Tolerar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of tolerar — “to tolerate” 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 tolerar 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. Tolerar means to tolerate, and it is used for tolerating noise, heat, pain and other people's opinions: tolerar el ruido, tolerar las críticas. It is a fully regular -ar verb. To see it in a real sentence: Tolero el ruido de la obra. — “I tolerate the building-site noise.”
Present tense conjugation table: tolerar
Every person of tolerar in the present tense. The gerund is tolerando and the past participle is tolerado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | tolero |
| tú | toleras |
| él/ella/Ud. | tolera |
| nosotros/as | toleramos |
| vosotros/as | toleráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | toleran |
The gerund is tolerando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy tolerando” means the action of tolerar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is tolerado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he tolerado” 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 tolerar is used.
How the present of tolerar is formed
The present of tolerar is built from the stem toler 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 | tolero |
| tú | -as | toleras |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | tolera |
| nosotros/as | -amos | toleramos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | toleráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | toleran |
tolerar is a regular -ar verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is toler 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 tolerar is tolerando and the past participle is tolerado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of tolerar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use tolerar 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 tolerar 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 tolerar is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Tolero el ruido de la obra.” — I tolerate the building-site noise.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what tolerar 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: “Tolera el calor del verano.” — He/she tolerates the summer heat.
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: “Tolero las críticas en el trabajo.” — I tolerate criticism at work.
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 tolerar follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros toleramos a su vecino ruidoso.” — Tomorrow, we tolerate his noisy neighbour.
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: “¿Toleras el calor del verano?” — Do you tolerate the summer heat?
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: “Tolero el ruido de la obra.” — I tolerate the building-site noise.
Preterite: “Toleré el ruido de la obra.” — I tolerated the building-site noise.
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: “Tolera el calor del verano.” — He/she tolerates the summer heat.
Preterite: “Toleró el calor del verano.” — He/she tolerated the summer heat.
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: “Toleramos las críticas en el trabajo.” — We tolerate criticism at work.
Preterite: “Toleramos las críticas en el trabajo.” — We tolerated criticism at work.
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: tolerar 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.
“Tolero el ruido de la obra.” — I tolerate the building-site noise.
“Toleras el calor del verano.” — You tolerate the summer heat.
“Tolera las críticas en el trabajo.” — He/she tolerates criticism at work.
“Toleramos a su vecino ruidoso.” — We tolerate his noisy neighbour.
“Toleráis el ruido de la obra.” — You tolerate the building-site noise.
“Toleran el calor del verano.” — They tolerate the summer heat.
“Tolero las críticas en el trabajo.” — I tolerate criticism at work.
“Tolera a su vecino ruidoso.” — He/she tolerates his noisy neighbour.
Common mistakes with tolerar 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 tolera el ruido de la obra.” Right: “Yo tolero el ruido de la obra.” Why: Yo needs the yo form tolero. The form tolera belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo tolerar el calor del verano.” Right: “Yo tolero el calor del verano.” Why: The infinitive tolerar cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving tolero.
Wrong: “Ayer yo tolero el calor del verano.” Right: “Ayer yo toleré el calor del verano.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to toleré.
Wrong: “Ellos tolera el calor del verano.” Right: “Ellos toleran el calor del verano.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form toleran. The singular tolera belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: tolerar 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 ruido de la obra.”
- (a) tolero
- (b) toleras
- (c) tolera
Answer: tolero — The yo form of tolerar in the present is tolero.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el calor del verano.”
- (a) tolero
- (b) tolera
- (c) toleras
Answer: toleras — The tú form of tolerar in the present is toleras.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ las críticas en el trabajo.”
- (a) toleras
- (b) tolera
- (c) tolero
Answer: tolera — The él/ella form of tolerar in the present is tolera.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ a su vecino ruidoso.”
- (a) toleramos
- (b) tolero
- (c) toleras
Answer: toleramos — The nosotros/as form of tolerar in the present is toleramos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ el ruido de la obra.”
- (a) tolero
- (b) toleras
- (c) toleráis
Answer: toleráis — The vosotros/as form of tolerar in the present is toleráis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ el calor del verano.”
- (a) toleras
- (b) toleran
- (c) tolero
Answer: toleran — The ellos/ellas form of tolerar in the present is toleran.
7. What does tolerar mean in English?
- (a) to tolerate
- (b) to put up with
- (c) to be about
Answer: to tolerate — Tolerar means to tolerate.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Toleré el ruido de la obra.
- (b) Toleraré el ruido de la obra.
- (c) Tolero el ruido de la obra.
Answer: Tolero el ruido de la obra. — “Tolero el ruido de la obra.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is tolerar regular in the present?
Yes. Tolerar is regular in the present: tolero, toleras, tolera, toleramos, toleráis and toleran. 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 tolerar?
The gerund is tolerando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy tolerando. The past participle is tolerado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he tolerado.
What should I watch out for with tolerar?
Tolerar is fully regular: toleré, toleraba, toleraré. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is tolero, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise tolerar in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the tolerar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of tolerar — every tense of tolerar in one place.
- Tolerar examples and quiz — more sentences with tolerar 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 tolerar and other verbs.