Sobrepasar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of sobrepasar — “to exceed, to overtake” 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 sobrepasar 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. Sobrepasar means to exceed or to overtake, and it covers exceeding a limit, a budget or a speed, and overtaking a car on the road: sobrepasar el límite, sobrepasar un camión. It is a fully regular -ar verb. To see it in a real sentence: Sobrepaso el límite de velocidad. — “I exceed the speed limit.”
Present tense conjugation table: sobrepasar
Every person of sobrepasar in the present tense. The gerund is sobrepasando and the past participle is sobrepasado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sobrepaso |
| tú | sobrepasas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sobrepasa |
| nosotros/as | sobrepasamos |
| vosotros/as | sobrepasáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sobrepasan |
The gerund is sobrepasando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy sobrepasando” means the action of sobrepasar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is sobrepasado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he sobrepasado” 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 sobrepasar is used.
How the present of sobrepasar is formed
The present of sobrepasar is built from the stem sobrepas 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 | sobrepaso |
| tú | -as | sobrepasas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | sobrepasa |
| nosotros/as | -amos | sobrepasamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | sobrepasáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | sobrepasan |
sobrepasar is a regular -ar verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is sobrepas 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 sobrepasar is sobrepasando and the past participle is sobrepasado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of sobrepasar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use sobrepasar 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 sobrepasar 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 sobrepasar is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Sobrepaso el límite de velocidad.” — I exceed the speed limit.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what sobrepasar 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: “Sobrepasa el presupuesto del proyecto.” — He/she exceeds the project budget.
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: “Sobrepaso un camión en la carretera.” — I exceed a lorry on the road.
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 sobrepasar follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros sobrepasamos las expectativas de todos.” — Tomorrow, we exceed everyone's expectations.
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: “¿Sobrepasas el presupuesto del proyecto?” — Do you exceed the project budget?
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: “Sobrepaso el límite de velocidad.” — I exceed the speed limit.
Preterite: “Sobrepasé el límite de velocidad.” — I exceeded the speed limit.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Sobrepasa el presupuesto del proyecto.” — He/she exceeds the project budget.
Preterite: “Sobrepasó el presupuesto del proyecto.” — He/she exceeded the project budget.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Sobrepasamos un camión en la carretera.” — We exceed a lorry on the road.
Preterite: “Sobrepasamos un camión en la carretera.” — We exceeded a lorry on the road.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: sobrepasar 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.
“Sobrepaso el límite de velocidad.” — I exceed the speed limit.
“Sobrepasas el presupuesto del proyecto.” — You exceed the project budget.
“Sobrepasa un camión en la carretera.” — He/she exceeds a lorry on the road.
“Sobrepasamos las expectativas de todos.” — We exceed everyone's expectations.
“Sobrepasáis el límite de velocidad.” — You exceed the speed limit.
“Sobrepasan el presupuesto del proyecto.” — They exceed the project budget.
“Sobrepaso un camión en la carretera.” — I exceed a lorry on the road.
“Sobrepasa las expectativas de todos.” — He/she exceeds everyone's expectations.
Common mistakes with sobrepasar 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 sobrepasa el límite de velocidad.” Right: “Yo sobrepaso el límite de velocidad.” Why: Yo needs the yo form sobrepaso. The form sobrepasa belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo sobrepasar el presupuesto del proyecto.” Right: “Yo sobrepaso el presupuesto del proyecto.” Why: The infinitive sobrepasar cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving sobrepaso.
Wrong: “Ayer yo sobrepaso el presupuesto del proyecto.” Right: “Ayer yo sobrepasé el presupuesto del proyecto.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to sobrepasé.
Wrong: “Ellos sobrepasa el presupuesto del proyecto.” Right: “Ellos sobrepasan el presupuesto del proyecto.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form sobrepasan. The singular sobrepasa belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: sobrepasar 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 límite de velocidad.”
- (a) sobrepaso
- (b) sobrepasas
- (c) sobrepasa
Answer: sobrepaso — The yo form of sobrepasar in the present is sobrepaso.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el presupuesto del proyecto.”
- (a) sobrepaso
- (b) sobrepasa
- (c) sobrepasas
Answer: sobrepasas — The tú form of sobrepasar in the present is sobrepasas.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ un camión en la carretera.”
- (a) sobrepasas
- (b) sobrepasa
- (c) sobrepaso
Answer: sobrepasa — The él/ella form of sobrepasar in the present is sobrepasa.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ las expectativas de todos.”
- (a) sobrepasamos
- (b) sobrepaso
- (c) sobrepasas
Answer: sobrepasamos — The nosotros/as form of sobrepasar in the present is sobrepasamos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ el límite de velocidad.”
- (a) sobrepaso
- (b) sobrepasas
- (c) sobrepasáis
Answer: sobrepasáis — The vosotros/as form of sobrepasar in the present is sobrepasáis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ el presupuesto del proyecto.”
- (a) sobrepasas
- (b) sobrepasan
- (c) sobrepaso
Answer: sobrepasan — The ellos/ellas form of sobrepasar in the present is sobrepasan.
7. What does sobrepasar mean in English?
- (a) to exceed, to overtake
- (b) to overcome, to exceed
- (c) to be about
Answer: to exceed, to overtake — Sobrepasar means to exceed, to overtake.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Sobrepasé el límite de velocidad.
- (b) Sobrepasaré el límite de velocidad.
- (c) Sobrepaso el límite de velocidad.
Answer: Sobrepaso el límite de velocidad. — “Sobrepaso el límite de velocidad.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is sobrepasar regular in the present?
Yes. Sobrepasar is regular in the present: sobrepaso, sobrepasas, sobrepasa, sobrepasamos, sobrepasáis and sobrepasan. 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 sobrepasar?
The gerund is sobrepasando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy sobrepasando. The past participle is sobrepasado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he sobrepasado.
What should I watch out for with sobrepasar?
Sobrepasar is fully regular: sobrepasé, sobrepasaba, sobrepasaré. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is sobrepaso, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise sobrepasar in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the sobrepasar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sobrepasar — every tense of sobrepasar in one place.
- Sobrepasar examples and quiz — more sentences with sobrepasar 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 sobrepasar and other verbs.