Did you know that the Spanish present tense can be used to talk about events that happened in the past or will happen in the future? This flexibility makes the present tense one of the most versatile tools in Spanish grammar.
While we typically use the present tense to describe current actions and situations, Spanish speakers frequently employ it to refer to past and future events in specific contexts. This usage adds immediacy, emphasis, and dramatic effect to our speech and writing.
In this lesson, we'll explore how the present tense can transcend time boundaries, covering both retrospective and prospective uses that will help you sound more natural and expressive in Spanish.
Keep in mind that when Spanish uses the present tense to refer to past or future events, the English translation will sometimes use past or future tenses, as these are the natural choices in English. This is perfectly normal and helps you understand the time reference in context.
The present tense can effectively transport us back in time through two main forms: the historical present and the narrative present.
The historical present shifts the point of reference from the current moment to a past moment, making historical events feel immediate and vivid. This usage is particularly common in biographies, historical descriptions, academic writing, and news reports where recent events are presented with dramatic immediacy.
Lo siguiente fue lo que os he comentado al principio del vídeo: se declara el estado de alarma y el confinamiento durante dos semanas,
The following was what I said to you at the beginning of the video: the state of alarm and confinement are declared for two weeks,
Captions 65-66, El coronavirus Confinamiento en España - Part 1
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In the historical present, we describe past events as if they were happening right now:
Picasso pinta Las Señoritas de Avignon en 1907.
Picasso paints Les Demoiselles d'Avignon in 1907.
En 1519, Cortés desembarca en las costas mexicanas.
In 1519, Cortés lands on the Mexican coasts.
This technique creates a sense of immediacy and brings historical events to life for the reader or listener.
The narrative present is used as a stylistic resource in storytelling to describe past events with greater vividness and dramatic effect. It often appears mixed with other past tenses, creating contrast and emphasis. Here's how it works in casual storytelling:
Estaba durmiendo cuando de repente suena el teléfono.
I was sleeping when suddenly the phone rings.
Common expressions that introduce the narrative present include de repente (suddenly), entonces (then), and cuando (when), which mark sudden or unexpected changes in the story:
Pasa que yo estaba acá de casualidad, cuando de repente aparece la loba escapándose no sé de qué.
What happens is that I was here by chance, when suddenly this she-wolf appears, running away from who knows what.
Captions 87-88, Muñeca Brava 43 La reunión - Part 2
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The prospective present allows us to refer to future events, but unlike the simple future tense, it typically requires additional context to indicate when the action will occur.
The present tense adds certainty and firmness to future commitments:
Sí, sí, sí Pablito, dejame yo lo pienso y... yo... yo mañana te doy una respuesta.
Yes, yes, yes, Pablito, let me think about it, and... I... I'll give you an answer tomorrow.
Captions 30-31, Pablo Escobar, el patrón del mal Capítulo 1 - Part 13
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When describing planned events or situations we're certain will happen, the present tense emphasizes inevitability:
¡Este fin de semana tengo una presentación y mi papá por fin se va a dar cuenta de que está perdiendo el tiempo
This weekend, I have a performance, and my dad is finally going to realize that he's wasting his time,
Captions 67-68, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 13 - Part 6
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The present tense can create powerful threats by presenting future consequences as inevitable:
No, está acá a veinte cuadras. Acaba de llegar, y dice que si no vas ahora para el hotel, él se viene para acá.
No, he's twenty blocks away from here. He just got here, and he says if you don't go to the hotel right now, he's coming here.
Captions 8-9, Yago 14 La peruana - Part 12
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The present tense can express commands and instructions for future actions:
Mañana te levantas temprano, desayunas y sales corriendo.
Tomorrow you get up early, have breakfast, and leave running.
Primero compras los boletos y después me avisas.
First you buy the tickets and then you let me know.
Understanding these uses of the present tense will help you communicate more effectively and naturally in Spanish. The retrospective present brings stories and historical events to life, while the prospective present adds conviction and immediacy to future plans and commitments.
Remember that context is crucial—time expressions, situational cues, and discourse markers help listeners understand whether you're referring to past or future events. Practice incorporating these patterns into your Spanish conversations to sound more like a native speaker, and don't forget to send us your questions and comments.
Unfortunately, this year that is about to end wasn't the brightest. From the Ukraine war and the never-ending COVID-19 pandemic to global economic woes and the ongoing climate change crisis, this year's Word of the Year summarizes, in just six letters, all of these unfortunate events. With that being said, let's reveal Yabla's Spanish Word of the Year 2022.
The word crisis (with the same spelling as in English) is our Spanish Word of the Year 2022. Let's see how to pronounce this word in Spanish with a sentence we could easily apply to the present times:
Vivimos en tiempos de crisis.
We live in times of crisis.
