Sumar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of sumar — “to add up” 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 sumar 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. Sumar means to add up or to add, and it is used for numbers, points, years and efforts: sumar dos y dos, sumar puntos en el juego. It is a fully regular -ar verb, and it is the opposite of restar in maths. To see it in a real sentence: Sumo dos y dos en clase. — “I add two and two in class.”
Present tense conjugation table: sumar
Every person of sumar in the present tense. The gerund is sumando and the past participle is sumado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sumo |
| tú | sumas |
| él/ella/Ud. | suma |
| nosotros/as | sumamos |
| vosotros/as | sumáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suman |
The gerund is sumando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy sumando” means the action of sumar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is sumado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he sumado” 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 sumar is used.
How the present of sumar is formed
The present of sumar is built from the stem sum 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 | sumo |
| tú | -as | sumas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | suma |
| nosotros/as | -amos | sumamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | sumáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | suman |
sumar is a regular -ar verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is sum 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 sumar is sumando and the past participle is sumado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of sumar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use sumar 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 sumar 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 sumar is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Sumo dos y dos en clase.” — I add two and two in class.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what sumar 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: “Suma puntos en el juego.” — He/she adds points in the game.
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: “Sumo los gastos del mes.” — I add the month's expenses.
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 sumar follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros sumamos años de experiencia.” — Tomorrow, we add years of experience.
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: “¿Sumas puntos en el juego?” — Do you add points in the game?
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: “Sumo dos y dos en clase.” — I add two and two in class.
Preterite: “Sumé dos y dos en clase.” — I added two and two in class.
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: “Suma puntos en el juego.” — He/she adds points in the game.
Preterite: “Sumó puntos en el juego.” — He/she added points in the game.
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: “Sumamos los gastos del mes.” — We add the month's expenses.
Preterite: “Sumamos los gastos del mes.” — We added the month's expenses.
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: sumar 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.
“Sumo dos y dos en clase.” — I add two and two in class.
“Sumas puntos en el juego.” — You add points in the game.
“Suma los gastos del mes.” — He/she adds the month's expenses.
“Sumamos años de experiencia.” — We add years of experience.
“Sumáis dos y dos en clase.” — You add two and two in class.
“Suman puntos en el juego.” — They add points in the game.
“Sumo los gastos del mes.” — I add the month's expenses.
“Suma años de experiencia.” — He/she adds years of experience.
Common mistakes with sumar 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 suma dos y dos en clase.” Right: “Yo sumo dos y dos en clase.” Why: Yo needs the yo form sumo. The form suma belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo sumar puntos en el juego.” Right: “Yo sumo puntos en el juego.” Why: The infinitive sumar cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving sumo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo sumo puntos en el juego.” Right: “Ayer yo sumé puntos en el juego.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to sumé.
Wrong: “Ellos suma puntos en el juego.” Right: “Ellos suman puntos en el juego.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form suman. The singular suma belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: sumar 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 ___ dos y dos en clase.”
- (a) sumo
- (b) sumas
- (c) suma
Answer: sumo — The yo form of sumar in the present is sumo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ puntos en el juego.”
- (a) sumo
- (b) suma
- (c) sumas
Answer: sumas — The tú form of sumar in the present is sumas.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ los gastos del mes.”
- (a) sumas
- (b) suma
- (c) sumo
Answer: suma — The él/ella form of sumar in the present is suma.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ años de experiencia.”
- (a) sumamos
- (b) sumo
- (c) sumas
Answer: sumamos — The nosotros/as form of sumar in the present is sumamos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ dos y dos en clase.”
- (a) sumo
- (b) sumas
- (c) sumáis
Answer: sumáis — The vosotros/as form of sumar in the present is sumáis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ puntos en el juego.”
- (a) sumas
- (b) suman
- (c) sumo
Answer: suman — The ellos/ellas form of sumar in the present is suman.
7. What does sumar mean in English?
- (a) to add up
- (b) to subtract, its opposite
- (c) to be about
Answer: to add up — Sumar means to add up.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Sumé dos y dos en clase.
- (b) Sumaré dos y dos en clase.
- (c) Sumo dos y dos en clase.
Answer: Sumo dos y dos en clase. — “Sumo dos y dos en clase.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is sumar regular in the present?
Yes. Sumar is regular in the present: sumo, sumas, suma, sumamos, sumáis and suman. 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 sumar?
The gerund is sumando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy sumando. The past participle is sumado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he sumado.
What should I watch out for with sumar?
Sumar is fully regular: sumé, sumaba, sumaré. In maths, sumar is to add and restar is to subtract. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is sumo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise sumar in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the sumar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sumar — every tense of sumar in one place.
- Sumar examples and quiz — more sentences with sumar 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 sumar and other verbs.