The Present Tense of picar is used to describe actions happening right now or habitual actions, for example: Pico la cebolla para la ensalada. (I chop the onion for the salad.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Picar (to chop) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Picar generally means to prick, sting, or bite, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To prick or sting: For example, Las abejas pican cuando se sienten amenazadas. (Bees sting when they feel threatened.)

To bite: For example, Los mosquitos pican por la noche. (Mosquitoes bite at night.)

To cut or chop into pieces: For example, Pico la cebolla antes de cocinarla. (I chop the onion before cooking it.)

To eat a small amount: For example, Picamos algo antes de la cena. (We snack on something before dinner.)

To knock or ring (a doorbell): For example, Pico el timbre para que me abran. (I ring the doorbell so they open for me.)

To take drugs (slang): For example, Algunos pican cocaína en las fiestas. (Some people do cocaine at parties.)

To flirt or hit on someone (colloquial): For example, Juan pica a todas las chicas guapas. (Juan hits on all the pretty girls.)

Examples

Examples of Picar in the Present Tense

Yo pico la cebolla antes de cocinar. (I chop the onion before cooking.)

Mi hermana pica las verduras para la ensalada. (My sister chops the vegetables for the salad.)

Nosotros picamos la carne para hacer hamburguesas. (We chop the meat to make hamburgers.)

¿Ustedes pican la piña para hacer batidos? (Do you chop the pineapple to make smoothies?)

Ellos pican el ajo para darle más sabor a la comida. (They chop the garlic to give more flavor to the food.)

En la cocina, pico los ingredientes con mucho cuidado. (In the kitchen, I chop the ingredients very carefully.)

Mi mamá pica las cebollas y se le salen las lágrimas. (My mom chops the onions and her eyes water.)

Cuando picamos chile, usamos guantes para proteger nuestras manos. (When we chop chili peppers, we use gloves to protect our hands.)

¿Tú picas la fruta para hacer batidos o la licuas? (Do you chop the fruit to make smoothies or do you blend it?)

En el restaurante, los cocineros pican los ingredientes frescos. (At the restaurant, the chefs chop the fresh ingredients.)

Antes de salir, pico un poco de fruta para llevar como snack. (Before leaving, I chop some fruit to take as a snack.)

Mi abuela pica las hierbas para darle más sabor a sus platillos. (My grandmother chops herbs to give more flavor to her dishes.)

Cuando picamos mucha cebolla, es común que lloremos un poco. (When we chop a lot of onions, it’s common for us to cry a little.)

¿Ustedes pican las papas para hacer papas fritas caseras? (Do you chop the potatoes to make homemade french fries?)

Ellos pican el chocolate para hacer postres deliciosos. (They chop the chocolate to make delicious desserts.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Picar (to chop) 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.