Cercar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb cercar means to fence in, to surround, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Cercar means to fence in or to surround, to put a fence around a place or to surround someone or something. It is used for fields, houses and police operations, and it is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e. Like every Spanish verb, cercar 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 cerco el jardín con una valla, and in the preterite you say cerqué al sospechoso en la plaza. 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: cercar
- English: to fence in, to surround
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: cercando
- Past participle: cercado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cercado)
- Spelling change: Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the present subjunctive is cerque and the preterite first person is cerqué — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cercar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is cerqué. In the present tense it is regular: cerco.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for cercar. 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 | cerco |
| tú | cercas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cerca |
| nosotros/as | cercamos |
| vosotros/as | cercáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cercan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cerqué |
| tú | cercaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | cercó |
| nosotros/as | cercamos |
| vosotros/as | cercasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cercaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cercaba |
| tú | cercabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cercaba |
| nosotros/as | cercábamos |
| vosotros/as | cercabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cercaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cercaré |
| tú | cercarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | cercará |
| nosotros/as | cercaremos |
| vosotros/as | cercaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cercarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cercaría |
| tú | cercarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | cercaría |
| nosotros/as | cercaríamos |
| vosotros/as | cercaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cercarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he cercado |
| tú | has cercado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha cercado |
| nosotros/as | hemos cercado |
| vosotros/as | habéis cercado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han cercado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había cercado |
| tú | habías cercado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había cercado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos cercado |
| vosotros/as | habíais cercado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían cercado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré cercado |
| tú | habrás cercado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá cercado |
| nosotros/as | habremos cercado |
| vosotros/as | habréis cercado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán cercado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría cercado |
| tú | habrías cercado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría cercado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos cercado |
| vosotros/as | habríais cercado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían cercado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cerque |
| tú | cerques |
| él/ella/Ud. | cerque |
| nosotros/as | cerquemos |
| vosotros/as | cerquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cerquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cercara |
| tú | cercaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | cercara |
| nosotros/as | cercáramos |
| vosotros/as | cercarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cercaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cerca |
| él/ella/Ud. | cerque |
| nosotros/as | cerquemos |
| vosotros/as | cercad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cerquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cerques |
| él/ella/Ud. | cerque |
| nosotros/as | cerquemos |
| vosotros/as | cerquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cerquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | cercando | with estar for the progressive: estoy cercando |
| Past participle | cercado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he cercado |
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 cercar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Cerco el jardín con una valla. 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: c becomes qu before e, so the present subjunctive is cerque and the preterite first person is cerqué — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. For cercar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, cerqué la casa con un muro. 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 cercar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, cercaba al sospechoso en la plaza. 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 cercar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, cercaré el campo con alambre. 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 cercar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Cercaría el jardín con una valla 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 cercar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he cercado la casa con un muro. 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 cercar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había cercado al sospechoso en la plaza 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 cercar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré cercado el campo con alambre. 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 cercar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría cercado el jardín con una valla 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: c becomes qu before e, so the present subjunctive is cerque and the preterite first person is cerqué — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. For cercar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él cerque la casa con un muro. 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 cercar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él cercara al sospechoso en la plaza, 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: c becomes qu before e, so the present subjunctive is cerque and the preterite first person is cerqué — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. For cercar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Cerca el campo con alambre! 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: c becomes qu before e, so the present subjunctive is cerque and the preterite first person is cerqué — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. For cercar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No cerques el jardín con una valla. 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 cercar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Cerco el jardín con una valla. — I fence in the garden with a fence.
- Cerca la casa con un muro. — He/she fences in the house with a wall.
- Ayer, cerqué al sospechoso en la plaza. — Yesterday, I fenced in the suspect in the square.
- Antes, nosotros cercábamos el campo con alambre. — Before, we used to fence in the field with wire.
- Mañana, tú cercarás el jardín con una valla. — Tomorrow, you will fence in the garden with a fence.
- Yo cercaría la casa con un muro si tuviera más tiempo. — I would fence in the house with a wall if I had more time.
- Él ha cercado al sospechoso en la plaza. — He has fenced in the suspect in the square.
- Espero que él cerque el campo con alambre. — I hope he fences in the field with wire.
- Yo ya había cercado el jardín con una valla antes de salir. — I had already fenced in the garden with a fence before leaving.
- Ellos cercaban la casa con un muro cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to fence in the house with a wall when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo cerca el jardín con una valla. — Right: Yo cerco el jardín con una valla. — The person matters: cerca is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is cerco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Espero que yo cerce la casa con un muro. — Right: Espero que yo cerque la casa con un muro. — Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the present subjunctive is cerque, never cerce.
- Wrong: Treating cercar and rodear as identical in every context. — Right: Cercar means to fence in, to surround, while rodear means to surround. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cercar fits sentences such as Cerco el jardín con una valla, while rodear belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy cercado la casa con un muro. — Right: Yo he cercado la casa con un muro. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cercado, has cercado, ha cercado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo cerqué al sospechoso en la plaza todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cercaba al sospechoso en la plaza todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cercaba), not the preterite. The preterite (cerqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on cercar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el jardín con una valla. (present tense) A. cerco B. cercas C. cerca D. cercamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la casa con un muro. (preterite) A. cerqué B. cercaste C. cercaron D. cercó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ al sospechoso en la plaza. (imperfect) A. cercabas B. cercaban C. cercábamos D. cercaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el campo con alambre. (future) A. cercaremos B. cercarás C. cercaré D. cercará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el jardín con una valla si pudiera. (conditional) A. cercaría B. cercarías C. cercarían D. cerco
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la casa con un muro. (present subjunctive) A. cerques B. cerquemos C. cerco D. cerque
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ al sospechoso en la plaza, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. cercáramos B. cerco C. cercara D. cercaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el campo con alambre. (present perfect) A. han cercado B. hemos cercado C. he cercado D. has cercado
Complete the command: ¡___ el jardín con una valla! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. cerca B. cerque C. cerquemos D. cercad
Which is the gerund of cercar, used with estar for the progressive? A. cercado B. cerco C. cerqué D. cercando
Answer key
- cerco — The first-person present of cercar is cerco. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- cercó — The third-person preterite of cercar is cercó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- cercábamos — The nosotros imperfect of cercar is cercábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- cercarás — The second-person future of cercar is cercarás.
- cercaría — The first-person conditional of cercar is cercaría, the form for what would happen.
- cerque — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of cercar is cerque.
- cercara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of cercar is cercara.
- hemos cercado — The nosotros present perfect of cercar is hemos cercado: hemos + cercado.
- cerca — The affirmative tú imperative of cercar is cerca.
- cercando — The gerund of cercar is cercando: estoy cercando. The participle cercado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does cercar mean in English?
Cercar means to fence in, to surround. It is used in everyday situations such as Cerco el jardín con una valla. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is cercar regular or irregular?
Cercar is a spelling-change verb, so it is not fully regular. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the present subjunctive is cerque and the preterite first person is cerqué — the sound stays the same, only the spelling changes. The other tenses follow the regular -ar endings. Learn the changed forms from the tables above rather than applying the regular spelling.
What is the difference between cercar and rodear?
Cercar means to fence in, to surround, while rodear means to surround. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use cercar when you mean to fence in, to surround, as in Cerco el jardín con una valla, and use rodear for to surround. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I fence in” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo cerqué la casa con un muro. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo cercaba al sospechoso en la plaza. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he cercado la casa con un muro.
How do I practise cercar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the cercar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Cercar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for cercar.
- Cercar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for cercar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Chatear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cercar.
- Centrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cercar.
- Chequear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cercar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.