The Present Tense of contestar is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that occur habitually. For example, Contesto el teléfono. (I answer the phone.)
Contestar is a regular -ar verb, which means its conjugations follow the typical pattern for verbs ending in -ar in the present tense.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Contestar (to answer) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
Pronoun | Conjugation |
---|---|
Yo | contesto |
Tú | contestas |
Él / Ella / Usted | contesta |
Nosotros / Nosotras | contestamos |
Vosotros / Vosotras | contestáis |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | contestan |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Contestar (to answer) in the Present Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Contestar in the Present Tense
Contestar generally means to answer or reply, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.
To answer or reply: For example, Yo contesto todas las preguntas del examen. (I answer all the questions on the exam.)
To respond: For example, Ella contesta el teléfono rápidamente. (She responds to the phone quickly.)
To retort or talk back (colloquial): For example, El niño contesta a sus padres. (The child talks back to his parents.)
To respond to a call or message (colloquial): For example, ¿Contestas los mensajes de tu novia? (Do you respond to your girlfriend’s messages?)
To solve or work out (a problem or puzzle): For example, Vosotros contestáis los problemas de matemáticas. (You all solve the math problems.)
Examples
Examples of Contestar in the Present Tense
Cuando el teléfono suena, yo contesto. (When the phone rings, I answer it.)
Mis amigos contestan mis mensajes rápidamente. (My friends respond to my messages quickly.)
¿Contestas las preguntas del profesor en clase? (Do you answer the teacher’s questions in class?)
Nosotros contestamos el correo electrónico de los clientes todos los días. (We respond to customer emails every day.)
Ellos contestan la puerta cuando alguien llama. (They answer the door when someone knocks.)
En la oficina, contestáis las llamadas telefónicas con amabilidad. (At the office, you all answer phone calls politely.)
Cuando mi mamá me pregunta algo, yo siempre contesto con honestidad. (When my mom asks me something, I always answer honestly.)
Los estudiantes contestan las preguntas del examen con cuidado. (The students answer the exam questions carefully.)
¿Contestas los mensajes de texto inmediatamente o esperas un rato? (Do you respond to text messages right away or wait a while?)
En la reunión, contestamos las preguntas de los inversionistas con datos precisos. (In the meeting, we answer the investors’ questions with precise data.)
Mis vecinos contestan el timbre rápidamente cuando llegan visitas. (My neighbors answer the doorbell quickly when visitors arrive.)
Ustedes contestan el teléfono con un saludo amable. (You all answer the phone with a friendly greeting.)
Cuando mi jefe me hace una pregunta, yo contesto con respeto. (When my boss asks me a question, I answer respectfully.)
Los representantes de servicio al cliente contestan las quejas de los clientes con paciencia. (The customer service representatives respond to customer complaints patiently.)
En la clase de español, contestáis las preguntas del maestro en voz alta. (In the Spanish class, you all answer the teacher’s questions out loud.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Contestar (to answer) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
Spanish | English |
---|---|
Yo contesto | I answer |
Tú contestas | You answer |
Él / Ella / Usted contesta | He / She / You (formal) answers |
Nosotros / Nosotras contestamos | We answer |
Vosotros / Vosotras contestáis | You all answer |
Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes contestan | They / You all (formal) answer |
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.