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Conjugation Chart

“Recoger” (to pick up) in the Present Tense

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Understanding the Present Tense of “Recoger”

The Present Tense of recoger is used to describe actions that you gather, collect, or pick up in the present moment. For example, Recojo las manzanas del suelo. (I pick up the apples from the ground.)

This verb follows the -ger to -ja spelling-changing conjugation pattern, where the g changes to a j before the vowel endings.

How to Use Recoger in the Present Tense

Recoger generally means to pick up, collect or gather, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To pick up or collect: For example, Recojo las llaves del suelo (I pick up the keys from the floor).

To gather or harvest: For example, Recogemos las manzanas de los árboles (We gather the apples from the trees).

To receive or take in: For example, El hotel recoge a los huéspedes en el aeropuerto (The hotel picks up the guests at the airport).

To clean up or tidy: For example, Recogéis vuestros juguetes antes de ir a la cama (You (plural) pick up your toys before going to bed).

To take shelter (colloquial): For example, Nos recogemos en casa cuando llueve (We take shelter at home when it rains).

To pick someone up (colloquial, rude): For example, Recojo chicas en el bar (I pick up girls at the bar).

Real Life Examples of Recoger in the Present Tense

Cada mañana recojo el periódico del buzón. (Every morning I pick up the newspaper from the mailbox.)

Mi hermana recoge las hojas secas del jardín todos los fines de semana. (My sister rakes up the dry leaves from the garden every weekend.)

¿Puedes recoger tus juguetes antes de ir a la cama? (Can you pick up your toys before going to bed?)

Los voluntarios recogen donaciones de alimentos para el banco de comida local. (The volunteers collect food donations for the local food bank.)

Después de la fiesta, recogemos todos los platos y vasos usados. (After the party, we collect all the used plates and cups.)

En la oficina, recogéis los informes impresos antes de la reunión. (At the office, you all collect the printed reports before the meeting.)

Mis amigos y yo recogemos las latas y botellas vacías para reciclarlas. (My friends and I collect empty cans and bottles to recycle them.)

Cuando voy de camping, recojo leña para la fogata. (When I go camping, I collect firewood for the campfire.)

Los niños recogen conchas en la playa durante las vacaciones. (The children collect seashells on the beach during vacation.)

Después de la tormenta, recogemos las ramas caídas del patio. (After the storm, we pick up the fallen branches from the yard.)

En el museo, recogen entradas a la entrada. (At the museum, they collect tickets at the entrance.)

Mis compañeros de trabajo y yo recogemos fondos para una buena causa. (My coworkers and I collect funds for a good cause.)

Cuando voy de excursión, recojo rocas y plantas interesantes. (When I go hiking, I collect interesting rocks and plants.)

Los aficionados recogen autógrafos de sus atletas favoritos. (The fans collect autographs from their favorite athletes.)

Después de la clase de arte, recogemos los pinceles y pinturas. (After the art class, we collect the brushes and paints.)

Conjugation Chart with English Translations

Conjugations of Recoger (to pick up) in the Present 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.