Skip to content
Spanish · Verb · #604 most common

caracterizar

to characterize
to define

Regular-ar ending

In the tables below, the stem is shown in black and the ending in purple.

1.

Presente

Habitual actions, general truths, and what's happening now.

yocaracterizo
caracterizas
él/ellacaracteriza
nosotroscaracterizamos
vosotroscaracterizáis
ellos/ellascaracterizan

Ella caracteriza a su estilo con colores vibrantes.

She characterizes her style with vibrant colors.

Los críticos caracterizan la película como un gran éxito.

The critics characterize the movie as a great success.

2.

Pretérito Indefinido

Completed actions at a specific point in the past.

yocaractericé
caracterizaste
él/ellacaracterizó
nosotroscaracterizamos
vosotroscaracterizasteis
ellos/ellascaracterizaron

El autor caracterizó a su protagonista como un héroe trágico.

The author characterized his protagonist as a tragic hero.

La profesora caracterizó el tema de la clase ayer.

The teacher characterized the topic of the class yesterday.

3.

Imperfecto

Ongoing or repeated actions in the past, descriptions, and background context.

yocaracterizaba
caracterizabas
él/ellacaracterizaba
nosotroscaracterizábamos
vosotroscaracterizabais
ellos/ellascaracterizaban

Cuando era niño, él caracterizaba a sus amigos con apodos divertidos.

When he was a child, he characterized his friends with funny nicknames.

Nosotros siempre caracterizábamos el clima de la región como templado.

We always characterized the climate of the region as mild.

4.

Futuro Simple

Future actions, predictions, and speculation about the present.

yocaracterizaré
caracterizarás
él/ellacaracterizará
nosotroscaracterizaremos
vosotroscaracterizaréis
ellos/ellascaracterizarán

Mañana, el crítico caracterizará la obra en su reseña.

Tomorrow, the critic will characterize the work in his review.

El informe caracterizará los cambios en la economía.

The report will characterize the changes in the economy.

5.

Condicional

Hypothetical situations, polite requests, and future-in-the-past.

yocaracterizaría
caracterizarías
él/ellacaracterizaría
nosotroscaracterizaríamos
vosotroscaracterizaríais
ellos/ellascaracterizarían

Si tuviera más información, caracterizaría el problema de manera diferente.

If I had more information, I would characterize the problem differently.

Ella caracterizaría su experiencia como única si se lo preguntaras.

She would characterize her experience as unique if you asked her.

6.

Subjuntivo Presente

Wishes, doubts, emotions, and subordinate clauses expressing uncertainty.

yocaracterice
caracterices
él/ellacaracterice
nosotroscaractericemos
vosotroscaractericéis
ellos/ellascaractericen

Es importante que ellos caractericen sus hallazgos con claridad.

It is important that they characterize their findings clearly.

Espero que tú caracterices el proyecto de manera efectiva.

I hope that you characterize the project effectively.

7.

Subjuntivo Imperfecto

Past subjunctive contexts, hypothetical si-clauses, and polite suggestions.

yocaracterizara
caracterizaras
él/ellacaracterizara
nosotroscaracterizáramos
vosotroscaracterizarais
ellos/ellascaracterizaran

Si él caracterizara su obra de otra forma, podría atraer más atención.

If he characterized his work differently, he could attract more attention.

Ojalá que nosotros caracterizáramos la situación con más precisión.

I wish that we characterized the situation more accurately.

Related verbs

Common questions
Is "caracterizar" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"caracterizar" is a regular -ar verb in Spanish. It follows the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
How do you conjugate "caracterizar" in the present tense?
In the Presente, "caracterizar" conjugates as: caracterizas, caracterizo, caracterizan, and more. See the full table above.
What is the past tense of "caracterizar" in Spanish?
In the Pretérito Indefinido, "caracterizar" conjugates as: caracterizaste, caractericé, caracterizaron, and more. See the full table above.
How common is "caracterizar" in Spanish?
"caracterizar" (to characterize, to define) is one of the most commonly used verbs in Spanish.