The Present Tense of atravesar is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that occur habitually. For example, El tren atraviesa el túnel. (The train goes through the tunnel.)

Atravesar is a stem-changing verb, meaning the vowel in the stem changes in certain conjugations. In the present tense, the e changes to ie in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Atravesar (to cross) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Atravesar generally means to cross or pass through something, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

Literal meaning: To physically cross or pass through something, for example, Atravieso el parque para ir al trabajo (I cross the park to go to work).

Figurative meaning: To experience or go through a difficult situation, for example, Atravesamos una crisis económica (We are going through an economic crisis).

Colloquial meaning: To eat or consume something quickly, for example, Me atravieso esta hamburguesa en un segundo (I’ll devour this burger in a second).

Rude meaning: To insult or verbally attack someone, for example, ¿Por qué me atraviesas con tus palabras? (Why are you attacking me with your words?). This usage is considered rude and should be avoided in polite conversation.

Examples

Examples of Atravesar in the Present Tense

Cada mañana atravieso el parque para ir al trabajo. (Every morning I cross the park to go to work.)

Tú atraviesas la calle sin mirar a ambos lados. (You cross the street without looking both ways.)

Ella atraviesa la frontera con frecuencia para visitar a su familia. (She frequently crosses the border to visit her family.)

Atravesamos el río en una canoa durante nuestro viaje de pesca. (We crossed the river in a canoe during our fishing trip.)

Ustedes atraviesan la ciudad de camino al aeropuerto. (You all cross the city on your way to the airport.)

Los manifestantes atraviesan las calles principales para llamar la atención. (The protesters cross the main streets to draw attention.)

Cuando atravieso la plaza, siempre me detengo a admirar la fuente. (When I cross the plaza, I always stop to admire the fountain.)

¿Por qué atraviesas el patio si hay una entrada principal? (Why do you cross the yard if there’s a main entrance?)

Mi hermana atraviesa el océano dos veces al año para visitar a nuestros abuelos. (My sister crosses the ocean twice a year to visit our grandparents.)

Atravesamos la frontera sin problemas gracias a nuestros documentos en regla. (We crossed the border without issues thanks to our documents in order.)

Ustedes atraviesan el bosque como si fuera un parque, ¡tengan cuidado! (You all cross the forest as if it were a park, be careful!)

Los ciclistas atraviesan la ciudad en grupo para mayor seguridad. (The cyclists cross the city in groups for greater safety.)

Cuando atravieso el puente peatonal, siempre disfruto de las vistas del río. (When I cross the pedestrian bridge, I always enjoy the views of the river.)

¿Por qué atraviesas el campo si hay un sendero marcado? (Why do you cross the field if there’s a marked trail?)

Ella atraviesa la multitud con dificultad para llegar a su asiento. (She crosses the crowd with difficulty to get to her seat.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Atravesar (to cross) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American 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.