estafar Present Conjugation
estafar — to scam
The present tense of estafar (estafo, estafas, estafa, etc.) describes habitual or current scams.
estafar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to talk about scams that happen regularly, are happening right now, or are general truths. For example, 'He scams people online' or 'Scammers are everywhere.'
Notes on estafar in the Present
Estafar is a regular -ar verb and is completely regular in the present indicative tense. The stem 'estaf-' is used with standard present tense endings (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an).
Example Sentences
Mi vecino estafa a turistas.
My neighbor scams tourists.
él/ella/usted
Ahora mismo, te están intentando estafar.
Right now, they are trying to scam you.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Yo nunca estafaría a nadie.
I would never scam anyone.
yo
¿Estafas a tus amigos?
Do you scam your friends?
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the present tense for a single past event.
Correct: For a completed scam in the past, use the preterite: 'él estafó'.
Why: The present tense is for ongoing or habitual actions, not finished past events.
Mistake: Confusing the 'nosotros' form.
Correct: The correct present indicative 'nosotros' form is 'estafamos'.
Why: This form is identical to the preterite 'nosotros' form, so context is key to understanding whether it refers to a current action or a completed one.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: estafé
The preterite of estafar is regular: estafé, estafaste, estafó, estafamos, estafasteis, estafaron.
Imperfect
yo: estafaba
The imperfect of estafar (estafaba) describes habitual or ongoing past scams.
Future
yo: estafaré
The future tense of estafar (estafaré, estafarás, etc.) predicts or speculates about future scams.
Conditional
yo: estafaría
The conditional of estafar (estafaría, estafarías, etc.) is used for hypotheticals and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: estafe
The present subjunctive of estafar (estofe, estafes, etc.) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: estafara
The imperfect subjunctive of estafar (estafara/estafase) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: estafa
The imperative of estafar is mostly regular, with commands like 'estafa' (tú) and 'estafad' (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no estafes
Negative commands for estafar use the present subjunctive: no estafes (tú), no estafen (ustedes).