The Present Tense of establecer is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that occur habitually. For example, El gobierno establece nuevas leyes para proteger el medio ambiente. (The government establishes new laws to protect the environment.)

Establecer is a spelling-changing verb that follows the -cer to -zca conjugation pattern in the present tense. This means the c changes to zc before the vowel endings.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Establecer (to establish) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Establecer generally means to establish, set up or start something, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To establish or set up: for example, Establecemos una nueva empresa. (We establish a new company.)

To determine or fix: for example, El gobierno establece las reglas. (The government establishes the rules.)

To open or start operating: for example, Establecen un restaurante en la ciudad. (They establish a restaurant in the city.)

To settle or take up residence: for example, Se establece en un nuevo país. (He/She settles in a new country.)

Colloquially, to hit or punch: for example, Te establezco un golpe si no te callas. (I’ll punch you if you don’t shut up.)

Examples

Examples of Establecer in the Present Tense

Yo establezco una rutina diaria para mantenerme organizado. (I establish a daily routine to stay organized.)

Mi jefe establece metas ambiciosas para el equipo cada trimestre. (My boss establishes ambitious goals for the team each quarter.)

En la reunión, establecemos un plan de acción para abordar los problemas. (In the meeting, we establish an action plan to address the issues.)

Los manifestantes establecen un campamento de protesta frente al edificio del gobierno. (The protesters establish a protest camp in front of the government building.)

Ustedes establecen las reglas de la casa para sus hijos. (You establish the house rules for your children.)

La empresa establece una nueva política de teletrabajo para sus empleados. (The company establishes a new remote work policy for its employees.)

Nosotros establecemos una fundación sin fines de lucro para ayudar a los necesitados. (We establish a non-profit foundation to help those in need.)

Ellos establecen un récord mundial al escalar la montaña más alta. (They establish a world record by climbing the tallest mountain.)

Tú estableces límites saludables en tus relaciones personales. (You establish healthy boundaries in your personal relationships.)

El gobierno establece nuevas regulaciones para proteger el medio ambiente. (The government establishes new regulations to protect the environment.)

Los artistas establecen un nuevo movimiento artístico que desafía las convenciones. (The artists establish a new artistic movement that challenges conventions.)

Ustedes establecen una tradición familiar de reunirse cada fin de semana. (You establish a family tradition of gathering every weekend.)

Ella establece un récord personal al correr un maratón en menos de cuatro horas. (She establishes a personal record by running a marathon in under four hours.)

Los científicos establecen una nueva teoría que explica el origen del universo. (The scientists establish a new theory that explains the origin of the universe.)

Tú estableces una conexión profunda con la naturaleza durante tu retiro espiritual. (You establish a deep connection with nature during your spiritual retreat.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Establecer (to establish) 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.