congelar Present Conjugation
congelar — to freeze
Use 'congelo', 'congelas', 'congela' for current, habitual, or general freezing actions.
congelar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
The present tense is used for actions happening right now ('I am freezing these peas'), habitual actions ('I freeze vegetables every fall'), general truths ('Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius'), or even for future events if they are very near or scheduled.
Notes on congelar in the Present
Congelar is regular in the present indicative. The stem 'congel-' does not change, and it follows the standard -ar verb endings: congelo, congelas, congela, congelamos, congeláis, congelan.
Example Sentences
Yo congelo las sobras para no tirarlas.
I freeze the leftovers so as not to throw them away.
yo
¿Tú congelas la masa de pizza?
Do you freeze pizza dough?
tú
El frío congela el agua rápidamente.
The cold freezes the water quickly.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros congelamos las frutas de temporada.
We freeze seasonal fruits.
nosotros
Ellos congelan el pescado fresco.
They freeze fresh fish.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the present indicative when the subjunctive is needed (e.g., after 'espero que').
Correct: After expressions of hope or doubt, use the subjunctive: 'Espero que congele'.
Why: The subjunctive mood is required for subjective statements, while the indicative is for factual ones.
Mistake: Forgetting the 'vosotros' ending.
Correct: The correct form for 'vosotros' is 'congeláis'.
Why: Spanish verbs have unique endings for each person and number, and the vosotros form is often confused.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'congelar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: congelé
Use 'congelé', 'congelaste', 'congeló' for completed freezing actions in the past.
Imperfect
yo: congelaba
Use 'congelaba', 'congelabas' for ongoing or habitual past freezing actions.
Future
yo: congelaré
Use 'congelaré', 'congelarás' for actions that will happen in the future.
Conditional
yo: congelaría
Use 'congelaría' for hypothetical 'would' situations or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: congele
Use 'congele' and 'congelen' after wishes, doubts, and emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: congelara
Use 'congelara' or 'congelase' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: congela
Use imperative forms like 'congela' and 'congelen' for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no congeles
Use 'no congele(s)' etc. for negative commands, based on the present subjunctive.