Centrar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb centrar means to centre, to focus, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Centrar means to center or to focus, to put something in the middle or to direct attention to a topic. It is used for photos, discussions and work, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, centrar 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 centro la imagen en la pantalla, and in the preterite you say centré el debate en el problema. 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: centrar
- English: to centre, to focus
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: centrando
- Past participle: centrado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + centrado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for centrar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Centrar is fully regular: centro, centra. It is putting something in the center or focusing on it; enfocar is aiming a camera or attention.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for centrar. 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 | centro |
| tú | centras |
| él/ella/Ud. | centra |
| nosotros/as | centramos |
| vosotros/as | centráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | centran |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | centré |
| tú | centraste |
| él/ella/Ud. | centró |
| nosotros/as | centramos |
| vosotros/as | centrasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | centraron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | centraba |
| tú | centrabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | centraba |
| nosotros/as | centrábamos |
| vosotros/as | centrabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | centraban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | centraré |
| tú | centrarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | centrará |
| nosotros/as | centraremos |
| vosotros/as | centraréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | centrarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | centraría |
| tú | centrarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | centraría |
| nosotros/as | centraríamos |
| vosotros/as | centraríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | centrarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he centrado |
| tú | has centrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha centrado |
| nosotros/as | hemos centrado |
| vosotros/as | habéis centrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han centrado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había centrado |
| tú | habías centrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había centrado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos centrado |
| vosotros/as | habíais centrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían centrado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré centrado |
| tú | habrás centrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá centrado |
| nosotros/as | habremos centrado |
| vosotros/as | habréis centrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán centrado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría centrado |
| tú | habrías centrado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría centrado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos centrado |
| vosotros/as | habríais centrado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían centrado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | centre |
| tú | centres |
| él/ella/Ud. | centre |
| nosotros/as | centremos |
| vosotros/as | centréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | centren |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | centrara |
| tú | centraras |
| él/ella/Ud. | centrara |
| nosotros/as | centráramos |
| vosotros/as | centrarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | centraran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | centra |
| él/ella/Ud. | centre |
| nosotros/as | centremos |
| vosotros/as | centrad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | centren |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | centres |
| él/ella/Ud. | centre |
| nosotros/as | centremos |
| vosotros/as | centréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | centren |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | centrando | with estar for the progressive: estoy centrando |
| Past participle | centrado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he centrado |
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 centrar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Centro la imagen en la pantalla. 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 centrar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, centré la atención en el examen. 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 centrar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, centraba el debate en el problema. 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 centrar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, centraré la cámara en su cara. 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 centrar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Centraría la imagen en la pantalla 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 centrar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he centrado la atención en el examen. 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 centrar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había centrado el debate en el problema 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 centrar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré centrado la cámara en su cara. 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 centrar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría centrado la imagen en la pantalla 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 centrar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él centre la atención en el examen. 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 centrar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él centrara el debate en el problema, 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 centrar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Centra la cámara en su cara! 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 centrar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No centres la imagen en la pantalla. 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 centrar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Centro la imagen en la pantalla. — I center the image on the screen.
- Centra la atención en el examen. — He/she centers my attention on the exam.
- Ayer, centré el debate en el problema. — Yesterday, I centered the debate on the problem.
- Antes, nosotros centrábamos la cámara en su cara. — Before, we used to center the camera on his face.
- Mañana, tú centrarás la imagen en la pantalla. — Tomorrow, you will center the image on the screen.
- Yo centraría la atención en el examen si tuviera más tiempo. — I would center my attention on the exam if I had more time.
- Él ha centrado el debate en el problema. — He has centered the debate on the problem.
- Espero que él centre la cámara en su cara. — I hope he centers the camera on his face.
- Yo ya había centrado la imagen en la pantalla antes de salir. — I had already centered the image on the screen before leaving.
- Ellos centraban la atención en el examen cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to center my attention on the exam when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo centra la imagen en la pantalla. — Right: Yo centro la imagen en la pantalla. — The person matters: centra is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is centro. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo centro la atención en el examen. — Right: Ayer yo centré la atención en el examen. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: centro is happening now, while centré is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating centrar and enfocar as identical in every context. — Right: Centrar means to centre, to focus, while enfocar means to focus, a camera or attention. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: centrar fits sentences such as Centro la imagen en la pantalla, while enfocar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy centrado la atención en el examen. — Right: Yo he centrado la atención en el examen. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he centrado, has centrado, ha centrado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo centré el debate en el problema todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo centraba el debate en el problema todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (centraba), not the preterite. The preterite (centré) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on centrar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la imagen en la pantalla. (present tense) A. centro B. centras C. centra D. centramos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la atención en el examen. (preterite) A. centré B. centraste C. centraron D. centró
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el debate en el problema. (imperfect) A. centrabas B. centraban C. centrábamos D. centraba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la cámara en su cara. (future) A. centraremos B. centrarás C. centraré D. centrará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la imagen en la pantalla si pudiera. (conditional) A. centraría B. centrarías C. centrarían D. centro
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la atención en el examen. (present subjunctive) A. centres B. centremos C. centro D. centre
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el debate en el problema, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. centráramos B. centro C. centrara D. centraras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la cámara en su cara. (present perfect) A. han centrado B. hemos centrado C. he centrado D. has centrado
Complete the command: ¡___ la imagen en la pantalla! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. centra B. centre C. centremos D. centrad
Which is the gerund of centrar, used with estar for the progressive? A. centrado B. centro C. centré D. centrando
Answer key
- centro — The first-person present of centrar is centro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- centró — The third-person preterite of centrar is centró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- centrábamos — The nosotros imperfect of centrar is centrábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- centrarás — The second-person future of centrar is centrarás.
- centraría — The first-person conditional of centrar is centraría, the form for what would happen.
- centre — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of centrar is centre.
- centrara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of centrar is centrara.
- hemos centrado — The nosotros present perfect of centrar is hemos centrado: hemos + centrado.
- centra — The affirmative tú imperative of centrar is centra.
- centrando — The gerund of centrar is centrando: estoy centrando. The participle centrado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does centrar mean in English?
Centrar means to centre, to focus. It is used in everyday situations such as Centro la imagen en la pantalla. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is centrar regular or irregular?
Centrar is a fully regular -ar 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 centro in the present and centré in the preterite.
What is the difference between centrar and enfocar?
Centrar means to centre, to focus, while enfocar means to focus, a camera or attention. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use centrar when you mean to centre, to focus, as in Centro la imagen en la pantalla, and use enfocar for to focus, a camera or attention. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I centre” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo centré la atención en el examen. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo centraba el debate en el problema. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he centrado la atención en el examen.
How do I practise centrar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the centrar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Centrar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for centrar.
- Centrar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for centrar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Cabecear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with centrar.
- Cercar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with centrar.
- Botar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with centrar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.