The Present Tense of cantar is used to describe actions happening at 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 (Castilian Spanish):

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

To sing: This is the most common meaning, referring to the act of producing musical sounds with the voice. For example, Yo canto en la ducha todas las mañanas. (I sing in the shower every morning.)

To recite or chant: It can also mean to recite or chant something, often in a rhythmic or melodic way. For example, Los niños cantan la tabla de multiplicar. (The children chant the multiplication table.)

To reveal or disclose: In a colloquial sense, it can mean to reveal or disclose information, often implying that the information should have been kept secret. For example, Juan canta todo lo que sabe. (Juan reveals everything he knows.)

To praise or extol: It can also mean to praise or extol someone or something, often in a poetic or lyrical way. For example, Los poetas cantan la belleza de la naturaleza. (Poets sing the beauty of nature.)

To annoy or bother (colloquial): In some colloquial contexts, it can mean to annoy or bother someone, often by repeatedly saying or doing something. For example, Vosotros cantáis mucho con vuestras bromas. (You guys are really annoying with your jokes.)

Examples

Examples of Cantar in the Present Tense

Yo canto en la ducha todas las mañanas. (I sing in the shower every morning.)

Tú cantas muy bien, deberías unirte al coro de la iglesia. (You sing very well, you should join the church choir.)

Ella canta canciones de cuna para calmar a su bebé. (She sings lullabies to soothe her baby.)

Nosotros cantamos en el karaoke los viernes por la noche. (We sing karaoke on Friday nights.)

¿Ustedes cantan en la ducha o prefieren cantar en otro lugar? (Do you sing in the shower or do you prefer to sing somewhere else?)

Ellos cantan muy desafinados, pero lo hacen con mucha pasión. (They sing very out of tune, but they do it with a lot of passion.)

Mi amiga canta como los ángeles, su voz es preciosa. (My friend sings like an angel, her voice is beautiful.)

Los niños cantan la canción del abecedario mientras juegan. (The children sing the alphabet song while they play.)

En esta familia, todos cantan en la mesa durante las cenas. (In this family, everyone sings at the table during dinner.)

Los fanáticos cantan a todo pulmón en los conciertos de su banda favorita. (The fans sing at the top of their lungs at their favorite band’s concerts.)

Cuando estoy feliz, no puedo evitar cantar en voz alta. (When I’m happy, I can’t help but sing out loud.)

Los pajaritos cantan afuera de mi ventana cada mañana. (The little birds sing outside my window every morning.)

¿Ustedes cantan villancicos en Navidad o prefieren otro tipo de música? (Do you sing Christmas carols during Christmas or do you prefer other types of music?)

Mis compañeros de trabajo y yo cantamos “Feliz cumpleaños” cada vez que alguien cumple años. (My coworkers and I sing “Happy Birthday” whenever someone has a birthday.)

Los mariachis cantan y tocan sus instrumentos en los restaurantes mexicanos. (The mariachis sing and play their instruments in Mexican restaurants.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Cantar (to sing) 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.