The Present Tense of respetar is used to express actions or states that are currently happening or that occur habitually. For example, Yo respeto las reglas del juego. (I respect the rules of the game.)

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

Conjugations

Conjugations of Respetar (to respect) in the Present Tense tense (Latin American Spanish):

Respetar generally means to respect, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

Respect: This is the most common meaning, for example, Yo respeto a mis padres (I respect my parents).

Obey: It can also mean to obey rules or laws, for example, Respetamos las reglas del juego (We obey the rules of the game).

Preserve: In some contexts, it means to preserve or maintain something, for example, Respetamos la tradición familiar (We preserve the family tradition).

Colloquial Usage: In informal speech, it can be used sarcastically or rudely to mean “to put up with” or “to tolerate”, for example, Respeto que seas un idiota, pero no me molestes (I tolerate you being an idiot, but don’t bother me).

Examples

Examples of Respetar in the Present Tense

Siempre respeto las reglas de la casa. (I always respect the house rules.)

Tú respetas a tus mayores, ¿verdad? (You respect your elders, right?)

Ella respeta las tradiciones de su cultura. (She respects the traditions of her culture.)

Nosotros respetamos el medio ambiente reciclando. (We respect the environment by recycling.)

Ellos respetan las creencias de los demás. (They respect others’ beliefs.)

En esta oficina, respetamos los horarios de trabajo. (In this office, we respect work schedules.)

¿Respetas las reglas del juego? (Do you respect the rules of the game?)

Mi hermano respeta mucho a nuestros padres. (My brother greatly respects our parents.)

Los buenos ciudadanos respetan las leyes. (Good citizens respect the laws.)

En esta familia, respetamos la privacidad de todos. (In this family, we respect everyone’s privacy.)

¿Por qué no respetas mi decisión? (Why don’t you respect my decision?)

Ella respeta los valores de su religión. (She respects the values of her religion.)

Los profesores respetan a sus estudiantes. (Teachers respect their students.)

En esta empresa, respetamos la diversidad. (In this company, we respect diversity.)

¿Ustedes respetan las reglas de tránsito? (Do you all respect traffic rules?)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Respetar (to respect) 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.