coleccionar Present Conjugation
coleccionar — to collect
Current actions/habits: 'Yo colecciono' (I collect), 'Ellos coleccionan' (They collect).
coleccionar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense for actions happening right now, habitual actions, or general truths related to collecting. It's the most common tense for everyday descriptions.
Notes on coleccionar in the Present
Coleccionar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense. It follows the standard conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo colecciono vinilos de música clásica.
I collect classical music vinyl records.
yo
¿Tú coleccionas cómics?
Do you collect comics?
tú
Mi hermana colecciona tazas de diferentes países.
My sister collects mugs from different countries.
él/ella/usted
Ellos coleccionan sellos desde hace años.
They have been collecting stamps for years.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the present tense for an action that just finished.
Correct: For a recently completed action, the preterite is better: 'Coleccioné la figura ayer'.
Why: The present tense implies ongoing or habitual action, not a single completed event.
Mistake: Confusing 'coleccionamos' (present) with 'coleccionamos' (preterite).
Correct: Context is key: 'Nosotros coleccionamos sellos' (present, habit) vs. 'Ayer nosotros coleccionamos sellos' (preterite, completed action).
Why: The nosotros form in the present and preterite is identical, so the surrounding words or situation must clarify the timeframe.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'coleccionar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: coleccioné
Completed action: 'Yo coleccioné' (I collected), 'Ellos coleccionaron' (They collected).
Imperfect
yo: coleccionaba
Past ongoing/habitual actions: 'Yo coleccionaba' (I used to collect), 'Ellos coleccionaban' (They used to collect).
Future
yo: coleccionaré
Future actions: 'Yo coleccionaré' (I will collect), 'Ellos coleccionarán' (They will collect).
Conditional
yo: coleccionaría
Hypothetical/polite: 'Yo coleccionaría' (I would collect), 'Ellos coleccionarían' (They would collect).
Present Subjunctive
yo: coleccione
Present subjunctive: 'Espero que colecciones...' (I hope you collect...).
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: coleccionara
Past subjunctive: 'Si coleccionara...' (If I were to collect...).
Affirmative Imperative
yo: colecciona
Commands like '¡Colecciona!' or '¡Coleccionad!' for 'collect'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no colecciones
Negative commands: '¡No colecciones!' or '¡No coleccionen!' for 'don't collect'.