obrar Present Conjugation
obrar — to act
The present tense of obrar is regular: obro, obras, obra, obramos, obráis, obran, used for current or habitual actions.
obrar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense of 'obrar' for actions happening right now, habitual actions, or general truths about how people act or work. 'Ella obra de manera muy eficiente' means 'She works very efficiently.'
Notes on obrar in the Present
Obrar is regular in the present indicative tense. All forms follow the standard -ar verb conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo obro según mis principios.
I act according to my principles.
yo
Tú obras con mucha habilidad.
You act with great skill.
tú
El equipo obra unido hacia la meta.
The team works united towards the goal.
él/ella/usted
Ellos obran para el bienestar común.
They work for the common good.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'obrar' (infinitive) instead of conjugating for the present tense.
Correct: Conjugate the verb according to the subject: 'yo obro', 'tú obras', etc.
Why: The infinitive is the base form and must be changed to match the person and number.
Mistake: Confusing 'obra' (él/ella/usted) with 'obra' (tú imperative).
Correct: Context is key. 'Él obra bien' (He acts well) vs. '¡Obra bien!' (Act well!).
Why: These forms are identical but have different grammatical functions.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: obré
The preterite of obrar is regular: obré, obraste, obró, obramos, obrasteis, obraron, used for completed past actions.
Imperfect
yo: obraba
The imperfect of obrar is regular: obraba, obrabas, obraba, obrábamos, obrabais, obraban, for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: obraré
The future tense of obrar is regular: obraré, obrarás, obrará, obraremos, obraréis, obrarán, for actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: obraría
The conditional of obrar is regular: obraría, obrarías, obraría, obraríamos, obraríais, obrarían, for hypotheticals and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: obre
The present subjunctive of obrar (obre, obres, obremos, obréis, obren) follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: obrara
The imperfect subjunctive of obrar (obrara/obrara) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: obra
Use the imperative of obrar for direct commands: obra (tú), obre (usted), obremos (nosotros), obrad (vosotros), obren (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no obres
Negative commands for obrar use the present subjunctive: no obres (tú), no obre (usted), no obremos (nosotros), no obréis (vosotros), no obren (ustedes).