The Present Tense of Contestar is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that occur regularly, for example: Contesto el teléfono. (I answer the phone.)

Contestar is a regular -ar verb, which means its conjugations in the present tense follow the typical pattern for this verb type.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Contestar (to answer) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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 de manera grosera. (The child talks back to his parents rudely.)

To respond to a call or request: For example, Nosotros contestamos el anuncio de trabajo. (We respond to the job posting.)

To solve or work out (a problem): For example, Tú contestas los ejercicios de matemáticas. (You work out 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 todas mis preguntas con paciencia. (My friends answer all my questions patiently.)

¿Contestas los correos electrónicos de trabajo rápidamente? (Do you answer work emails quickly?)

En la clase de español, el profesor contesta nuestras dudas. (In the Spanish class, the teacher answers our doubts.)

Contestamos el teléfono con un “¿Bueno?” o “¿Diga?”. (We answer the phone with a “Hello?” or “Yes?”)

Cuando alguien llama a la puerta, contesto “¡Adelante!”. (When someone knocks on the door, I answer “Come in!”)

Los estudiantes contestan las preguntas del examen con cuidado. (The students answer the exam questions carefully.)

En la entrevista de trabajo, contestas con confianza. (In the job interview, you answer confidently.)

Cuando el jefe contesta el teléfono, todos guardamos silencio. (When the boss answers the phone, we all stay quiet.)

En la reunión familiar, contestamos las preguntas sobre nuestros planes. (At the family gathering, we answer questions about our plans.)

Los fans contestan las preguntas del artista en las redes sociales. (The fans answer the artist’s questions on social media.)

Cuando el policía contesta la llamada de emergencia, actúa rápidamente. (When the police officer answers the emergency call, they act quickly.)

En el programa de entrevistas, los invitados contestan con gracia. (On the interview show, the guests answer wittily.)

Después de ver la película, contestamos las preguntas de discusión. (After watching the movie, we answer the discussion questions.)

Cuando el timbre suena, los niños contestan “¡Yo voy!” y corren a abrir la puerta. (When the doorbell rings, the kids answer “I’ll get it!” and run to open the door.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Contestar (to answer) 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.