Introduction

Triturar means “to crush”, and this page covers exactly one thing: triturar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for triturar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about triturar in the present. Triturar in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo trituro las almendras” — "I crush the almonds". Everything on this page uses the forms of triturar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Triturar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo trituro
tú trituras
él/ella/Ud. tritura
nosotros/as trituramos
vosotros/as trituráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. trituran

Gerund: triturando · Past participle: triturado

The gerund is triturando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy triturando” means the action of triturar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is triturado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he triturado” 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 triturar is used.

How the present of triturar is formed

Triturar is a regular -ar verb in the present. Take the stem tritur and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving trituro, trituras, tritura, trituramos, trituráis, trituran. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, trituráis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The present of triturar is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form trituráis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form trituro is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of triturar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use triturar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, triturar goes in the present. Example: “Yo trituro el ajo” — "I crush the garlic".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about triturar does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él tritura las verduras” — "He crushes the vegetables".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so trituro can mean both "I crush" and "I am crushing". Example: “Yo trituro las almendras” — "I crush the almonds".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Nosotros trituramos el ajo” — "We crush the garlic".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with triturar just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él tritura las verduras” — "He crushes the vegetables".

Present Tense vs 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 regularly or what is happening now, 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 a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo trituro las almendras” — "I crush the almonds".

  • Preterite: “Yo trituré las almendras” — "I crushed the almonds".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él tritura el ajo” — "He crushes the garlic".

  • Preterite: “Él trituró el ajo” — "He crushed the garlic".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros trituramos las verduras” — "We crush the vegetables".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros trituramos las verduras” — "We crushed the vegetables".

  • The two sentences look identical: trituramos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: triturar 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.

  1. “Yo trituro el ajo” — "I crush the garlic"

  2. “Tú trituras las verduras” — "You crush the vegetables"

  3. “Él tritura las almendras” — "He crushes the almonds"

  4. “Nosotros trituramos el ajo” — "We crush the garlic"

  5. “Vosotros trituráis las verduras” — "You crush the vegetables"

  6. “Ellos trituran las almendras” — "They crush the almonds"

  7. “Yo trituro el ajo” — "I crush the garlic"

  8. “Él tritura las verduras” — "He crushes the vegetables"

Common mistakes with triturar 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: “Ellos tritura las almendras” Right: “Ellos trituran las almendras” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form trituran. The singular tritura belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo trituré” Right: “Todos los días, yo trituro” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (trituré) is for one finished action, not for routines.

  • Wrong: “Yo tritura las almendras.” Right: “Yo trituro las almendras” Why: Yo needs the yo form trituro. The él form tritura belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo trituro” Right: “Ayer, yo trituré” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to trituré.

Quiz: triturar 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 ___ las verduras.” (yo form)

A. tritura B. trituráis C. trituran D. trituro

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ las almendras.” (tú form)

A. trituran B. trituras C. tritura D. trituro

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ___ el ajo.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. trituran B. tritura C. trituro D. trituras

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ las verduras.” (nosotros/as form)

A. trituras B. trituran C. tritura D. trituramos

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ___ las almendras.” (vosotros/as form)

A. trituro B. tritura C. trituran D. trituráis

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ___ el ajo.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. tritura B. trituro C. trituran D. trituráis

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo trituro B. Todos los días, yo trituré

Answer key

  1. trituro — The yo present of triturar is trituro.
  2. trituras — The tú present of triturar is trituras.
  3. tritura — The él/ella/Ud. present of triturar is tritura.
  4. trituramos — The nosotros/as present of triturar is trituramos.
  5. trituráis — The vosotros/as present of triturar is trituráis.
  6. trituran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of triturar is trituran.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo trituro — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of triturar?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo trituro las almendras. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of triturar formed?

Take the stem tritur- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving trituro, trituras, tritura, trituramos, trituráis, trituran.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for triturar?

The present (trituro) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (trituré) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise triturar in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — trituro, trituras, tritura, trituramos, trituráis, trituran — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the triturar examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of triturar when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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