The simple present tense of cantar is used to express actions happening in the present moment or habitual actions. For example, Yo canto una canción. (I sing a song.)

Cantar is a regular -ar verb, meaning its conjugations follow the typical pattern for verbs ending in -ar in the present tense.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Cantar (to sing) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Cantar generally means to sing, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To sing: The most common meaning is to sing or produce musical tones with the voice, for example, Yo canto en la ducha todas las mañanas. (I sing in the shower every morning.)

To recite: It can also mean to recite or declaim something, for example, Los niños cantan poemas en la clase de español. (The children recite poems in Spanish class.)

To inform (slang): In some colloquial usage, it means to inform or tell someone something, for example, Te canto la verdad, no me creerás. (I’m telling you the truth, you won’t believe me.)

To criticize (slang): In a more negative slang sense, it can mean to criticize or complain about someone or something, for example, No me cantes más sobre tus problemas. (Don’t complain to me about your problems anymore.)

Examples

Examples of Cantar in the Present Tense

Mis amigos y yo cantamos en el karaoke los viernes por la noche. (My friends and I sing karaoke on Friday nights.)

Ella canta muy bien, ¿no crees? (She sings very well, don’t you think?)

¿Qué cantas en la ducha? (What do you sing in the shower?)

Los niños cantan la canción de cumpleaños para su abuela. (The children are singing the birthday song for their grandmother.)

Yo canto mientras cocino para hacer el tiempo más ameno. (I sing while cooking to make the time more enjoyable.)

En el concierto, la banda canta sus éxitos más populares. (At the concert, the band sings their most popular hits.)

¿Por qué cantas tan fuerte? Vas a molestar a los vecinos. (Why are you singing so loudly? You’re going to bother the neighbors.)

Ellos cantan canciones folclóricas en las fiestas tradicionales. (They sing folk songs at traditional celebrations.)

Cuando estoy feliz, canto sin darme cuenta. (When I’m happy, I sing without realizing it.)

Los fanáticos cantan a todo pulmón en el estadio. (The fans are singing at the top of their lungs in the stadium.)

¿Ustedes cantan en el coro de la iglesia? (Do you sing in the church choir?)

Ella canta como los ángeles, su voz es preciosa. (She sings like an angel, her voice is beautiful.)

Los mariachis cantan las mañanitas afuera de nuestra casa. (The mariachis are singing the mañanitas outside our house.)

Nosotros cantamos villancicos en Navidad para celebrar. (We sing Christmas carols to celebrate the holidays.)

¿Qué cantan los niños en la guardería? (What do the children sing at the daycare?)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Cantar (to sing) 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.