Caracterizar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb caracterizar means to characterise, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Caracterizar means to characterise, and it is used for describing what makes a person, a place or a work distinctive: history characterises a city, a style characterises an author, humour characterises a novel. It is a formal verb of description and analysis. Like every Spanish verb, caracterizar 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 caracterizo el estilo del pintor, and in the preterite you say caractericé la región por su clima. 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: caracterizar
- English: to characterise
- Verb type: spelling-changing verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: caracterizando
- Past participle: caracterizado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + caracterizado)
- Spelling change: the stem spelling changes in some forms so the pronunciation stays the same — see the notes under each tense.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for caracterizar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: z becomes c before e, so the preterite is caractericé and the subjunctive is caracterice — never caracterizé.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for caracterizar. 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 | caracterizo |
| tú | caracterizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracteriza |
| nosotros/as | caracterizamos |
| vosotros/as | caracterizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caracterizan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | caractericé |
| tú | caracterizaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracterizó |
| nosotros/as | caracterizamos |
| vosotros/as | caracterizasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caracterizaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | caracterizaba |
| tú | caracterizabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracterizaba |
| nosotros/as | caracterizábamos |
| vosotros/as | caracterizabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caracterizaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | caracterizaré |
| tú | caracterizarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracterizará |
| nosotros/as | caracterizaremos |
| vosotros/as | caracterizaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caracterizarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | caracterizaría |
| tú | caracterizarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracterizaría |
| nosotros/as | caracterizaríamos |
| vosotros/as | caracterizaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caracterizarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he caracterizado |
| tú | has caracterizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha caracterizado |
| nosotros/as | hemos caracterizado |
| vosotros/as | habéis caracterizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han caracterizado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había caracterizado |
| tú | habías caracterizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había caracterizado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos caracterizado |
| vosotros/as | habíais caracterizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían caracterizado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré caracterizado |
| tú | habrás caracterizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá caracterizado |
| nosotros/as | habremos caracterizado |
| vosotros/as | habréis caracterizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán caracterizado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría caracterizado |
| tú | habrías caracterizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría caracterizado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos caracterizado |
| vosotros/as | habríais caracterizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían caracterizado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | caracterice |
| tú | caracterices |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracterice |
| nosotros/as | caractericemos |
| vosotros/as | caractericéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caractericen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | caracterizara |
| tú | caracterizaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracterizara |
| nosotros/as | caracterizáramos |
| vosotros/as | caracterizarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caracterizaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | caracteriza |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracterice |
| nosotros/as | caractericemos |
| vosotros/as | caracterizad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caractericen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | caracterices |
| él/ella/Ud. | caracterice |
| nosotros/as | caractericemos |
| vosotros/as | caractericéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | caractericen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | caracterizando | with estar for the progressive: estoy caracterizando |
| Past participle | caracterizado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he caracterizado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For caracterizar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Caracterizo el estilo del pintor. 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. Note the spelling change here: z becomes c before e, so the preterite is caractericé, never caracterizé. For caracterizar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, caractericé la novela por su humor. 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 caracterizar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, caracterizaba la región por su clima. 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 caracterizar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, caracterizaré al autor su ironía. 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 caracterizar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Caracterizaría el estilo del pintor 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 caracterizar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he caracterizado la novela por su humor. 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 caracterizar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había caracterizado la región por su clima 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 caracterizar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré caracterizado al autor su ironía. 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 caracterizar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría caracterizado el estilo del pintor 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For caracterizar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él caracterice la novela por su humor. 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 caracterizar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él caracterizara la región por su clima, 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For caracterizar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡caracteriza al autor su ironía! 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For caracterizar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No caracterices el estilo del pintor. 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 caracterizar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Caracterizo el estilo del pintor. — I characterise the painter's style.
- Caracteriza la novela por su humor. — He/she characterises the novel for its humour.
- Ayer, caractericé la región por su clima. — Yesterday, I characterised the region for its climate.
- Antes, nosotros caracterizábamos al autor su ironía. — Before, we used to characterise the author for his irony.
- Mañana, tú caracterizarás el estilo del pintor. — Tomorrow, you will characterise the painter's style.
