Cesar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb cesar means to cease, to stop, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Cesar means to cease or to stop, and it is a formal verb for stopping an activity: the rain ceases, a person ceases smoking, a noise ceases suddenly. It takes de before an infinitive, as in cesar de fumar, and it appears in weather, in law and in formal speech. Like every Spanish verb, cesar 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 ceso de fumar este año, and in the preterite you say cesé de trabajar los domingos. 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: cesar
- English: to cease, to stop
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: cesando
- Past participle: cesado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cesado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cesar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Cesar is fully regular: cesé, cesaba, cesaré. It takes de before an infinitive: cesar de fumar.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for cesar. 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 | ceso |
| tú | cesas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cesa |
| nosotros/as | cesamos |
| vosotros/as | cesáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cesan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cesé |
| tú | cesaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | cesó |
| nosotros/as | cesamos |
| vosotros/as | cesasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cesaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cesaba |
| tú | cesabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cesaba |
| nosotros/as | cesábamos |
| vosotros/as | cesabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cesaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cesaré |
| tú | cesarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | cesará |
| nosotros/as | cesaremos |
| vosotros/as | cesaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cesarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cesaría |
| tú | cesarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | cesaría |
| nosotros/as | cesaríamos |
| vosotros/as | cesaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cesarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he cesado |
| tú | has cesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha cesado |
| nosotros/as | hemos cesado |
| vosotros/as | habéis cesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han cesado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había cesado |
| tú | habías cesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había cesado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos cesado |
| vosotros/as | habíais cesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían cesado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré cesado |
| tú | habrás cesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá cesado |
| nosotros/as | habremos cesado |
| vosotros/as | habréis cesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán cesado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría cesado |
| tú | habrías cesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría cesado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos cesado |
| vosotros/as | habríais cesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían cesado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cese |
| tú | ceses |
| él/ella/Ud. | cese |
| nosotros/as | cesemos |
| vosotros/as | ceséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cesen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cesara |
| tú | cesaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | cesara |
| nosotros/as | cesáramos |
| vosotros/as | cesarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cesaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cesa |
| él/ella/Ud. | cese |
| nosotros/as | cesemos |
| vosotros/as | cesad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cesen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ceses |
| él/ella/Ud. | cese |
| nosotros/as | cesemos |
| vosotros/as | ceséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cesen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | cesando | with estar for the progressive: estoy cesando |
| Past participle | cesado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he cesado |
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 cesar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Ceso de fumar este año. 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 cesar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, cesé de quejarme tanto. 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 cesar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, cesaba de trabajar los domingos. 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 cesar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, cesaré de hablar por teléfono. 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 cesar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Cesaría de fumar este año 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 cesar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he cesado de quejarme tanto. 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 cesar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había cesado de trabajar los domingos 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 cesar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré cesado de hablar por teléfono. 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 cesar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría cesado de fumar este año 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 cesar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él cese de quejarme tanto. 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 cesar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él cesara de trabajar los domingos, 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 cesar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡cesa de hablar por teléfono! 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 cesar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No ceses de fumar este año. 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 cesar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Ceso de fumar este año. — I cease smoking this year.
- Cesa de quejarme tanto. — He/she ceases complaining so much.
- Ayer, cesé de trabajar los domingos. — Yesterday, I ceased working on Sundays.
- Antes, nosotros cesábamos de hablar por teléfono. — Before, we used to cease talking on the phone.
- Mañana, tú cesarás de fumar este año. — Tomorrow, you will cease smoking this year.
- Yo cesaría de quejarme tanto si tuviera más tiempo. — I would cease complaining so much if I had more time.
- Él ha cesado de trabajar los domingos. — He has ceased working on Sundays.
- Espero que él cese de hablar por teléfono. — I hope he ceases talking on the phone.
- Yo ya había cesado de fumar este año antes de salir. — I had already ceased smoking this year before leaving.
- Ellos cesaban de quejarme tanto cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to cease complaining so much when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo cesa de fumar este año. — Right: Yo ceso de fumar este año. — The person matters: cesa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ceso. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating cesar and parar as identical in every context. — Right: Cesar means to cease, to stop, while parar means to stop doing something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cesar fits sentences such as Ceso de fumar este año, while parar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy cesado de quejarme tanto. — Right: Yo he cesado de quejarme tanto. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cesado, has cesado, ha cesado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo cesé de trabajar los domingos todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cesaba de trabajar los domingos todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cesaba), not the preterite. The preterite (cesé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on cesar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de fumar este año. (present tense) A. ceso B. cesas C. cesa D. cesamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ de quejarme tanto. (preterite) A. cesé B. cesaste C. cesaron D. cesó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ de trabajar los domingos. (imperfect) A. cesabas B. cesaban C. cesábamos D. cesaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de hablar por teléfono. (future) A. cesaremos B. cesarás C. cesaré D. cesará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de fumar este año si pudiera. (conditional) A. cesaría B. cesarías C. cesarían D. ceso
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de quejarme tanto. (present subjunctive) A. ceses B. cesemos C. ceso D. cese
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de trabajar los domingos, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. cesáramos B. ceso C. cesara D. cesaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de hablar por teléfono. (present perfect) A. han cesado B. hemos cesado C. he cesado D. has cesado
Complete the command: ¡___ de fumar este año! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. cesa B. cese C. cesemos D. cesad
Which is the gerund of cesar, used with estar for the progressive? A. cesado B. ceso C. cesé D. cesando
Answer key
- ceso — The first-person present of cesar is ceso. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- cesó — The third-person preterite of cesar is cesó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- cesábamos — The nosotros imperfect of cesar is cesábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- cesarás — The second-person future of cesar is cesarás.
- cesaría — The first-person conditional of cesar is cesaría, the form for what would happen.
- cese — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of cesar is cese.
- cesara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of cesar is cesara.
- hemos cesado — The nosotros present perfect of cesar is hemos cesado: hemos + cesado.
- cesa — The affirmative tú imperative of cesar is cesa.
- cesando — The gerund of cesar is cesando: estoy cesando. The participle cesado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does cesar mean in English?
Cesar means to cease, to stop. It is used in everyday situations such as Ceso de fumar este año. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is cesar regular or irregular?
Cesar 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 ceso in the present and cesé in the preterite.
What is the difference between cesar and parar?
Cesar means to cease, to stop, while parar means to stop doing something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use cesar when you mean to cease, to stop, as in Ceso de fumar este año, and use parar for to stop doing something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I cease” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo cesé de quejarme tanto. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo cesaba de trabajar los domingos. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he cesado de quejarme tanto.
How do I practise cesar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the cesar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Cesar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for cesar.
- Cesar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for cesar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Cepillar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cesar.
- Charlar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cesar.
- Celebrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cesar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.