Sustituir Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of sustituir — “to substitute” 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 sustituir 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. Sustituir means to substitute or to replace, and it is used for replacing a player, a teacher, a part and an ingredient: sustituir a un jugador, sustituir el azúcar. It takes a for the person replaced and por for the replacement. It is a -uir verb: yo sustituyo, él sustituye. To see it in a real sentence: Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado. — “I substitute an injured player.”
Present tense conjugation table: sustituir
Every person of sustituir in the present tense. The gerund is sustituyendo and the past participle is sustituido.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sustituyo |
| tú | sustituyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | sustituye |
| nosotros/as | sustituimos |
| vosotros/as | sustituís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sustituyen |
The gerund is sustituyendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy sustituyendo” means the action of sustituir is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is sustituido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he sustituido” 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 sustituir is used.
How the present of sustituir is formed
The present of sustituir is built from the stem sustitu plus the present endings for -ir verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ir 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 | sustituyo |
| tú | -es | sustituyes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | sustituye |
| nosotros/as | -imos | sustituimos |
| vosotros/as | -ís | sustituís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | sustituyen |
sustituir is not fully regular in form: this verb is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is sustituyo and sustituye, and the gerund is sustituyendo. The endings in the table above are the regular -ir endings, so once you know the pattern, the whole tense follows. The forms that show the pattern most clearly are sustituyo and sustituye.
The gerund of sustituir is sustituyendo and the past participle is sustituido. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of sustituir
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use sustituir 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 sustituir 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 sustituir is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” — I substitute an injured player.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what sustituir 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: “Sustituye el azúcar por miel.” — He/she substitutes sugar with honey.
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: “Sustituyo al profesor enfermo.” — I substitute the ill teacher.
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 sustituir follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros sustituimos una pieza rota del coche.” — Tomorrow, we substitute a broken car part.
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: “¿Sustituyes el azúcar por miel?” — Do you substitute sugar with honey?
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: “Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” — I substitute an injured player.
Preterite: “Sustituí a un jugador lesionado.” — I substituted an injured player.
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: “Sustituye el azúcar por miel.” — He/she substitutes sugar with honey.
Preterite: “Sustituyó el azúcar por miel.” — He/she substituted sugar with honey.
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: “Sustituimos al profesor enfermo.” — We substitute the ill teacher.
Preterite: “Sustituimos al profesor enfermo.” — We substituted the ill teacher.
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: sustituir 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.
“Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” — I substitute an injured player.
“Sustituyes el azúcar por miel.” — You substitute sugar with honey.
“Sustituye al profesor enfermo.” — He/she substitutes the ill teacher.
“Sustituimos una pieza rota del coche.” — We substitute a broken car part.
“Sustituís a un jugador lesionado.” — You substitute an injured player.
“Sustituyen el azúcar por miel.” — They substitute sugar with honey.
“Sustituyo al profesor enfermo.” — I substitute the ill teacher.
“Sustituye una pieza rota del coche.” — He/she substitutes a broken car part.
Common mistakes with sustituir 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 sustituye a un jugador lesionado.” Right: “Yo sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” Why: Yo needs the yo form sustituyo. The form sustituye belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo sustituo el azúcar por miel.” Right: “Yo sustituyo el azúcar por miel.” Why: Sustituir is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is sustituyo and sustituye, and the gerund is sustituyendo, so the first-person present is sustituyo, not sustituo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo sustituyo el azúcar por miel.” Right: “Ayer yo sustituí el azúcar por miel.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to sustituí.
Wrong: “Ellos sustituye el azúcar por miel.” Right: “Ellos sustituyen el azúcar por miel.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form sustituyen. The singular sustituye belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: sustituir 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 ___ a un jugador lesionado.”
- (a) sustituyo
- (b) sustituyes
- (c) sustituye
Answer: sustituyo — The yo form of sustituir in the present is sustituyo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el azúcar por miel.”
- (a) sustituyo
- (b) sustituye
- (c) sustituyes
Answer: sustituyes — The tú form of sustituir in the present is sustituyes.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ al profesor enfermo.”
- (a) sustituyes
- (b) sustituye
- (c) sustituyo
Answer: sustituye — The él/ella form of sustituir in the present is sustituye.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ una pieza rota del coche.”
- (a) sustituimos
- (b) sustituyo
- (c) sustituyes
Answer: sustituimos — The nosotros/as form of sustituir in the present is sustituimos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ a un jugador lesionado.”
- (a) sustituyo
- (b) sustituyes
- (c) sustituís
Answer: sustituís — The vosotros/as form of sustituir in the present is sustituís.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ el azúcar por miel.”
- (a) sustituyes
- (b) sustituyen
- (c) sustituyo
Answer: sustituyen — The ellos/ellas form of sustituir in the present is sustituyen.
7. What does sustituir mean in English?
- (a) to substitute
- (b) to replace
- (c) to be about
Answer: to substitute — Sustituir means to substitute.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Sustituí a un jugador lesionado.
- (b) Sustituiré a un jugador lesionado.
- (c) Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.
Answer: Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado. — “Sustituyo a un jugador lesionado.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is sustituir regular in the present?
Sustituir is a spelling-change verb in the present: it is a -uir verb: the stem vowel i becomes y before a vowel ending, so the present is sustituyo and sustituye, and the gerund is sustituyendo. The endings are the regular -ir endings, so the table above follows the pattern exactly.
What is the gerund and the past participle of sustituir?
The gerund is sustituyendo, used with estar for the progressive: estoy sustituyendo. The past participle is sustituido, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he sustituido.
What should I watch out for with sustituir?
Sustituir takes a for who is replaced and por for the replacement: sustituyo a Juan por Pedro. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is sustituyo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise sustituir in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the sustituir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of sustituir — every tense of sustituir in one place.
- Sustituir examples and quiz — more sentences with sustituir 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 sustituir and other verbs.