Anochecer Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb anochecer means to get dark, nightfall, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Anochecer means to get dark or nightfall, and it describes night falling over a city or a valley, usually in the third person: anochece a las nueve, anocheció antes de llegar. It is a -cer spelling-change verb, and it is the opposite of amanecer. Like every Spanish verb, anochecer changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say anochezco a las nueve en verano, and in the preterite you say anochecí sobre la ciudad en silencio. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: anochecer
  • English: to get dark, nightfall
  • Verb type: irregular verb
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: anocheciendo
  • Past participle: anochecido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + anochecido)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for anochecer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Anochecer is mainly impersonal: anochece, anocheció. Like amanecer, it is the third person that matters in real speech.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for anochecer. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo anochezco
tú anocheces
él/ella/Ud. anochece
nosotros/as anochecemos
vosotros/as anochecéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. anochecen

Preterite

Person Form
yo anochecí
tú anocheciste
él/ella/Ud. anocheció
nosotros/as anochecimos
vosotros/as anochecisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. anochecieron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo anochecía
tú anochecías
él/ella/Ud. anochecía
nosotros/as anochecíamos
vosotros/as anochecíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. anochecían

Future

Person Form
yo anocheceré
tú anochecerás
él/ella/Ud. anochecerá
nosotros/as anocheceremos
vosotros/as anocheceréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. anochecerán

Conditional

Person Form
yo anochecería
tú anochecerías
él/ella/Ud. anochecería
nosotros/as anocheceríamos
vosotros/as anocheceríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. anochecerían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he anochecido
tú has anochecido
él/ella/Ud. ha anochecido
nosotros/as hemos anochecido
vosotros/as habéis anochecido
ellos/ellas/Uds. han anochecido

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había anochecido
tú habías anochecido
él/ella/Ud. había anochecido
nosotros/as habíamos anochecido
vosotros/as habíais anochecido
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían anochecido

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré anochecido
tú habrás anochecido
él/ella/Ud. habrá anochecido
nosotros/as habremos anochecido
vosotros/as habréis anochecido
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán anochecido

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría anochecido
tú habrías anochecido
él/ella/Ud. habría anochecido
nosotros/as habríamos anochecido
vosotros/as habríais anochecido
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían anochecido

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo anochezca
tú anochezcas
él/ella/Ud. anochezca
nosotros/as anochezcamos
vosotros/as anochecáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. anochezcan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo anocheciera
tú anochecieras
él/ella/Ud. anocheciera
nosotros/as anocheciéramos
vosotros/as anochecierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. anochecieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú anochece
él/ella/Ud. anochezca
nosotros/as anochezcamos
vosotros/as anocheced
ellos/ellas/Uds. anochezcan

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú anochezcas
él/ella/Ud. anochezca
nosotros/as anochezcamos
vosotros/as anochecáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. anochezcan

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund anocheciendo with estar for the progressive: estoy anocheciendo
Past participle anochecido with haber for the perfect tenses: he anochecido

