The Present Tense of robar is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that occur habitually. For example, Ella roba dinero de la caja registradora. (She steals money from the cash register.)

Robar is a regular -ar verb, which means it follows the typical conjugation pattern for verbs ending in -ar in the present tense.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Robar (to steal) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Robar generally means to steal or to rob, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

Literal meaning: To take something that doesn’t belong to you without permission, for example, Él roba dinero del banco (He robs money from the bank).

Figurative meaning: To take or capture something in a metaphorical sense, for example, La actriz roba las miradas de todos (The actress steals everyone’s gaze).

Slang meaning: To copy or imitate someone’s style or idea, often used in creative fields, for example, El artista roba ideas de otros pintores (The artist steals ideas from other painters).

Colloquial meaning: To outshine or overshadow someone, often used in a playful or exaggerated way, for example, Ella roba el show con su talento (She steals the show with her talent).

Rude meaning: To take advantage of someone or to exploit them, often used in a negative or critical way, for example, El jefe roba a sus empleados (The boss robs his employees).

Examples

Examples of Robar in the Present Tense

Ella roba en las tiendas de vez en cuando. (She shoplifs from stores occasionally.)

Nosotros robamos la comida porque teníamos mucha hambre. (We stole the food because we were very hungry.)

¿Por qué robas a tus amigos? Eso no está bien. (Why do you steal from your friends? That’s not right.)

Los ladrones roban carteras y joyas con frecuencia. (Thieves often steal wallets and jewelry.)

Yo robo cuando no tengo otra opción para sobrevivir. (I steal when I have no other choice to survive.)

En la película, el personaje principal roba un banco. (In the movie, the main character robs a bank.)

Algunos jóvenes roban por diversión y emoción. (Some youths steal for fun and thrills.)

Mi hermano roba cosas de la casa y luego las vende. (My brother steals things from home and then sells them.)

Los delincuentes roban coches caros para venderlos. (Criminals steal expensive cars to sell them.)

¿Por qué robas si tienes suficiente dinero? (Why do you steal if you have enough money?)

Los piratas informáticos roban datos personales para estafar. (Hackers steal personal data to scam people.)

Algunos empleados roban suministros de la oficina. (Some employees steal office supplies.)

Los niños roban galletas del tarro cuando nadie los ve. (Kids steal cookies from the jar when no one is looking.)

Nunca robamos porque es ilegal y está mal. (We never steal because it’s illegal and wrong.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Robar (to steal) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.