velar Present Conjugation
velar — to watch over
The present indicative of velar is regular: velo, velas, vela, velamos, veláis, velan.
velar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present indicative of 'velar' for actions happening right now, habitual actions, or general truths related to watching over. For instance, 'Yo velo por mi familia.' (I watch over my family.) or 'Los padres velan por sus hijos.' (Parents watch over their children.)
Notes on velar in the Present
Velar is regular in the present indicative. All forms follow the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo velo por la seguridad de todos aquí.
I watch over everyone's safety here.
yo
¿Tú velas a tu hermano pequeño cuando mamá no está?
Do you watch over your little brother when Mom isn't here?
tú
El vigilante vela la entrada del edificio.
The security guard watches over the building's entrance.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros velamos nuestras pertenencias en el albergue.
We watch over our belongings at the hostel.
nosotros
Ellos velan para que nadie entre sin permiso.
They watch over so that no one enters without permission.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'velaba' for an action happening now.
Correct: Say 'Yo velo ahora' (I watch over now), not 'Yo velaba ahora'.
Why: The present indicative is for actions happening currently or habitually, while the imperfect is for ongoing past actions.
Mistake: Confusing 'velamos' (present) with 'velamos' (preterite).
Correct: Context usually makes it clear. 'Hoy velamos...' (present) vs. 'Ayer velamos...' (preterite).
Why: These two forms are identical, requiring contextual clues to determine the tense.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: velé
The preterite of velar is regular: velé, velaste, veló, velamos, velasteis, velaron.
Imperfect
yo: velaba
The imperfect of velar is regular: velaba, velabas, velaba, velábamos, velabais, velaban.
Future
yo: velaré
The future of velar is regular: velaré, velarás, velará, velaremos, velaréis, velarán.
Conditional
yo: velaría
The conditional of velar is regular: velaría, velarías, velaría, velaríamos, velaríais, velarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: vele
The present subjunctive of velar (vele, veles, velemos, velen) expresses wishes, doubts, emotions, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: velara
The imperfect subjunctive of velar (velara, velaras, veláramos, velaran) expresses past wishes, doubts, or hypothetical situations.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: vela
The imperative of velar gives commands: ¡vela! (you singular, informal), ¡vele! (you singular, formal), ¡velemos! (we), ¡velen! (you plural, formal), ¡velad! (you plural, informal).
Negative Imperative
yo: no veles
Negative commands for velar use the present subjunctive: no veles, no vele, no velemos, no velen, no veléis.