Alfabetizar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of alfabetizar — “to teach to read and write” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for alfabetizar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Alfabetizar means to teach to read and write, and it is the verb of literacy campaigns, adult education and development work: a teacher teaches adults to read and write, a programme teaches a village to read. It is a formal verb with a social purpose. Alfabetizar is a spelling-changing verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Alfabetizo a los adultos del pueblo.
Present tense conjugation table: alfabetizar
Every person of alfabetizar in the present tense. The gerund is alfabetizando and the past participle is alfabetizado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | alfabetizo |
| tú | alfabetizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | alfabetiza |
| nosotros/as | alfabetizamos |
| vosotros/as | alfabetizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | alfabetizan |
How the present of alfabetizar is formed
The present of alfabetizar is built from the stem alfabetiz- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | alfabetizo |
| tú | -as | alfabetizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | alfabetiza |
| nosotros/as | -amos | alfabetizamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | alfabetizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | alfabetizan |
For alfabetizar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem alfabetiz- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with alfabetizar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo alfabetizo a los adultos del pueblo. — I teach the adults in the village to read and write.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella alfabetiza a los niños de la aldea. — He teaches the children in the hamlet to read and write.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as alfabetizamos a las mujeres del barrio. — Right now, We teach the women in the neighbourhood to read and write.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú alfabetizas a los inmigrantes recién llegados. — Tomorrow, You teach the newly arrived immigrants to read and write.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella alfabetiza a los adultos del pueblo. — He teaches the adults in the village to read and write.
The present vs the preterite
The present and the preterite answer different questions: the present says what happens regularly or right now, while the preterite says what happened once and finished. Compare the same idea in both tenses with alfabetizar.
- Yo alfabetizo a los adultos del pueblo. — I teach the adults in the village to read and write. / Ayer, Yo alfabeticé a los adultos del pueblo. — Yesterday, I taught the adults in the village to read and write.
- Yo alfabetizo a los niños de la aldea. — I teach the children in the hamlet to read and write. / Ayer, Yo alfabeticé a los niños de la aldea. — Yesterday, I taught the children in the hamlet to read and write.
- Yo alfabetizo a las mujeres del barrio. — I teach the women in the neighbourhood to read and write. / Ayer, Yo alfabeticé a las mujeres del barrio. — Yesterday, I taught the women in the neighbourhood to read and write.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with alfabetizar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo alfabetizo a los adultos del pueblo. — I teach the adults in the village to read and write.
- Tú alfabetizas a los niños de la aldea. — You teach the children in the hamlet to read and write.
- Él/Ella alfabetiza a las mujeres del barrio. — He teaches the women in the neighbourhood to read and write.
- Nosotros/as alfabetizamos a los inmigrantes recién llegados. — We teach the newly arrived immigrants to read and write.
- Vosotros/as alfabetizáis a los adultos del pueblo. — You teach the adults in the village to read and write.
- Ellos/as alfabetizan a los niños de la aldea. — They teach the children in the hamlet to read and write.
- Yo alfabetizo a las mujeres del barrio. — I teach the women in the neighbourhood to read and write.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo alfabetiza a los adultos del pueblo. — Right: Yo alfabetizo a los adultos del pueblo. — The person matters: alfabetiza is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is alfabetizo.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo alfabetizo a los niños de la aldea. — Right: Ayer, yo alfabeticé a los niños de la aldea. — With ayer, use the preterite (alfabeticé), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using alfabetizar where enseñar belongs. — Right: Alfabetizar means to teach to read and write, while enseñar means to teach someone something. — Check the meaning before you choose: alfabetizar fits Alfabetizo a los adultos del pueblo.
- Wrong: Espero que él alfabetiza a los niños de la aldea. — Right: Espero que él alfabetice a los niños de la aldea. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: alfabetice, not the present indicative alfabetiza.
Quiz: the present tense of alfabetizar
Eight questions on the present tense of alfabetizar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los adultos del pueblo. (present tense, yo) A. alfabetizo B. alfabetizas C. alfabetiza D. alfabetizamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ a los niños de la aldea. (present tense, tú) A. alfabetizo B. alfabetiza C. alfabetizamos D. alfabetizas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ a las mujeres del barrio. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. alfabetizas B. alfabetizamos C. alfabetiza D. alfabetizo
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ a los inmigrantes recién llegados. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. alfabetiza B. alfabetizamos C. alfabetizo D. alfabetizas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ a los adultos del pueblo. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. alfabetizáis B. alfabetizo C. alfabetizas D. alfabetiza
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ a los niños de la aldea. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. alfabetizo B. alfabetizas C. alfabetiza D. alfabetizan
Which is the gerund of alfabetizar? A. alfabetizo B. alfabeticé C. alfabetizando D. alfabetizado
Which is the past participle of alfabetizar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. alfabeticé B. alfabetizado C. alfabetizando D. alfabetizo
Answer key
- alfabetizo — The yo present form of alfabetizar is alfabetizo.
- alfabetizas — The tú present form of alfabetizar is alfabetizas.
- alfabetiza — The él/ella/Ud. present form of alfabetizar is alfabetiza.
- alfabetizamos — The nosotros/as present form of alfabetizar is alfabetizamos.
- alfabetizáis — The vosotros/as present form of alfabetizar is alfabetizáis.
- alfabetizan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of alfabetizar is alfabetizan.
- alfabetizando — The gerund of alfabetizar is alfabetizando: estoy alfabetizando.
- alfabetizado — The past participle of alfabetizar is alfabetizado: he alfabetizado, has alfabetizado, ha alfabetizado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of alfabetizar formed?
Take the infinitive alfabetizar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem alfabetiz-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of alfabetizar is fully regular: the stem alfabetiz- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of alfabetizar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Alfabetizo a los adultos del pueblo.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of alfabetizar?
The present (alfabetizo) and the preterite (alfabeticé) answer different questions: the present is for habits and for right now, while the preterite is for one finished action. Compare them in the contrast section above.
How do I practise the present of alfabetizar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of alfabetizar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the alfabetizar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Alfabetizar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for alfabetizar.
- Alfabetizar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for alfabetizar.
- Spanish present tense guide — when and how to use the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Present-Tense Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in the present tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.