Civilizar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
civilizar means "to civilise" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see civilizar with the peoples of the region, the customs of the country, life in the city and the new colonies — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "Every day, I civilise the peoples of the region." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
civilizar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with civilizar, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "Every day, I civilise the peoples of the region." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo civilicé las costumbres del país. — "Yesterday, I civilised the customs of the country." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo civilizaba la vida en la ciudad. — "In the past, I used to civilise life in the city." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros civilizaremos a las nuevas colonias. — "Tomorrow, we will civilise the new colonies." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú civilizarías a los pueblos de la región. — "If you could, you would civilise the peoples of the region." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he civilizado las costumbres del país. — "I have civilised the customs of the country." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él civiliza la vida en la ciudad. — "Normally, he/she civilises life in the city." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él civilizó a las nuevas colonias. — "Yesterday, he/she civilised the new colonies." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros civilizábamos a los pueblos de la región. — "In the past, we used to civilise the peoples of the region." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo civilizaré las costumbres del país. — "Tomorrow, I will civilise the customs of the country." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él civilice la vida en la ciudad. — "I hope that he/she civilises life in the city." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Civiliza a las nuevas colonias! — "Civilise the new colonies!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using civilizar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: the peoples of the region, the customs of the country, life in the city and the new colonies.
Dialogue 1: talking about the peoples of the region
Lucía: ¿Tú civilizas a los pueblos de la región? — "Do you civilise the peoples of the region?" Pedro: Sí, yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "I civilise the peoples of the region." Lucía: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Pedro: Ayer, yo civilicé las costumbres del país. — "Yesterday, I civilised the customs of the country." Lucía: Mañana, nosotros civilizaremos la vida en la ciudad. — "Tomorrow, we will civilise life in the city." Pedro: Si pudiera, yo civilizaría a las nuevas colonias. — "If I could, I would civilise the new colonies." Lucía: Antes, yo civilizaba las costumbres del país. — "In the past, I used to civilise the customs of the country." Pedro: Yo he civilizado a los pueblos de la región. — "I have civilised the peoples of the region." Lucía: ¡Civiliza la vida en la ciudad! — "Civilise life in the city!"
In this dialogue civilizar appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about life in the city
Lucía: Él civiliza la vida en la ciudad. — "he/she civilises life in the city." Pedro: ¿De verdad? ¿Él civiliza la vida en la ciudad todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she civilises life in the city every day?" Lucía: Sí, y ellos civilizan a las nuevas colonias. — "they civilise the new colonies." Pedro: Ayer, ellos civilizaron la vida en la ciudad. — "Yesterday, they civilised life in the city." Lucía: Espero que él civilice a las nuevas colonias. — "I hope that he/she civilises the new colonies." Pedro: Mañana, él civilizará la vida en la ciudad. — "Tomorrow, he/she will civilise life in the city." Lucía: Antes, nosotros civilizábamos a las nuevas colonias. — "In the past, we used to civilise the new colonies." Pedro: Nosotros civilizamos a los pueblos de la región también. — "we civilise the peoples of the region too."
This dialogue shows civilizar in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with civilizar
The errors learners actually make with civilizar in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me civilizo a los pueblos de la región.
- Right: Yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región.
- Why: civilizar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo civilizar a los pueblos de la región.
- Right: Yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región.
- Why: The infinitive civilizar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form civilizo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo civilizo las costumbres del país.
- Right: Ayer, yo civilicé las costumbres del país.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo civilicé las costumbres del país. — "Yesterday, I civilised the customs of the country."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy civilizado la vida en la ciudad.
- Right: Estoy civilizando la vida en la ciudad.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund civilizando for the progressive. The participle civilizado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he civilizado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros civiliza a los pueblos de la región.
- Right: Nosotros civilizamos a los pueblos de la región.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes civilizamos, while civiliza belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: civilizar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on civilizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of civilizar in the present tense?
- (a) civilizamos
- (b) civilizo
- (c) civilizas
- (d) civiliza
Answer: (b) civilizo. The yo form is civilizo.
2. What is the tú form of civilizar in the present tense?
- (a) civilizas
- (b) civilizo
- (c) civiliza
- (d) civilizamos
Answer: (a) civilizas. The tú form is civilizas.
3. What is the él/ella form of civilizar in the present tense?
- (a) civilizo
- (b) civilizas
- (c) civilizamos
- (d) civiliza
Answer: (d) civiliza. The él/ella form is civiliza.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ a los pueblos de la región.
- (a) civiliza
- (b) civilizamos
- (c) civilizo
- (d) civilizas
Answer: (c) civilizo. The sentence needs the yo form civilizo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ las costumbres del país.
- (a) civilizamos
- (b) civilicé
- (c) civilizaste
- (d) civilizó
Answer: (b) civilicé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is civilicé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ la vida en la ciudad.
- (a) civilizaba
- (b) civilizabas
- (c) civilizábamos
- (d) civilizabais
Answer: (a) civilizaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is civilizaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ a las nuevas colonias.
- (a) civilizarás
- (b) civilizará
- (c) civilizaremos
- (d) civilizaré
Answer: (d) civilizaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is civilizaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los pueblos de la región.
- (a) has civilizado
- (b) ha civilizado
- (c) hemos civilizado
- (d) he civilizado
Answer: (d) he civilizado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he civilizado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la vida en la ciudad.
- (a) civilicéis
- (b) civilice
- (c) civilices
- (d) civilicemos
Answer: (b) civilice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is civilice.
10. What does civilizar mean in English?
- (a) to get impatient
- (b) to civilise
- (c) to get used to
- (d) to imagine
Answer: (b) to civilise. civilizar means "to civilise" in English.
Frequently asked questions about civilizar
What does civilizar mean?
civilizar means "to civilise" in English. Use it when you talk about the peoples of the region, the customs of the country, life in the city and the new colonies — for example: Cada día, yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "Every day, I civilise the peoples of the region."
Is there a reflexive form of civilizar?
No. civilizar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "Every day, I civilise the peoples of the region."
What is the most common mistake with civilizar?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is civilicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example civilice. Practise the yo form and the subjunctive forms until they feel automatic, and check them against the table on the conjugation page.
How can I practise civilizar?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.