Caption 3, Los Años Maravillosos Capítulo 2 - Part 1
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By the way, the word crisis in Spanish doesn't necessarily mean something negative, but rather a drastic change in a particular situation. However, for the context of this lesson, we are using the following definition from the Diccionario de la lengua española:
Situación mala o difícil (Bad or difficult situation)
Do you know what the plural of the word crisis is in Spanish? Let's find out with the following clip:
por las crisis que genera,
for the crises it generates,
Caption 40, De consumidor a persona Short Film - Part 6
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Yes, the plural of the Spanish word crisis is... crisis! Why? Because words that have the accent on the second-to-last syllable and end in "s" don't change in the plural. In addition to crisis, words like virus and apocalipsis also follow this rule. For more information about this topic, check out our lesson about Rules for Forming the Plural of Nouns in Spanish.
Considering the coverage that the war in Ukraine received this year, we were tempted to choose the word guerra (war) as our Spanish Word of the Year 2022. However, we opted for a word that takes into consideration all of the other problems affecting our world. Let's take a look at some of this year's runner-up terms.
Yo soy "antiguerra", no me gusta la guerra.
I'm "antiguerra" [antiwar], I don't like war.
Captions 52-53, Ana Carolina Prefijos y sufijos - Part 1
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creo que debido a la incertidumbre que teníamos todas las personas,
due, I think, to all of our uncertainty
Caption 46, El coronavirus Confinamiento en España - Part 1
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La inflación en América Latina será más alta que la media.
Inflation in Latin America will be higher than average
Durante la invasión francesa en mil ochocientos ocho,
During the French invasion in eighteen o-eight,
Caption 60, Marisa en Madrid Parque de El Retiro
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Did you notice anything? That was a lot of words that start with the letter i, which even appears twice in the word crisis! That said, i is definitely the Spanish letter of the year!
And that wraps up Yabla's Spanish Word of the Year for 2022. What do you think of our choice? Please feel free to share your comments and suggestions with us, and here's to hoping that 2023 will be a better year!
Don't you just want 2020 to be over? Without a doubt, this year has been quite challenging, especially due to everything that has occurred as the result of the coronavirus. In fact, 2020's Spanish Word of the Year is one of the terms most associated with this awful virus. Let's reveal this year's tragic winner.
Yes, pandemia (pandemic) is 2020's Spanish Word of the Year. Do we really have to explain why? Our friend Fermin sums it all up in a very simple phrase:
Esta maldita pandemia del coronavirus.
This damn coronavirus pandemic.
Caption 5, El coronavirus - Confinamiento en España - Part 1
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It is important to say, however, that in contrast to the English word "pandemic," which can function as both an adjective and a noun, in the Spanish language, pandemia is only a noun, whereas the adjective is pandémico / pandémica.
Most of the words on this list of runners-up for 2020 Spanish Word of the Year are associated with the coronavirus pandemic. However, at the end of this list, we have also included a word (a name, actually) that represents yet another of the many sad events that have occurred this year. Let's take a look.
Hoy les voy a contar sobre mi cuarentena en casa.
Today I'm going to tell you about my quarantine at home.
Caption 4, El coronavirus - La cuarentena en Ecuador
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Los tres primeros días del confinamiento
The first three days of confinement,
tuvimos sensaciones muy extrañas.
The first three days of confinement, we felt very strange feelings.
Captions 7-8, El coronavirus - Confinamiento en España - Part 2
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The Diccionario de la Lengua Española (DLE) states that the word desinfectante is an adjective. Let's see it in action:
La segunda tarea que realizo es rellenar el gel desinfectante,
The second task I perform is refilling the sanitizing gel,
que se encuentra ubicado en tres posiciones distintas:
which is found in three different locations:
Captions 16-17, Sergio - Socorrismo y COVID-19
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However, throughout Latin America, the word desfinfectante is also used as a noun:
También recuerda ocupar desinfectante para mano,
Also remember to use hand sanitizer
que tenga por lo menos unos [sic] sesenta por ciento de alcohol.
that has at least sixty percent alcohol.
Captions 16-17, El coronavirus - Cómo protegerse
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Las medidas sanitarias que utilizo son:
The sanitary measures that I use are:
la mascarilla y desinfectarme las manos.
the mask and sanitizing my hands.
Captions 12-13, Sergio - Socorrismo y COVID-19
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Y una gran crisis a nivel sanitario, económico y social.
And a great health, economic and social crisis.
Caption 60, El coronavirus - Introducción y vocabulario
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From Kobe Bryant to Sean Connery, this year, the world has lost some of its most beloved people. In fact, the Spanish-speaking world has lost one of its most iconic figures: Diego Armando Maradona, and the death of the football/soccer superstar has been deeply felt throughout the world.
Si yo fuera Maradona, nunca me equivocaría
If I were Maradona, I would never make a mistake
Si yo fuera Maradona, perdido en cualquier lugar
If I were Maradona, lost anywhere
La vida es una tómbola de noche y de día
Life is a raffle [lottery] by night and day
La vida es una tómbola y arriba y arriba
Life is a raffle and up and up
Captions 3-6, Manu Chao - La Vida Tómbola
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That's all for today. What do you think of the Spanish Word of the Year 2020? Do you agree with this choice? Can you think of a better word? Please, feel free to share with us your comments and suggestions, and let's hope 2021 brings us less tragedy and more joy.
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