- Yo caracterizaría la novela por su humor si tuviera más tiempo. — I would characterise the novel for its humour if I had more time.
- Él ha caracterizado la región por su clima. — He has characterised the region for its climate.
- Espero que él caracterice al autor su ironía. — I hope he characterises the author for his irony.
- Yo ya había caracterizado el estilo del pintor antes de salir. — I had already characterised the painter's style before leaving.
- Ellos caracterizaban la novela por su humor cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to characterise the novel for its humour when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo caracteriza el estilo del pintor. — Right: Yo caracterizo el estilo del pintor. — The person matters: caracteriza is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is caracterizo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo caracterizé la región por su clima. — Right: Ayer, yo caractericé la región por su clima. — Spelling change: z becomes c before e, so the preterite is caractericé, never caracterizé.
- Wrong: Treating caracterizar and definir as identical in every context. — Right: Caracterizar means to characterise, while definir means to define something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: caracterizar fits sentences such as Caracterizo el estilo del pintor, while definir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy caracterizado la novela por su humor. — Right: Yo he caracterizado la novela por su humor. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he caracterizado, has caracterizado, ha caracterizado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo caractericé la región por su clima todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo caracterizaba la región por su clima todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (caracterizaba), not the preterite. The preterite (caractericé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on caracterizar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el estilo del pintor. (present tense) A. caracterizo B. caracterizas C. caracteriza D. caracterizamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la novela por su humor. (preterite) A. caractericé B. caracterizaste C. caracterizaron D. caracterizó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la región por su clima. (imperfect) A. caracterizabas B. caracterizaban C. caracterizábamos D. caracterizaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ al autor su ironía. (future) A. caracterizaremos B. caracterizarás C. caracterizaré D. caracterizará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el estilo del pintor si pudiera. (conditional) A. caracterizaría B. caracterizarías C. caracterizarían D. caracterizo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la novela por su humor. (present subjunctive) A. caracterices B. caractericemos C. caracterizo D. caracterice
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la región por su clima, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. caracterizáramos B. caracterizo C. caracterizara D. caracterizaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ al autor su ironía. (present perfect) A. han caracterizado B. hemos caracterizado C. he caracterizado D. has caracterizado
Complete the command: ¡___ el estilo del pintor! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. caracteriza B. caracterice C. caractericemos D. caracterizad
Which is the gerund of caracterizar, used with estar for the progressive? A. caracterizado B. caracterizo C. caractericé D. caracterizando
Answer key
- caracterizo — The first-person present of caracterizar is caracterizo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- caracterizó — The third-person preterite of caracterizar is caracterizó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- caracterizábamos — The nosotros imperfect of caracterizar is caracterizábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- caracterizarás — The second-person future of caracterizar is caracterizarás.
- caracterizaría — The first-person conditional of caracterizar is caracterizaría, the form for what would happen.
- caracterice — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of caracterizar is caracterice.
- caracterizara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of caracterizar is caracterizara.
- hemos caracterizado — The nosotros present perfect of caracterizar is hemos caracterizado: hemos + caracterizado.
- caracteriza — The affirmative tú imperative of caracterizar is caracteriza.
- caracterizando — The gerund of caracterizar is caracterizando: estoy caracterizando. The participle caracterizado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does caracterizar mean in English?
Caracterizar means to characterise. It is used in everyday situations such as Caracterizo el estilo del pintor. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is caracterizar regular or irregular?
Caracterizar is a spelling-changing verb: the endings are regular, but the spelling of the stem changes in some forms so the pronunciation stays the same. For example, the preterite first person is caractericé. The other tenses follow the regular pattern for -ar verbs.
What is the difference between caracterizar and definir?
Caracterizar means to characterise, while definir means to define something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use caracterizar when you mean to characterise, as in Caracterizo el estilo del pintor, and use definir for to define something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I characterise” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo caractericé la novela por su humor. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo caracterizaba la región por su clima. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he caracterizado la novela por su humor.
How do I practise caracterizar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the caracterizar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Caracterizar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for caracterizar.
- Caracterizar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for caracterizar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Capturar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with caracterizar.
- Casar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with caracterizar.
- Captar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with caracterizar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.