Introduction

Zurcir means “to darn”, and this page covers exactly one thing: zurcir 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 zurcir, 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 zurcir in the present. Zurcir in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo zurzo los calcetines” — "I darn the socks". Everything on this page uses the forms of zurcir exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Zurcir in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo zurzo
tú zurces
él/ella/Ud. zurce
nosotros/as zurcimos
vosotros/as zurcís
ellos/ellas/Uds. zurcen

Gerund: zurciendo · Past participle: zurcido

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

How the present of zurcir is formed

Zurcir is a spelling-changing -ir (c → z before o/a) verb in the present. Take the stem zurc and add the present endings for -ir verbs: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en, giving zurzo, zurces, zurce, zurcimos, zurcís, zurcen. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, zurcís, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The spelling change is the other thing to watch: the yo form is zurzo, with c changing to z before o, and the same z spelling appears in the present subjunctive. The other persons keep the plain stem: zurces, zurce, zurcimos. The present of zurcir is regular in its endings, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form zurcís carries a written accent. Second, the yo form zurzo is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of zurcir

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use zurcir 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, zurcir goes in the present. Example: “Yo zurzo la camisa” — "I darn the shirt".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about zurcir does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él zurce con aguja e hilo” — "He darns with needle and thread".

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 zurzo can mean both "I darn" and "I am darning". Example: “Yo zurzo los calcetines” — "I darn the socks".

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 zurcimos la camisa” — "We darn the shirt".

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 zurcir just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él zurce con aguja e hilo” — "He darns with needle and thread".

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 zurzo los calcetines” — "I darn the socks".

  • Preterite: “Yo zurcí los calcetines” — "I darned the socks".

  • 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 zurce la camisa” — "He darns the shirt".

  • Preterite: “Él zurció la camisa” — "He darned the shirt".

  • 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 zurcimos con aguja e hilo” — "We darn with needle and thread".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros zurcimos con aguja e hilo” — "We darned with needle and thread".

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

Example sentences: zurcir 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 zurzo la camisa” — "I darn the shirt"

  2. “Tú zurces con aguja e hilo” — "You darn with needle and thread"

  3. “Él zurce los calcetines” — "He darns the socks"

  4. “Nosotros zurcimos la camisa” — "We darn the shirt"

  5. “Vosotros zurcís con aguja e hilo” — "You darn with needle and thread"

  6. “Ellos zurcen los calcetines” — "They darn the socks"

  7. “Yo zurzo la camisa” — "I darn the shirt"

  8. “Él zurce con aguja e hilo” — "He darns with needle and thread"

Common mistakes with zurcir 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 zurce los calcetines” Right: “Ellos zurcen los calcetines” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form zurcen. The singular zurce belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

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

  • Wrong: “Yo zurce los calcetines.” Right: “Yo zurzo los calcetines” Why: Yo needs the yo form zurzo. The él form zurce belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

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

Quiz: zurcir 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 ___ con aguja e hilo.” (yo form)

A. zurzo B. zurces C. zurce D. zurcís

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ los calcetines.” (tú form)

A. zurces B. zurcimos C. zurcís D. zurcen

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

A. zurce B. zurcimos C. zurcen D. zurces

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ con aguja e hilo.” (nosotros/as form)

A. zurces B. zurcimos C. zurce D. zurzo

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

A. zurcimos B. zurce C. zurcís D. zurcen

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

A. zurcimos B. zurcís C. zurce D. zurcen

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 zurzo B. Todos los días, yo zurcí

Answer key

  1. zurzo — The yo present of zurcir is zurzo.
  2. zurces — The tú present of zurcir is zurces.
  3. zurce — The él/ella/Ud. present of zurcir is zurce.
  4. zurcimos — The nosotros/as present of zurcir is zurcimos.
  5. zurcís — The vosotros/as present of zurcir is zurcís.
  6. zurcen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of zurcir is zurcen.
  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 zurzo — 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 zurcir?

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

How is the present of zurcir formed?

Take the stem zurc- and add the present endings for -ir verbs (-o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en), giving zurzo, zurces, zurce, zurcimos, zurcís, zurcen.

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

The present (zurzo) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (zurcí) 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 zurcir in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — zurzo, zurces, zurce, zurcimos, zurcís, zurcen — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the zurcir examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of zurcir when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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