Solicitar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of solicitar — “to request, to apply for” 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 solicitar 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. Solicitar means to request or to apply for, and it is the formal verb for asking for a job, a visa, a loan or permission: solicitar un empleo, solicitar un visado. It is a fully regular -ar verb, common in administration and work. To see it in a real sentence: Solicito un empleo en la empresa. — “I request a job at the company.”
Present tense conjugation table: solicitar
Every person of solicitar in the present tense. The gerund is solicitando and the past participle is solicitado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | solicito |
| tú | solicitas |
| él/ella/Ud. | solicita |
| nosotros/as | solicitamos |
| vosotros/as | solicitáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | solicitan |
The gerund is solicitando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy solicitando” means the action of solicitar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is solicitado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he solicitado” 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 solicitar is used.
How the present of solicitar is formed
The present of solicitar is built from the stem solicit 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 | solicito |
| tú | -as | solicitas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | solicita |
| nosotros/as | -amos | solicitamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | solicitáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | solicitan |
solicitar is a regular -ar verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is solicit 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 solicitar is solicitando and the past participle is solicitado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of solicitar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use solicitar 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 solicitar 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 solicitar is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Solicito un empleo en la empresa.” — I request a job at the company.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what solicitar 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: “Solicita un visado para viajar.” — He/she requests a visa to travel.
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: “Solicito un préstamo en el banco.” — I request a loan at the bank.
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 solicitar follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros solicitamos permiso para salir antes.” — Tomorrow, we request permission to leave early.
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: “¿Solicitas un visado para viajar?” — Do you request a visa to travel?
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: “Solicito un empleo en la empresa.” — I request a job at the company.
Preterite: “Solicité un empleo en la empresa.” — I requested a job at the company.
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: “Solicita un visado para viajar.” — He/she requests a visa to travel.
Preterite: “Solicitó un visado para viajar.” — He/she requested a visa to travel.
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: “Solicitamos un préstamo en el banco.” — We request a loan at the bank.
Preterite: “Solicitamos un préstamo en el banco.” — We requested a loan at the bank.
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: solicitar 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.
“Solicito un empleo en la empresa.” — I request a job at the company.
“Solicitas un visado para viajar.” — You request a visa to travel.
“Solicita un préstamo en el banco.” — He/she requests a loan at the bank.
“Solicitamos permiso para salir antes.” — We request permission to leave early.
“Solicitáis un empleo en la empresa.” — You request a job at the company.
“Solicitan un visado para viajar.” — They request a visa to travel.
“Solicito un préstamo en el banco.” — I request a loan at the bank.
“Solicita permiso para salir antes.” — He/she requests permission to leave early.
Common mistakes with solicitar 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 solicita un empleo en la empresa.” Right: “Yo solicito un empleo en la empresa.” Why: Yo needs the yo form solicito. The form solicita belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo solicitar un visado para viajar.” Right: “Yo solicito un visado para viajar.” Why: The infinitive solicitar cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving solicito.
Wrong: “Ayer yo solicito un visado para viajar.” Right: “Ayer yo solicité un visado para viajar.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to solicité.
Wrong: “Ellos solicita un visado para viajar.” Right: “Ellos solicitan un visado para viajar.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form solicitan. The singular solicita belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: solicitar 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 ___ un empleo en la empresa.”
- (a) solicito
- (b) solicitas
- (c) solicita
Answer: solicito — The yo form of solicitar in the present is solicito.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ un visado para viajar.”
- (a) solicito
- (b) solicita
- (c) solicitas
Answer: solicitas — The tú form of solicitar in the present is solicitas.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ un préstamo en el banco.”
- (a) solicitas
- (b) solicita
- (c) solicito
Answer: solicita — The él/ella form of solicitar in the present is solicita.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ permiso para salir antes.”
- (a) solicitamos
- (b) solicito
- (c) solicitas
Answer: solicitamos — The nosotros/as form of solicitar in the present is solicitamos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ un empleo en la empresa.”
- (a) solicito
- (b) solicitas
- (c) solicitáis
Answer: solicitáis — The vosotros/as form of solicitar in the present is solicitáis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ un visado para viajar.”
- (a) solicitas
- (b) solicitan
- (c) solicito
Answer: solicitan — The ellos/ellas form of solicitar in the present is solicitan.
7. What does solicitar mean in English?
- (a) to request, to apply for
- (b) to ask for
- (c) to be about
Answer: to request, to apply for — Solicitar means to request, to apply for.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Solicité un empleo en la empresa.
- (b) Solicitaré un empleo en la empresa.
- (c) Solicito un empleo en la empresa.
Answer: Solicito un empleo en la empresa. — “Solicito un empleo en la empresa.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is solicitar regular in the present?
Yes. Solicitar is regular in the present: solicito, solicitas, solicita, solicitamos, solicitáis and solicitan. 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 solicitar?
The gerund is solicitando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy solicitando. The past participle is solicitado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he solicitado.
What should I watch out for with solicitar?
Solicitar is fully regular: solicité, solicitaba, solicitaré. It is the formal way to say pedir. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is solicito, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise solicitar in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the solicitar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of solicitar — every tense of solicitar in one place.
- Solicitar examples and quiz — more sentences with solicitar 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 solicitar and other verbs.