The Present Tense of echar is used to describe actions happening in the present moment or habitual actions. For example, Ella echa la basura a la calle. (She throws out the trash onto the street.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Echar (to throw) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Echar generally means to throw, cast, or put something somewhere, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To throw or cast: For example, Yo echo la pelota al aire. (I throw the ball into the air.)

To put or place: For example, Ella echa agua en la olla. (She puts water in the pot.)

To expel or kick out: For example, El portero echa a los borrachos del bar. (The bouncer kicks out the drunks from the bar.)

To add or mix in: For example, Echas demasiada sal a la comida. (You add too much salt to the food.)

To lie down or take a nap (colloquial): For example, Me echo una siesta por la tarde. (I take a nap in the afternoon.)

To start or begin (colloquial): For example, Echamos a correr cuando vimos al perro. (We started running when we saw the dog.)

To make fun of or mock (rude, colloquial): For example, No me eches bronca por llegar tarde. (Don’t give me crap for being late.)

Examples

Examples of Echar in the Present Tense

Ella echa un vistazo al periódico todas las mañanas. (She glances at the newspaper every morning.)

Nosotros echamos de menos a nuestros familiares cuando viajamos. (We miss our family when we travel.)

¿Echas un poco de azúcar en tu café? (Do you put some sugar in your coffee?)

Los niños echan a correr cuando suena la campana de recreo. (The kids start running when the recess bell rings.)

Mi mamá echa una siesta después del almuerzo. (My mom takes a nap after lunch.)

Ustedes echan chispas cuando discuten. (You two spark when you argue.)

¿Echáis una mano con la mudanza el sábado? (Can you all lend a hand with the move on Saturday?)

Ellos echan raíces en la nueva ciudad. (They are putting down roots in the new city.)

Yo echo de menos los días de vacaciones. (I miss the vacation days.)

Nosotros echamos un vistazo a las noticias cada noche. (We take a look at the news every night.)

Tú echas una mano en la cocina los domingos. (You lend a hand in the kitchen on Sundays.)

Ellas echan una cana al aire de vez en cuando. (They let their hair down once in a while.)

¿Echáis un partido de fútbol los sábados? (Do you all play a soccer game on Saturdays?)

Nosotros echamos un vistazo al menú antes de pedir. (We take a look at the menu before ordering.)

Ellos echan una partida de cartas después del trabajo. (They play a card game after work.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Echar (to throw) 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.