The Present Tense of recoger is used to describe actions that you are currently doing or that occur habitually, for example, Recojo las hojas del jardín. (I gather the leaves from the garden.)

Recoger is a spelling-changing verb where the ‘g’ changes to ‘j’ before ‘a’ and ‘o’ in some conjugations. This verb follows the -ger to -ja conjugation pattern.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Recoger (to pick up) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

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 piso (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 clean up or tidy: for example, Recojo los juguetes antes de irme a la cama (I clean up the toys before going to bed).

To pick someone up: for example, Recojo a mi hermana de la escuela (I pick up my sister from school).

To take in or shelter (colloquial): for example, Recogemos a los perritos de la calle (We take in the little dogs from the street).

To get or understand (colloquial): for example, No recojo lo que me estás diciendo (I don’t get what you’re telling me).

Examples

Examples of Recoger in the Present Tense

Yo recojo la basura todos los días. (I take out the trash every day.)

Mi hermana recoge las hojas secas del jardín. (My sister rakes up the dry leaves from the yard.)

Nosotros recogemos los platos después de la cena. (We clear the dishes after dinner.)

¿Tú recoges tus juguetes cuando terminas de jugar? (Do you pick up your toys when you’re done playing?)

Ellos recogen las donaciones para los necesitados. (They collect donations for those in need.)

Antes de salir, recojo mis llaves y mi cartera. (Before leaving, I grab my keys and wallet.)

En la oficina, recogemos los informes impresos. (At the office, we collect the printed reports.)

¿Puedes recoger la ropa sucia del piso? (Can you pick up the dirty clothes from the floor?)

Los niños recogen conchas en la playa. (The kids collect seashells on the beach.)

Después de la fiesta, recogemos los platos y vasos desechables. (After the party, we gather up the disposable plates and cups.)

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

Los voluntarios recogen firmas para una petición. (The volunteers collect signatures for a petition.)

Antes de irnos de vacaciones, recogemos la casa. (Before going on vacation, we tidy up the house.)

¿Puedes recoger tus cosas del suelo? (Can you pick up your stuff from the floor?)

Ellos recogen las manzanas maduras del huerto. (They harvest the ripe apples from the orchard.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Recoger (to pick up) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.