Cegar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb cegar means to blind, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Cegar means to blind someone, literally with light or dust, or figuratively: el amor ciega, la ambición ciega. It takes a person as its object and con for the cause. Like every Spanish verb, cegar 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 Yo ciego a su enemigo con el sol — "I blind his enemy with the sun". 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.

The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: ciego, ciegas, ciega and ciegan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: cegamos, cegáis.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: cegar
  • English: to blind
  • Verb type: stem-changing -ar verb (e → ie)
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: cegando
  • Past participle: cegado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cegado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cegar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for cegar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem.

Present indicative

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | ciego | | tú | ciegas | | él/ella/Ud. | ciega | | nosotros/as | cegamos | | vosotros/as | cegáis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | ciegan |

Preterite

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | cegué | | tú | cegaste | | él/ella/Ud. | cegó | | nosotros/as | cegamos | | vosotros/as | cegasteis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | cegaron |

Imperfect

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | cegaba | | tú | cegabas | | él/ella/Ud. | cegaba | | nosotros/as | cegábamos | | vosotros/as | cegabais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | cegaban |

Future

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | cegaré | | tú | cegarás | | él/ella/Ud. | cegará | | nosotros/as | cegaremos | | vosotros/as | cegaréis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | cegarán |

Conditional

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | cegaría | | tú | cegarías | | él/ella/Ud. | cegaría | | nosotros/as | cegaríamos | | vosotros/as | cegaríais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | cegarían |

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | ciegue | | tú | ciegues | | él/ella/Ud. | ciegue | | nosotros/as | ceguemos | | vosotros/as | ceguéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | cieguen |

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | yo | cegara | | tú | cegaras | | él/ella/Ud. | cegara | | nosotros/as | cegáramos | | vosotros/as | cegarais | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | cegaran |

Imperative (affirmative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | ciega | | él/ella/Ud. | ciegue | | nosotros/as | ceguemos | | vosotros/as | cegad | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | cieguen |

Imperative (negative)

| Person | Form | |---|---|---| | tú | ciegues | | él/ella/Ud. | ciegue | | nosotros/as | ceguemos | | vosotros/as | ceguéis | | ellos/ellas/Uds. | cieguen |

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund cegando with estar for the progressive: está cegando
Past participle cegado with haber for the perfect tenses: he cegado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: ciego, ciegas, ciega and ciegan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: cegamos, cegáis. For cegar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ciego a su enemigo con el sol — "I blind his enemy with the sun".

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 cegar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, yo cegué al conductor con las luces — "Yesterday, I blinded the driver with the headlights".

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 cegar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, yo cegaba a los espectadores con el flash — "As a child, I used to blind the spectators with the flash".

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 cegar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, yo cegaré la vista con el polvo — "Tomorrow, I will blind his sight with dust".

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 cegar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo cegaría a su enemigo con el sol si pudiera — "I would blind his enemy with the sun if I could".

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 cegar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, yo he cegado al conductor con las luces — "Today, I have blinded the driver with the headlights".

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 cegar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo ya había cegado a los espectadores con el flash antes de salir — "I already had blinded the spectators with the flash before leaving".

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 cegar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, yo habré cegado la vista con el polvo — "By tomorrow, I will have blinded his sight with dust".

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 cegar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría cegado a su enemigo con el sol con más tiempo — "I would have blinded his enemy with the sun with more time".

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: ciego, ciegas, ciega and ciegan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: cegamos, cegáis. For cegar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él ciegue al conductor con las luces — "I hope he blinds the driver with the headlights".

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past. The -ra forms are 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 cegar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo cegara a los espectadores con el flash, todo cambiaría — "If I blinded the spectators with the flash, everything would change".

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: ciego, ciegas, ciega and ciegan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: cegamos, cegáis. For cegar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Ciega la vista con el polvo. — "Blind his sight with dust.".

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: ciego, ciegas, ciega and ciegan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: cegamos, cegáis. For cegar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No ciegues a su enemigo con el sol. — "Do not blind his enemy with the sun.".

