there are no surprises to memorise in this tense — the challenge is only using the forms naturally.
The gerund of sobrar is sobrando and the past participle is sobrado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of sobrar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use sobrar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of sobrar is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and sobrar is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Sobra comida después de la cena.” — There is food left over after dinner.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what sobrar means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Sobran tres sillas en el salón.” — There are three chairs left over in the living room.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Sobra tiempo antes de salir.” — There is time left over before leaving.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and sobrar follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, sobra dinero a fin de mes.” — There is money left over at the end of the month.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Sobran tres sillas en el salón?” — Are there three chairs left over in the living room?
The present vs the 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 now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, 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 happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Sobra comida después de la cena.” — There is food left over after dinner.
Preterite: “Sobró comida después de la cena.” — There was food left over after dinner.
The present sentence describes the subject as it is now; the Preterite sentence describes it in the past. That difference — now versus then — is the whole decision.
Present: “Sobran tres sillas en el salón.” — There are three chairs left over in the living room.
Preterite: “Sobraron tres sillas en el salón.” — There were three chairs left over in the living room.
The present sentence describes the subject as it is now; the Preterite sentence describes it in the past. That difference — now versus then — is the whole decision.
Present: “Sobra tiempo antes de salir.” — There is time left over before leaving.
Preterite: “Sobró tiempo antes de salir.” — There was time left over before leaving.
The present sentence describes the subject as it is now; the Preterite sentence describes it in the past. That difference — now versus then — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: sobrar 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.
“Sobra comida después de la cena.” — There is food left over after dinner.
“Sobran tres sillas en el salón.” — There are three chairs left over in the living room.
“Sobra tiempo antes de salir.” — There is time left over before leaving.
“Sobra dinero a fin de mes.” — There is money left over at the end of the month.
“Sobra comida después de la cena.” — There is food left over after dinner.
“Sobran tres sillas en el salón.” — There are three chairs left over in the living room.
“Sobra tiempo antes de salir.” — There is time left over before leaving.
“Sobra dinero a fin de mes.” — There is money left over at the end of the month.
Common mistakes with sobrar 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: “Yo sobro comida después de la cena.” Right: “Sobra comida después de la cena.” Why: With sobrar, the thing is the subject, not the person: sobra is the form that agrees with comida después de la cena. A person cannot be the subject of this verb in this sense.
Wrong: “Yo sobrar tres sillas en el salón.” Right: “Sobran tres sillas en el salón.” Why: The infinitive sobrar cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with tres sillas en el salón, giving sobran.
Wrong: “Ayer, sobran tres sillas en el salón.” Right: “Ayer, sobraron tres sillas en el salón.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to sobraron.
Wrong: “Sobra tres sillas en el salón.” Right: “Sobran tres sillas en el salón.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject: tres sillas en el salón needs sobran, not sobra.
Quiz: sobrar 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: “___ comida después de la cena.”
- (a) sobra
- (b) sobro
- (c) sobras
Answer: sobra — The él/ella/Ud. form of sobrar in the present is sobra.
2. Complete the sentence: “___ tres sillas en el salón.”
- (a) sobro
- (b) sobras
- (c) sobran
Answer: sobran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of sobrar in the present is sobran.
3. Complete the sentence: “___ tiempo antes de salir.”
- (a) sobras
- (b) sobra
- (c) sobro
Answer: sobra — The él/ella/Ud. form of sobrar in the present is sobra.
4. Complete the sentence: “___ dinero a fin de mes.”
- (a) sobra
- (b) sobro
- (c) sobras
Answer: sobra — The él/ella/Ud. form of sobrar in the present is sobra.
5. Complete the sentence: “___ comida después de la cena.”
- (a) sobro
- (b) sobras
- (c) sobra
Answer: sobra — The él/ella/Ud. form of sobrar in the present is sobra.
6. Complete the sentence: “___ tres sillas en el salón.”
- (a) sobras
- (b) sobran
- (c) sobro
Answer: sobran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of sobrar in the present is sobran.
7. What does sobrar mean in English?
- (a) to be left over, to be too much
- (b) to be missing, its opposite
- (c) to exceed, to overtake
Answer: to be left over, to be too much — Sobrar means to be left over, to be too much.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Sobró comida después de la cena.
- (b) Sobrará comida después de la cena.
- (c) Sobra comida después de la cena.
Answer: Sobra comida después de la cena. — “Sobra comida después de la cena.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is sobrar regular in the present?
Yes. Sobrar is regular in the present: sobro, sobras, sobra, sobramos, sobráis and sobran. Watch the accents on the forms that carry them, and remember that the nosotros form is the one that keeps the stem unchanged.
What is the gerund and the past participle of sobrar?
The gerund is sobrando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy sobrando. The past participle is sobrado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he sobrado.
What should I watch out for with sobrar?
Sobrar agrees with the thing left over: sobra comida, sobran tres sillas. The subject comes after the verb. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is sobra, because that form shows the pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise sobrar in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the sobrar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sobrar — every tense of sobrar in one place.
- Sobrar examples and quiz — more sentences with sobrar and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on sobrar and other verbs.