Introduction

sobresalir means “to stand out”, and this page covers exactly one thing: sobresalir 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 sobresalir, 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 sobresalir in the present. For example: “Yo sobresalgo en el equipo todos los días.” — “I stand out in the team.” Everything on this page uses the forms of sobresalir exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

sobresalir in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo sobresalgo
tú sobresales
él/ella/Ud. sobresale
nosotros/as sobresalimos
vosotros/as sobresalís
ellos/ellas/Uds. sobresalen

Gerund: sobresaliendo · Past participle: sobresalido

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

How the present of sobresalir is formed

sobresalir is a -ir verb. Take the stem sobresal and add the present endings for -ir verbs: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en, giving sobresalgo, sobresales, sobresale, sobresalimos, sobresalís and sobresalen. But sobresalir is irregular in the present: the forms in the table do not all follow from the infinitive, so memorise them as they are written above. The él form, sobresale, shows the irregularity most clearly.

The present of sobresalir rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form sobresalgo 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 sobresalimos and the ellos form sobresalen 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 sobresalir

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use sobresalir 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

sobresalir in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about in the team is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo sobresalgo en el equipo cada día.” — “I stand out in the team.”

2. A fact or general truth

General truths about in the team also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él sobresale en el equipo siempre.” — “He stands out in the team.”

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 sobresalimos en el equipo ahora mismo.” — “We stand out in the team.”

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 sobresalen en el equipo mañana.” — “They stand out in the team.”

5. Instructions and explanations

When you explain how something works — how to talk about in the team — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú sobresales en el equipo normalmente.” — “you stand out in the team.”

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 sobresalgo en el equipo cada día.” — “I stand out in the team.”

  • Preterite: “Yo sobresalí en el equipo ayer.” — “I stood out in the team.”

  • 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 sobresale en el equipo siempre.” — “He stands out in the team.”

  • Preterite: “Él sobresalió en el equipo ayer.” — “He stood out in the team.”

  • 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 sobresalimos en el equipo todos los días.” — “We stand out in the team.”

  • Preterite: “Nosotros sobresalimos en el equipo ayer.” — “We stood out in the team.”

  • 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: sobresalir 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 sobresalgo en el equipo cada día.” — “I stand out in the team.”
  2. “Tú sobresales en el equipo cada día.” — “you stand out in the team.”
  3. “Él sobresale en el equipo siempre.” — “He stands out in the team.”
  4. “Nosotros sobresalimos en el equipo todos los días.” — “We stand out in the team.”
  5. “Vosotros sobresalís en el equipo cada semana.” — “You stand out in the team.”
  6. “Ellos sobresalen en el equipo normalmente.” — “They stand out in the team.”
  7. “Yo sobresalgo en el equipo ahora mismo.” — “I stand out in the team.”
  8. “Él sobresale en el equipo cada día.” — “He stands out in the team.”

Common mistakes

Using the unchanged stem

Learners often write sobresalo for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is sobresalgo. Because sobresalir changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo sobresalgo en el equipo — until the changed stem feels natural.

Confusing sobresalir with equivaler

sobresalir and equivaler 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 sobresalir — stand out — the sentence needs sobresalir; if it needs the meaning of equivaler, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo sobresalga en el equipo. Using the indicative — Espero que yo sobresalgo — is one of the most frequent learner errors with sobresalir. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Using the unchanged stem

Learners often write sobresalo for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is sobresalgo. Because sobresalir changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo sobresalgo en el equipo — until the changed stem feels natural.

Using the wrong tense for sobresalir

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 sobresalir in the present tense?

  • A. sobresales
  • B. sobresale
  • C. sobresalimos
  • D. sobresalgo

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

  • A. sobresales
  • B. sobresalgo
  • C. sobresale
  • D. sobresalimos

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

  • A. sobresalimos
  • B. sobresale
  • C. sobresalgo
  • D. sobresales

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

  • A. sobresales
  • B. sobresale
  • C. sobresalimos
  • D. sobresalgo

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

  • A. sobresalgo
  • B. sobresales
  • C. sobresale
  • D. sobresalís

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

  • A. sobresalen
  • B. sobresalgo
  • C. sobresales
  • D. sobresale

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

  • A. sobresalimos
  • B. sobresalgo
  • C. sobresales
  • D. sobresale

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

  • A. sobresales
  • B. sobresalimos
  • C. sobresale
  • D. sobresalgo

Answer key

  1. sobresalgo — The present table gives yo = sobresalgo.
  2. sobresales — The present table gives tu = sobresales.
  3. sobresale — The present table gives el = sobresale.
  4. sobresalimos — The present table gives nosotros = sobresalimos.
  5. sobresalís — The present table gives vosotros = sobresalís.
  6. sobresalen — The present table gives ellos = sobresalen.
  7. sobresalgo — The present table gives yo = sobresalgo.
  8. sobresale — The present table gives el = sobresale.

Frequently asked questions

How do you form the present of sobresalir?

Take the stem sobresal and add the present endings for -ir verbs. The six forms are sobresalgo, sobresales, sobresale, sobresalimos, sobresalís and sobresalen. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.

When should I use the present of sobresalir?

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 sobresalir?

The present form for yo is sobresalgo and the preterite form is sobresalí — 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 sobresalir regular in the present?

No — sobresalir is irregular in the present, so learn the six forms in the table as a set. The full conjugation of sobresalir is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.

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