Example sentences

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

  1. Yo ciego a su enemigo con el sol — "I blind his enemy with the sun"
  2. Mi amigo ciega al conductor con las luces — "My friend blinds the driver with the headlights"
  3. Ayer, yo cegué a los espectadores con el flash — "Yesterday, I blinded the spectators with the flash"
  4. Antes, nosotros cegábamos la vista con el polvo — "Before, we used to blind his sight with dust"
  5. Mañana, tú cegarás a su rival con arena — "Tomorrow, you will blind his rival with sand"
  6. Yo cegaría a su enemigo con el sol si tuviera más tiempo — "I would blind his enemy with the sun if I had more time"
  7. Él ha cegado al conductor con las luces — "He has blinded the driver with the headlights"
  8. Espero que él ciegue a los espectadores con el flash — "I hope he blinds the spectators with the flash"
  9. Yo ya había cegado la vista con el polvo antes de salir — "I already had blinded his sight with dust before leaving"
  10. Ellos cegaban a su rival con arena cuando eran jóvenes — "They used to blind his rival with sand when they were young"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo cego al conductor con las luces. — Right: Yo ciego al conductor con las luces. — cegar is a stem-changing verb (e → ie): the stem vowel changes in the stressed present forms, so the yo form is ciego, not cego.
  2. Wrong: Espero que él ciega al conductor con las luces — Right: Espero que él ciegue al conductor con las luces — After espero que, Spanish requires the subjunctive: Espero que él ciegue al conductor con las luces — not the indicative Espero que él ciega al conductor con las luces.
  3. Wrong: Ayer, yo ciego a los espectadores con el flash — Right: Ayer, yo cegué a los espectadores con el flash — Ayer points to a finished action in the past, so it needs the preterite: Ayer, yo cegué a los espectadores con el flash.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo cegué la vista con el polvo todos los días — Right: De niño, yo cegaba la vista con el polvo todos los días — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect, not the preterite: De niño, yo cegaba la vista con el polvo todos los días.
  5. Wrong: Yo ciego su enemigo con el sol. — Right: Yo ciego a su enemigo con el sol. — cegar takes a before this complement: Yo ciego a su enemigo con el sol. Dropping the preposition is a common learner error.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ a su enemigo con el sol — "I blind his enemy with the sun" (present) A. ciego B. ciegas C. ciega D. cegamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Él ______ al conductor con las luces — "He blinded the driver with the headlights" (preterite) A. cegué B. cegaste C. cegamos D. cegó

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ a los espectadores con el flash — "We used to blind the spectators with the flash" (imperfect) A. cegabais B. cegábamos C. cegaba D. cegabas

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú ______ la vista con el polvo — "You will blind his sight with dust" (future) A. cegaremos B. cegarás C. cegaré D. cegará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ a su rival con arena — "I would blind his rival with sand" (conditional) A. cegaríais B. cegaría C. cegarías D. cegaríamos

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ______ a su enemigo con el sol — "I hope he blinds his enemy with the sun" (present subjunctive) A. ciegue B. ciegues C. ceguemos D. ceguéis

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ______ al conductor con las luces, todo cambiaría — "If I blinded the driver with the headlights, everything would change" (imperfect subjunctive) A. cegaras B. cegáramos C. cegarais D. cegara

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ______ a los espectadores con el flash — "We have blinded the spectators with the flash" (present perfect) A. ha cegado B. hemos cegado C. he cegado D. has cegado

  9. Complete the sentence: No ______ la vista con el polvo. — "Do not blind his sight with dust." (negative imperative) A. ceguéis B. ciegues C. ciegue D. ceguemos

  10. Which is the gerund of cegar, used with estar for the progressive? A. cegando B. cegado C. ciego D. cegué

Answer key

  1. ciego — The present form for yo is ciego.
  2. cegó — The preterite form for él/ella/Ud. is cegó.
  3. cegábamos — The imperfect form for nosotros/as is cegábamos.
  4. cegarás — The future form for tú is cegarás.
  5. cegaría — The conditional form for yo is cegaría.
  6. ciegue — The present subjunctive form for él/ella/Ud. is ciegue.
  7. cegara — The imperfect subjunctive form for yo is cegara.
  8. hemos cegado — The present perfect form for nosotros/as is hemos cegado.
  9. ciegues — The negative imperative form is ciegues.
  10. cegando — The gerund of cegar is cegando: estoy cegando. The participle cegado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does cegar mean in English?

cegar means to blind. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo ciego a su enemigo con el sol — "I blind his enemy with the sun". The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is cegar regular?

No. cegar is a stem-changing -ar verb (e → ie). The stem vowel changes in the stressed forms of the present: ciego, ciegas, ciega and ciegan — but nosotros and vosotros keep the plain stem: cegamos, cegáis. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep the plain stem, which is the part learners most often get right by accident.

What is the gerund and the past participle of cegar?

The gerund is cegando and the past participle is cegado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.

How do I say "I blind" in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Ayer, yo cegué al conductor con las luces — "Yesterday, I blinded the driver with the headlights". For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: De niño, yo cegaba a los espectadores con el flash — "As a child, I used to blind the spectators with the flash". For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Hoy, yo he cegado al conductor con las luces — "Today, I have blinded the driver with the headlights".

What is the difference between cegar and deslumbrar?

Deslumbrar is to dazzle someone with bright light. Cegar is stronger — to blind them, literally or figuratively. Cegar means to blind someone, literally with light or dust, or figuratively: el amor ciega, la ambición ciega. It takes a person as its object and con for the cause.

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