pillar Present Conjugation
pillar — to catch
Pillo, pillas, pilla, pillamos, pilláis, pillan are the 'to catch' forms for now or habits.
pillar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense of 'pillar' for actions happening right now, habitual actions, or general truths. For example, 'Siempre pillo el primer tren' means 'I always catch the first train'.
Notes on pillar in the Present
Pillar is regular in the present indicative. All forms follow the standard -ar verb conjugation.
Example Sentences
Yo pillo la indirecta.
I get the hint.
yo
¿Pillas tú el autobús de las ocho?
Do you catch the eight o'clock bus?
tú
Ella pilla muchos resfriados en invierno.
She catches many colds in winter.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros pillamos el mensaje.
We get the message.
nosotros
Ellos pillan el concepto rápidamente.
They grasp the concept quickly.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'pillar' (infinitive) instead of conjugating for the present tense.
Correct: Always conjugate 'pillar' based on the subject: 'pillo', 'pillas', 'pilla', etc.
Why: The infinitive is the base form and needs to be changed to match who is performing the action.
Mistake: Confusing 'pilla' (él/ella/usted) with 'pilla' (imperative tú).
Correct: The form is the same, but context clarifies. 'Él pilla' is a statement, '¡Pilla!' is a command.
Why: This is a common point of confusion due to identical forms.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: pillé
Pillé, pillaste, pilló, pillamos, pillasteis, pillaron are the completed past actions for 'pillar'.
Imperfect
yo: pillaba
Pillaba, pillabas, pillaba, pillábamos, pillabais, pillaban describe past ongoing or habitual actions for 'pillar'.
Future
yo: pillaré
Pillaré, pillarás, pillará, pillaremos, pillaréis, pillarán are the future 'will catch' forms.
Conditional
yo: pillaría
Pillaría, pillarías, pillaría, pillaríamos, pillaríais, pillarían express 'would catch' hypotheticals.
Present Subjunctive
yo: pille
The present subjunctive of pillar (pille, pilles, pille, pillemos, pillen, pillen) is for wishes, doubts, and emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: pillara
The imperfect subjunctive of pillar (pillara/pillase) is for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: pilla
Pilla, pillad, pille, pillemos, pillen are the commands for 'pillar'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no pilles
Don't catch: no pilles, no pilléis, no pille, no pillemos, no pillen.