prender Present Conjugation
prender — to turn on
Use 'prendo', 'prendes', 'prende' for actions happening now or habitually, like 'I turn on the TV'.
prender Present Forms
When to Use the Present
The present tense is your go-to for actions happening right now, habitual actions, or general truths. You'll use it to say 'I turn on my computer every morning,' 'He is turning on the fan,' or 'The light turns on automatically.'
Notes on prender in the Present
Prender is a regular -er verb in the present indicative. The only slight irregularity is that the stem doesn't change (e.g., like 'entender' becoming 'entiendo'). All forms follow the standard conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo prendo la radio para escuchar las noticias.
I turn on the radio to listen to the news.
yo
¿Tú prendes el aire acondicionado cuando hace calor?
Do you turn on the air conditioning when it's hot?
tú
Ella prende el ordenador antes de empezar a trabajar.
She turns on the computer before starting to work.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros prendemos las luces al anochecer.
We turn on the lights at dusk.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'estar' + gerund for habitual actions: 'Yo estoy prendiendo la tele todos los días'.
Correct: Use the simple present for habits: 'Yo prendo la tele todos los días'.
Why: The present progressive ('estar' + gerund) is for actions happening *right now*, not for routines.
Mistake: Confusing 'prende' (él/ella/usted) with 'prende' (tú imperative).
Correct: The indicative is 'él/ella/usted prende', the command is 'tú prende'.
Why: They look the same but have different functions; context clarifies whether it's a statement or a command.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'prender' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: prendí
Use 'prendí', 'prendiste', 'prendió' for completed actions like 'I turned on the light'.
Imperfect
yo: prendía
Use 'prendía' for ongoing or habitual past actions, like 'I used to turn on'.
Future
yo: prenderé
Use 'prenderé', 'prenderás' for actions that will happen, like 'I will turn on'.
Conditional
yo: prendería
Use 'prendería' for hypothetical situations, like 'I would turn on'.
Present Subjunctive
yo: prenda
Use 'prenda' for wishes, doubts, or emotions, like 'I hope you turn on'.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: prendiera
Use 'prendiera' or 'prendiera' for past hypotheticals or wishes, like 'if I turned on'.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: prende
Use 'prende' for tú, 'prendan' for ustedes to command someone to turn something on.
Negative Imperative
yo: no prendas
Use 'no prendas' for tú, 'no prendan' for ustedes to forbid someone from turning something on.