Testificar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of testificar — “to testify” 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 testificar 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. Testificar means to testify, and it is the verb for giving evidence in court: testificar en el juicio, testificar contra el acusado. It takes en or contra. It is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is testifiqué and the subjunctive testifique. To see it in a real sentence: Testifico en el juicio del lunes. — “I testify in Monday's trial.”
Present tense conjugation table: testificar
Every person of testificar in the present tense. The gerund is testificando and the past participle is testificado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | testifico |
| tú | testificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | testifica |
| nosotros/as | testificamos |
| vosotros/as | testificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | testifican |
The gerund is testificando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy testificando” means the action of testificar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is testificado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he testificado” 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 testificar is used.
How the present of testificar is formed
The present of testificar is built from the stem testific 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 | testifico |
| tú | -as | testificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | testifica |
| nosotros/as | -amos | testificamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | testificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | testifican |
testificar is not fully regular in form: this verb is a -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is testifiqué and the present subjunctive is testifique. The endings in the table above are the regular -ar endings, so once you know the pattern, the whole tense follows. The forms that show the pattern most clearly are testifico and testifica.
The gerund of testificar is testificando and the past participle is testificado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of testificar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use testificar 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 testificar 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 testificar is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Testifico en el juicio del lunes.” — I testify in Monday's trial.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what testificar 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: “Testifica contra el acusado.” — He/she testifies against the accused.
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: “Testifico a favor de su amiga.” — I testify in favour of his friend.
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 testificar follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros testificamos ante el juez por la mañana.” — Tomorrow, we testify before the judge in the morning.
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: “¿Testificas contra el acusado?” — Do you testify against the accused?
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: “Testifico en el juicio del lunes.” — I testify in Monday's trial.
Preterite: “Testifiqué en el juicio del lunes.” — I testified in Monday's trial.
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: “Testifica contra el acusado.” — He/she testifies against the accused.
Preterite: “Testificó contra el acusado.” — He/she testified against the accused.
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: “Testificamos a favor de su amiga.” — We testify in favour of his friend.
Preterite: “Testificamos a favor de su amiga.” — We testified in favour of his friend.
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: testificar 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.
“Testifico en el juicio del lunes.” — I testify in Monday's trial.
“Testificas contra el acusado.” — You testify against the accused.
“Testifica a favor de su amiga.” — He/she testifies in favour of his friend.
“Testificamos ante el juez por la mañana.” — We testify before the judge in the morning.
“Testificáis en el juicio del lunes.” — You testify in Monday's trial.
“Testifican contra el acusado.” — They testify against the accused.
“Testifico a favor de su amiga.” — I testify in favour of his friend.
“Testifica ante el juez por la mañana.” — He/she testifies before the judge in the morning.
Common mistakes with testificar 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 testifica en el juicio del lunes.” Right: “Yo testifico en el juicio del lunes.” Why: Yo needs the yo form testifico. The form testifica belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo testificar contra el acusado.” Right: “Yo testifico contra el acusado.” Why: The infinitive testificar cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving testifico.
Wrong: “Ayer yo testifico contra el acusado.” Right: “Ayer yo testifiqué contra el acusado.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to testifiqué.
Wrong: “Ellos testifica contra el acusado.” Right: “Ellos testifican contra el acusado.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form testifican. The singular testifica belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: testificar 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 ___ en el juicio del lunes.”
- (a) testifico
- (b) testificas
- (c) testifica
Answer: testifico — The yo form of testificar in the present is testifico.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ contra el acusado.”
- (a) testifico
- (b) testifica
- (c) testificas
Answer: testificas — The tú form of testificar in the present is testificas.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ a favor de su amiga.”
- (a) testificas
- (b) testifica
- (c) testifico
Answer: testifica — The él/ella form of testificar in the present is testifica.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ ante el juez por la mañana.”
- (a) testificamos
- (b) testifico
- (c) testificas
Answer: testificamos — The nosotros/as form of testificar in the present is testificamos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ en el juicio del lunes.”
- (a) testifico
- (b) testificas
- (c) testificáis
Answer: testificáis — The vosotros/as form of testificar in the present is testificáis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ contra el acusado.”
- (a) testificas
- (b) testifican
- (c) testifico
Answer: testifican — The ellos/ellas form of testificar in the present is testifican.
7. What does testificar mean in English?
- (a) to testify
- (b) to declare, to state
- (c) to be about
Answer: to testify — Testificar means to testify.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Testifiqué en el juicio del lunes.
- (b) Testificaré en el juicio del lunes.
- (c) Testifico en el juicio del lunes.
Answer: Testifico en el juicio del lunes. — “Testifico en el juicio del lunes.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is testificar regular in the present?
Testificar is a spelling-change verb in the present: it is a -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is testifiqué and the present subjunctive is testifique. The endings are the regular -ar endings, so the table above follows the pattern exactly.
What is the gerund and the past participle of testificar?
The gerund is testificando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy testificando. The past participle is testificado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he testificado.
What should I watch out for with testificar?
Testificar is a -car verb: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is testifiqué and the subjunctive testifique. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is testifico, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise testificar in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the testificar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of testificar — every tense of testificar in one place.
- Testificar examples and quiz — more sentences with testificar 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 testificar and other verbs.