vacilar Present Conjugation
vacilar — to tease
Use the present 'vacilo' (I tease), 'vacilas' (you tease), 'vacila' (he/she/you tease) for current teasing or habitual teasing.
vacilar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
The present tense is for actions happening right now ('Él me vacila ahora mismo') or for habits and general truths ('Mi hermano siempre me vacila'). It describes current states or recurring actions related to teasing.
Notes on vacilar in the Present
Vacilar is regular in the present tense. All conjugations follow the standard -ar pattern.
Example Sentences
Mi amigo siempre me vacila un poco.
My friend always teases me a little.
él/ella/usted
¿Por qué me vacilas tanto?
Why do you tease me so much?
tú
Nosotros vacilamos a nuestros compañeros.
We tease our colleagues.
nosotros
Ellos ahora se vacilan entre ellos.
They are teasing each other now.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the present progressive ('estar' + gerund) for habitual actions.
Correct: For habits, use the simple present: 'Siempre vacilo', not 'Siempre estoy vacilando'.
Why: The present progressive emphasizes an action in progress at this exact moment, while the simple present covers habits and general truths.
Mistake: Confusing 'vacila' (él/ella/usted) with 'vacila' (tú imperative).
Correct: Context is key. 'Él vacila' means 'He teases.' '¡Vacila!' means 'Tease!' (command to tú).
Why: The form is identical, but the grammatical function and meaning are distinct.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: vacilé
Use the preterite 'vacilé' (I teased), 'vacilaste' (you teased), 'vaciló' (he/she/you teased) for completed past teasing actions.
Imperfect
yo: vacilaba
Use the imperfect 'vacilaba' (I used to tease) for past habits or ongoing teasing, like 'He always used to tease me.'
Future
yo: vacilaré
Use the future 'vacilaré' (I will tease) and 'vacilará' (he/she/you will tease) for predictions or definite future teasing.
Conditional
yo: vacilaría
Use the conditional 'vacilaría' (I would tease) for hypotheticals, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: vacile
Use 'vacile' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'vacilen' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for wishes, doubts, and emotions, like 'I hope you don't tease me.'
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: vacilara
Use 'vacilara' or 'vacilase' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests, like 'If I teased you...'
Affirmative Imperative
yo: vacila
Use the imperative 'vacila' (tú) and 'vacilen' (ustedes) for direct commands like 'tease him!'
Negative Imperative
yo: no vaciles
Use 'no vaciles' (tú) and 'no vacilen' (ustedes) for negative commands, like 'don't tease him!'