percibir Present Conjugation
percibir — to perceive
Percibo, percibes, percibe, percibimos, percibís, perciben describe current perceptions or habitual noticing.
percibir Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense of 'percibir' for actions happening right now – what you or others are currently sensing or noticing. It's also used for habitual actions, meaning things you regularly perceive or notice, and for general truths about perception.
Notes on percibir in the Present
Percibir is a regular -ir verb in the present indicative. All its conjugations follow the standard pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo percibo un ligero aroma a café.
I perceive a light aroma of coffee.
yo
¿Percibes el frío que hace afuera?
Do you perceive the cold outside?
tú
El artista percibe el mundo de manera diferente.
The artist perceives the world differently.
él/ella/usted
Percibimos cambios sutiles en el clima.
We perceive subtle changes in the weather.
nosotros
Ellos perciben la tensión en la sala.
They perceive the tension in the room.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the present tense for a specific completed action in the past.
Correct: For a completed past action, use the preterite: 'Ayer percibí...' not 'Ayer percibo...'.
Why: The present tense refers to the current moment or habits, not finished past events.
Mistake: Confusing 'vosotros' form 'percibís' with 'ustedes' form 'perciben'.
Correct: 'Percibís' is for 'vosotros' (Spain, informal plural), 'perciben' is for 'ustedes' (Latin America, formal plural in Spain).
Why: These are distinct plural forms used in different regions or levels of formality.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: percibí
Percibí, percibiste, percibió, percibimos, percibisteis, percibieron mark completed actions of perceiving in the past.
Imperfect
yo: percibía
Percibía, percibías, etc. describe ongoing or habitual past perceptions.
Future
yo: percibiré
Percibiré, percibirás, etc. express certainty or probability about perceiving something in the future.
Conditional
yo: percibiría
Percibiría, percibirías, etc. express hypothetical perceptions ('would perceive').
Present Subjunctive
yo: perciba
Use perciba, percibas, etc. after wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: percibiera
Percibiera/percibieras/etc. are used for hypothetical past situations or ongoing past feelings/perceptions.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: percibe
Use percibe, perciba, percibamos, perciban, percibid for direct commands with percibir.
Negative Imperative
yo: no percibas
Use no percibas, no perciba, no percibamos, no perciban, no percibáis for negative commands with percibir.