Introduction
Usar means “to use”, and this page covers exactly one thing: usar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly, what is true in general, and what is happening right now. On this page you will find the full present table for usar, 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 usar in the present. Usar is the verb for using a thing: a phone, a computer, a tool. The thing used is the direct object, with no preposition. For example: “Yo uso el móvil todos los días.” — I use the mobile phone every day. Everything on this page uses the forms of usar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
Usar in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | uso |
| tú | usas |
| él/ella/Ud. | usa |
| nosotros/as | usamos |
| vosotros/as | usáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | usan |
Gerund: usando · Past participle: usado
The gerund is usando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy usando” means the action of usar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is usado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he usado” 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 usar is used.
How the present of usar is formed
Usar is a regular -ar verb, so the present follows the standard pattern with no surprises. Take the stem us (the infinitive without its -ar ending) and add the present endings: -o for yo, -as or -es for tú, -a or -e for él/ella/Ud., -amos / -emos / -imos for nosotros, -áis for vosotros, and -an or -en for ellos/ellas/Uds.. That gives you uso, usas, usa, usamos, usáis and usan. Because the verb is regular, once you know the stem and the six endings you can produce every form without memorising a list, and the same pattern works for every other regular -ar verb you learn.
When to use the present of usar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use usar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. Using a thing
Usar is the verb for using a thing: a phone, a computer, a tool. The thing used is the direct object, with no preposition. Example: “Yo uso el móvil todos los días.” — I use the mobile phone every day.
2. Using something for a purpose
Usar para + infinitive or noun means to use something for a purpose. The para marks what the thing is for. Example: “Mi padre usa el coche para ir al trabajo.” — My father uses the car to go to work.
3. Using something as something
Usar como + noun means to use something as something else. It is how you describe an improvised or alternative use. Example: “Nosotros usamos la mesa como escritorio.” — We use the table as a desk.
4. Habits and routines
The present tense is the tense of routine. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the natural choice, and usar is no exception. Use time expressions such as todos los días, siempre or cada semana to make the routine explicit. Example: “Yo uso el móvil todos los días.” — I use the mobile phone every day.
5. What is happening right now
The present also describes an action in progress at this very moment. Spanish often prefers the simple present where English would use the continuous form, so a sentence with usar in the present can mean both “I do this” and “I am doing this now”. Context tells the listener which one you mean. Example: “Nosotros usamos la mesa como escritorio.” — We use the table as a desk.
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, general truths and what is happening now, while the preterite describes one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the time frame — and with it, the tense. Notice how the present sentences use words such as todos los días or siempre, while the preterite sentences use ayer or la semana pasada. Those time words are your best clue when you are choosing a tense.
Present Tense: “Yo uso el móvil todos los días.” — I use the mobile phone every day.
Preterite: “Ayer yo usé el móvil todo el día.” — Yesterday I used the mobile phone all day.
Todos los días describes a routine, so the present is right; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite is right.
Present Tense: “Mi padre usa el coche para ir al trabajo siempre.” — My father always uses the car to go to work.
Preterite: “Mi padre usó el coche para ir al trabajo ayer.” — My father used the car to go to work yesterday.
Siempre signals a routine, so the present fits; ayer names one finished day, so the preterite fits.
Present Tense: “Yo uso el móvil todos los días.” — I use the mobile phone every day.
Preterite: “Ayer, yo usé el móvil todos los días.” — the same action, but finished yesterday instead of repeated as a habit.
The present sentence is true every day; the preterite sentence is true once, yesterday. That difference — routine versus one finished event — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: usar 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.
“Yo uso el móvil todos los días.” — I use the mobile phone every day.
“¿Tú usas el ordenador?” — Do you use the computer?
“Mi padre usa el coche para ir al trabajo.” — My father uses the car to go to work.
“Nosotros usamos la mesa como escritorio.” — We use the table as a desk.
“Vosotros usáis la bicicleta.” — You use the bicycle.
“Ellos usan el diccionario.” — They use the dictionary.
“Yo uso gafas para leer.” — I use glasses to read.
“El profesor usa la pizarra.” — The teacher uses the blackboard.
Common mistakes with usar 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 uso de el móvil.” Right: “Yo uso el móvil.” Why: Usar takes a direct object with no preposition: uso el móvil, not uso de el móvil. The de appears only in phrases such as 'uso un poco de crema', where it belongs to the quantity.
Wrong: “Ellos usa el diccionario.” Right: “Ellos usan el diccionario.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form usan. The singular usa belongs with él, ella or a singular noun such as el profesor.
Wrong: “Yo uso el móvil ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo usé el móvil todo el día.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to usé.
Wrong: “Nosotros usas la bicicleta.” Right: “Nosotros usamos la bicicleta.” Why: Nosotros needs usamos. The tú form usas belongs with tú.
Quiz: usar 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 móvil todos los días.” (I use the mobile phone every day.)
- (a) usas
- (b) usa
- (c) uso
Answer: uso — The yo form of usar in the present is uso. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ el ordenador?” (Do you use the computer?)
- (a) usa
- (b) usas
- (c) uso
Answer: usas — The tú form of usar in the present is usas. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
3. Complete the sentence: “Mi padre ______ el coche para ir al trabajo.” (My father uses the car to go to work.)
- (a) usa
- (b) uso
- (c) usas
Answer: usa — The él/ella/Ud. form of usar in the present is usa. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ la mesa como escritorio.” (We use the table as a desk.)
- (a) uso
- (b) usas
- (c) usamos
Answer: usamos — The nosotros/as form of usar in the present is usamos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.
5. What is the vosotros/as form of usar in the present?
- (a) usas
- (b) usáis
- (c) uso
Answer: usáis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes usáis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros usáis la bicicleta.” to fix it in your memory.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ el diccionario.” (They use the dictionary.)
- (a) uso
- (b) usas
- (c) usan
Answer: usan — The subject needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, which is usan.
7. Which is the correct yo form of usar in the present?
- (a) uso
- (b) usa
- (c) usan
Answer: uso — The yo form is uso. The other two options are the él/ella and ellos/ellas forms.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something that happens regularly?
- (a) Yo uso el móvil todos los días.
- (b) Ayer yo usé el móvil todo el día.
- (c) Ayer yo usé el móvil todo el día.
Answer: Yo uso el móvil todos los días. — “Yo uso el móvil todos los días.” describes something repeated, so it takes the present tense. The other two sentences describe single finished occasions in the past, not habits.
Frequently asked questions
Is usar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Usar is a regular -ar verb: the stem is us- and the present endings are -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis and -an. There are no stem changes, so the whole table follows the standard pattern.
Does usar take a preposition before what you use?
No. What you use is the direct object: 'Uso el móvil', 'Uso el diccionario'. Use para for a purpose ('Uso el coche para ir al trabajo') and como for an alternative use ('Uso la mesa como escritorio').
What is the difference between usar and utilizar?
The two are near-synonyms, and both mean to use. Utilizar is slightly more formal and more common in writing, while usar is the everyday choice. In most sentences they are interchangeable.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of usar — every tense of usar in one place.
- Usar examples and quiz — more sentences with usar 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 usar and other verbs.