The Present Tense of Construir is used to describe actions happening now or facts that are currently true. For example, Construyo una casa nueva. (I am building a new house.)

Construir is a spelling-changing verb that follows the -uir to -uye conjugation pattern in the present tense. The u changes to uy in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Construir (to build) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Construir generally means to build or construct, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To build or construct: For example, Yo construyo una casa nueva (I build a new house).

To create or make: For example, Ella construye un futuro mejor para sus hijos (She builds a better future for her children).

To form or shape: For example, Ellos construyen su propia identidad (They build their own identity).

Colloquial: To exaggerate or make up: For example, Tú construyes historias increíbles (You build incredible stories, meaning you exaggerate or make things up).

Slang: To criticize or insult: For example, Ustedes me construyen mucho (You guys criticize/insult me a lot, in a playful way among friends).

Examples

Examples of Construir in the Present Tense

Yo construyo una casa nueva para mi familia. (I am building a new house for my family.)

Cada verano, mi hermano y yo construimos un fuerte en el patio trasero. (Every summer, my brother and I build a fort in the backyard.)

Los obreros construyen un nuevo centro comercial en el centro de la ciudad. (The workers are building a new shopping mall in the city center.)

Mi amiga construye muebles de madera como pasatiempo. (My friend builds wooden furniture as a hobby.)

¿Tú construyes la casa o contratas a alguien? (Are you building the house yourself or hiring someone?)

La empresa construye un nuevo puente para mejorar el tráfico. (The company is building a new bridge to improve traffic flow.)

Nosotros construimos un invernadero para cultivar nuestras propias verduras. (We are building a greenhouse to grow our own vegetables.)

Ellos construyen una piscina en el patio trasero para disfrutar del verano. (They are building a pool in the backyard to enjoy the summer.)

Mi tío construye casas prefabricadas como negocio familiar. (My uncle builds prefabricated houses as a family business.)

¿Ustedes construyen la nueva oficina o la rentan? (Are you building the new office or renting it?)

La ciudad construye un nuevo parque para que los niños puedan jugar. (The city is building a new park for children to play.)

Nosotros construimos una cabaña en las montañas para vacacionar. (We are building a cabin in the mountains for vacations.)

Ella construye casas de muñecas para venderlas en línea. (She builds dollhouses to sell online.)

Los arquitectos construyen un nuevo museo de arte moderno. (The architects are building a new modern art museum.)

¿Tú construyes el cobertizo o lo compras prefabricado? (Are you building the shed or buying a prefab one?)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Construir (to build) 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.