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For anochecer, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Anochezco a las nueve en verano. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For anochecer, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, anochecí muy pronto en diciembre. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For anochecer, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, anochecía sobre la ciudad en silencio. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For anochecer, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, anocheceré antes de llegar a casa. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For anochecer, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Anochecería a las nueve en verano si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For anochecer, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he anochecido muy pronto en diciembre. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For anochecer, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había anochecido sobre la ciudad en silencio antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For anochecer, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré anochecido antes de llegar a casa. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For anochecer, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría anochecido a las nueve en verano con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For anochecer, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él anochezca muy pronto en diciembre. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For anochecer, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él anocheciera sobre la ciudad en silencio, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For anochecer, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Anochece antes de llegar a casa! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. Note the spelling change here: c becomes zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For anochecer, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No anochezcas a las nueve en verano. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with anochecer, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Anochezco a las nueve en verano. — I get dark at nine in summer.
  2. Anochece muy pronto en diciembre. — He/she gets dark very early in December.
  3. Ayer, anochecí sobre la ciudad en silencio. — Yesterday, I got dark over the city in silence.
  4. Antes, nosotros anochecíamos antes de llegar a casa. — Before, we used to get dark before getting home.
  5. Mañana, tú anochecerás a las nueve en verano. — Tomorrow, you will get dark at nine in summer.
  6. Yo anochecería muy pronto en diciembre si tuviera más tiempo. — I would get dark very early in December if I had more time.
  7. Él ha anochecido sobre la ciudad en silencio. — He has got dark over the city in silence.
  8. Espero que él anochezca antes de llegar a casa. — I hope he gets dark before getting home.
  9. Yo ya había anochecido a las nueve en verano antes de salir. — I had already got dark at nine in summer before leaving.
  10. Ellos anochecían muy pronto en diciembre cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to get dark very early in December when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo anochece a las nueve en verano. — Right: Yo anochezco a las nueve en verano. — The person matters: anochece is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is anochezco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Yo anocheco muy pronto en diciembre. — Right: Yo anochezco muy pronto en diciembre. — In the present, the correct first-person form is anochezco, not anocheco. anochecer is a spelling-change verb: c becomes zc before o and a, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
  3. Wrong: Treating anochecer and amanecer as identical in every context. — Right: Anochecer means to get dark, nightfall, while amanecer means to dawn, its opposite. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: anochecer fits sentences such as Anochezco a las nueve en verano, while amanecer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy anochecido muy pronto en diciembre. — Right: Yo he anochecido muy pronto en diciembre. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he anochecido, has anochecido, ha anochecido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo anochecí sobre la ciudad en silencio todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo anochecía sobre la ciudad en silencio todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (anochecía), not the preterite. The preterite (anochecí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on anochecer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las nueve en verano. (present tense) A. anochezco B. anocheces C. anochece D. anochecemos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ muy pronto en diciembre. (preterite) A. anochecí B. anocheciste C. anochecieron D. anocheció

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ sobre la ciudad en silencio. (imperfect) A. anochecías B. anochecían C. anochecíamos D. anochecía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ antes de llegar a casa. (future) A. anocheceremos B. anochecerás C. anocheceré D. anochecerá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las nueve en verano si pudiera. (conditional) A. anochecería B. anochecerías C. anochecerían D. anochezco

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ muy pronto en diciembre. (present subjunctive) A. anochezcas B. anochezcamos C. anochezco D. anochezca

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ sobre la ciudad en silencio, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. anocheciéramos B. anochezco C. anocheciera D. anochecieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ antes de llegar a casa. (present perfect) A. han anochecido B. hemos anochecido C. he anochecido D. has anochecido

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ a las nueve en verano! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. anochece B. anochezca C. anochezcamos D. anocheced

  10. Which is the gerund of anochecer, used with estar for the progressive? A. anochecido B. anochezco C. anochecí D. anocheciendo

Answer key

  1. anochezco — The first-person present of anochecer is anochezco. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. anocheció — The third-person preterite of anochecer is anocheció, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. anochecíamos — The nosotros imperfect of anochecer is anochecíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. anochecerás — The second-person future of anochecer is anochecerás.
  5. anochecería — The first-person conditional of anochecer is anochecería, the form for what would happen.
  6. anochezca — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of anochecer is anochezca.
  7. anocheciera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of anochecer is anocheciera.
  8. hemos anochecido — The nosotros present perfect of anochecer is hemos anochecido: hemos + anochecido.
  9. anochece — The affirmative tú imperative of anochecer is anochece.
  10. anocheciendo — The gerund of anochecer is anocheciendo: estoy anocheciendo. The participle anochecido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does anochecer mean in English?

Anochecer means to get dark, nightfall. It is used in everyday situations such as Anochezco a las nueve en verano. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is anochecer regular or irregular?

Anochecer is a fully regular -er verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including anochezco in the present and anochecí in the preterite.

What is the difference between anochecer and amanecer?

Anochecer means to get dark, nightfall, while amanecer means to dawn, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use anochecer when you mean to get dark, nightfall, as in Anochezco a las nueve en verano, and use amanecer for to dawn, its opposite. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I get dark” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo anochecí muy pronto en diciembre. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo anochecía sobre la ciudad en silencio. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he anochecido muy pronto en diciembre.

How do I practise anochecer?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the anochecer examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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