The Present Tense of obedecer is used to describe actions that are happening right now or that occur habitually. For example, Obedezco las reglas de la escuela. (I obey the rules of the school.)

This verb belongs to the -cer to -zca spelling-changing conjugation type, where the ‘c’ changes to ‘zc’ before the vowel endings in certain forms.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Obedecer (to obey) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Obedecer generally means to obey or follow instructions, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

Literal meaning: To follow orders or commands, for example, Los niños obedecen a sus padres (The children obey their parents).

Figurative meaning: To conform to rules or laws, for example, Todos obedecemos las leyes del país (We all obey the laws of the country).

Colloquial usage: To listen to or heed advice, for example, Obedezco a mi abuela cuando me aconseja (I obey my grandmother when she advises me).

Idiomatic usage: To be influenced or controlled by something, for example, Mi comportamiento obedece a mis principios (My behavior obeys my principles).

Rude usage: To submit or yield to someone’s demands, often used in a derogatory way, for example, ¿Por qué obedeces a ese idiota? (Why do you obey that idiot?)

Examples

Examples of Obedecer in the Present Tense

Yo siempre obedezco las reglas de tránsito. (I always obey traffic rules.)

Tú obedeces a tus padres sin cuestionar. (You obey your parents without questioning.)

Ella obedece las instrucciones del médico al pie de la letra. (She obeys the doctor’s instructions to the letter.)

Nosotros obedecemos las leyes de nuestro país. (We obey the laws of our country.)

Ustedes obedecen las normas de la escuela sin protestar. (You (plural) obey the school rules without protesting.)

Ellos obedecen las órdenes del jefe sin rechistar. (They obey the boss’s orders without complaining.)

En la milicia, uno obedece las órdenes de los superiores sin cuestionarlas. (In the military, one obeys orders from superiors without questioning them.)

Los niños bien educados obedecen a sus padres y maestros. (Well-behaved children obey their parents and teachers.)

En el trabajo, obedecemos las normas de seguridad para evitar accidentes. (At work, we obey safety rules to avoid accidents.)

Cuando viajamos, obedecemos las leyes y costumbres locales por respeto. (When we travel, we obey local laws and customs out of respect.)

En la religión, los fieles obedecen los mandamientos y preceptos. (In religion, the faithful obey the commandments and precepts.)

Los atletas obedecen las reglas del juego para mantener el espíritu deportivo. (Athletes obey the rules of the game to maintain sportsmanship.)

En una emergencia, obedecemos las instrucciones de los socorristas sin dudar. (In an emergency, we obey the rescuers’ instructions without hesitation.)

Los estudiantes obedecen el código de conducta de la universidad. (Students obey the university’s code of conduct.)

En la familia, los hijos obedecen a sus padres por respeto y amor. (In the family, children obey their parents out of respect and love.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Obedecer (to obey) 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.