Superar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of superar — “to overcome, to exceed” 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 superar 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. Superar means to overcome or to exceed, and it covers overcoming a fear, passing an exam, beating a record and exceeding a limit: superar el miedo, superar el examen. It is a fully regular -ar verb. To see it in a real sentence: Supero el miedo a volar. — “I overcome fear of flying.”
Present tense conjugation table: superar
Every person of superar in the present tense. The gerund is superando and the past participle is superado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | supero |
| tú | superas |
| él/ella/Ud. | supera |
| nosotros/as | superamos |
| vosotros/as | superáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | superan |
The gerund is superando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy superando” means the action of superar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is superado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he superado” 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 superar is used.
How the present of superar is formed
The present of superar is built from the stem super 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 | supero |
| tú | -as | superas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | supera |
| nosotros/as | -amos | superamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | superáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | superan |
superar is a regular -ar verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is super 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 superar is superando and the past participle is superado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of superar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use superar 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 superar 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 superar is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Supero el miedo a volar.” — I overcome fear of flying.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what superar 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: “Supera el examen de conducir.” — He/she overcomes the driving test.
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: “Supero el récord del año pasado.” — I overcome last year's record.
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 superar follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros superamos las dificultades del proyecto.” — Tomorrow, we overcome the project's difficulties.
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: “¿Superas el examen de conducir?” — Do you overcome the driving test?
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: “Supero el miedo a volar.” — I overcome fear of flying.
Preterite: “Superé el miedo a volar.” — I overcame fear of flying.
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: “Supera el examen de conducir.” — He/she overcomes the driving test.
Preterite: “Superó el examen de conducir.” — He/she overcame the driving test.
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: “Superamos el récord del año pasado.” — We overcome last year's record.
Preterite: “Superamos el récord del año pasado.” — We overcame last year's record.
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: superar 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.
“Supero el miedo a volar.” — I overcome fear of flying.
“Superas el examen de conducir.” — You overcome the driving test.
“Supera el récord del año pasado.” — He/she overcomes last year's record.
“Superamos las dificultades del proyecto.” — We overcome the project's difficulties.
“Superáis el miedo a volar.” — You overcome fear of flying.
“Superan el examen de conducir.” — They overcome the driving test.
“Supero el récord del año pasado.” — I overcome last year's record.
“Supera las dificultades del proyecto.” — He/she overcomes the project's difficulties.
Common mistakes with superar 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 supera el miedo a volar.” Right: “Yo supero el miedo a volar.” Why: Yo needs the yo form supero. The form supera belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo superar el examen de conducir.” Right: “Yo supero el examen de conducir.” Why: The infinitive superar cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving supero.
Wrong: “Ayer yo supero el examen de conducir.” Right: “Ayer yo superé el examen de conducir.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to superé.
Wrong: “Ellos supera el examen de conducir.” Right: “Ellos superan el examen de conducir.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form superan. The singular supera belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: superar 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 miedo a volar.”
- (a) supero
- (b) superas
- (c) supera
Answer: supero — The yo form of superar in the present is supero.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el examen de conducir.”
- (a) supero
- (b) supera
- (c) superas
Answer: superas — The tú form of superar in the present is superas.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ el récord del año pasado.”
- (a) superas
- (b) supera
- (c) supero
Answer: supera — The él/ella form of superar in the present is supera.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ las dificultades del proyecto.”
- (a) superamos
- (b) supero
- (c) superas
Answer: superamos — The nosotros/as form of superar in the present is superamos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ el miedo a volar.”
- (a) supero
- (b) superas
- (c) superáis
Answer: superáis — The vosotros/as form of superar in the present is superáis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ el examen de conducir.”
- (a) superas
- (b) superan
- (c) supero
Answer: superan — The ellos/ellas form of superar in the present is superan.
7. What does superar mean in English?
- (a) to overcome, to exceed
- (b) to defeat, to beat
- (c) to be about
Answer: to overcome, to exceed — Superar means to overcome, to exceed.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Superé el miedo a volar.
- (b) Superaré el miedo a volar.
- (c) Supero el miedo a volar.
Answer: Supero el miedo a volar. — “Supero el miedo a volar.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is superar regular in the present?
Yes. Superar is regular in the present: supero, superas, supera, superamos, superáis and superan. 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 superar?
The gerund is superando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy superando. The past participle is superado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he superado.
What should I watch out for with superar?
Superar is fully regular: superé, superaba, superaré. Superar el examen is to pass it. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is supero, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise superar in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the superar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of superar — every tense of superar in one place.
- Superar examples and quiz — more sentences with superar 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 superar and other verbs.