Civilizar Present Tense in Spanish
civilizar means "to civilise" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for civilizar, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "Every day, I civilise the peoples of the region." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of civilizar: full table
Every person of civilizar in the present tense. The gerund is civilizando and the past participle is civilizado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | civilizo |
| tú | civilizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | civiliza |
| nosotros/as | civilizamos |
| vosotros/as | civilizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | civilizan |
The gerund of civilizar is civilizando and the past participle is civilizado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy civilizando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he civilizado).
How the present tense of civilizar is formed
The present tense of civilizar is built from the stem civiliz- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo civilizo, tú civilizas, él civiliza, nosotros civilizamos, vosotros civilizáis and ellos civilizan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | civilizo |
| tú | -as | civilizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | civiliza |
| nosotros/as | -amos | civilizamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | civilizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | civilizan |
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.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is civilizando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy civilizando. The past participle is civilizado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he civilizado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with civilizar
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "Every day, I civilise the peoples of the region." The complement in this sentence is about the peoples of the region, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear civilizar in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú civilizas las costumbres del país. — "Now, you civilise the customs of the country." The complement in this sentence is about the customs of the country, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear civilizar in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él civiliza la vida en la ciudad. — "Normally, he/she civilises life in the city." The complement in this sentence is about life in the city, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear civilizar in the present tense.
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example: Mañana, nosotros civilizamos a las nuevas colonias. — "Tomorrow, we civilise the new colonies." The complement in this sentence is about the new colonies, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear civilizar in the present tense.
5. Frequent actions
With words such as siempre, a menudo and todos los días, the present tense shows how often something happens. For example: Siempre, ellos civilizan a los pueblos de la región. — "Always, they civilise the peoples of the region." The complement in this sentence is about the peoples of the region, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear civilizar in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: civilizar
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with civilizar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "Every day, I civilise the peoples of the region."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo civilicé a los pueblos de la región. — "Yesterday, I civilised the peoples of the region."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, tú civilizas las costumbres del país. — "Every day, you civilise the customs of the country."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú civilizaste las costumbres del país. — "Yesterday, you civilised the customs of the country."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, él civiliza la vida en la ciudad. — "Every day, he/she civilises life in the city."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él civilizó la vida en la ciudad. — "Yesterday, he/she civilised life in the city."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: civilizar in the present tense
These eight sentences show civilizar in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "I civilise the peoples of the region."
- Tú civilizas las costumbres del país. — "you civilise the customs of the country."
- Él civiliza la vida en la ciudad. — "he/she civilises life in the city."
- Nosotros civilizamos a las nuevas colonias. — "we civilise the new colonies."
- Vosotros civilizáis a los pueblos de la región. — "you (plural) civilise the peoples of the region."
- Ellos civilizan las costumbres del país. — "they civilise the customs of the country."
- Yo civilizo la vida en la ciudad. — "I civilise life in the city."
- Tú civilizas a las nuevas colonias. — "you civilise the new colonies."
Common mistakes with civilizar in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros civilizais a los pueblos de la región.
- Right: Vosotros civilizáis a los pueblos de la región.
- Why: The vosotros form civilizáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: 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. The extra pronoun changes the meaning of the sentence.
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." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo civilizo la vida en la ciudad.
- Right: Antes, yo civilizaba la vida en la ciudad.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo civilizaba la vida en la ciudad. — "In the past, I used to civilise life in the city." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
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. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of civilizar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of 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) civilizas
- (b) civiliza
- (c) civilizamos
- (d) civilizo
Answer: (d) civilizo. The yo form is civilizo. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of civilizar in the present tense?
- (a) civiliza
- (b) civilizamos
- (c) civilizas
- (d) civilizo
Answer: (c) civilizas. The tú form is civilizas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of civilizar in the present tense?
- (a) civilizamos
- (b) civiliza
- (c) civilizo
- (d) civilizas
Answer: (b) civiliza. The él/ella form is civiliza. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of civilizar in the present tense?
- (a) civilizamos
- (b) civilizo
- (c) civilizas
- (d) civiliza
Answer: (a) civilizamos. The nosotros form is civilizamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of civilizar in the present tense?
- (a) civilizo
- (b) civilizas
- (c) civiliza
- (d) civilizan
Answer: (d) civilizan. The ellos/ellas form is civilizan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. 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 (Every day, I civilise the peoples of the region.)
7. What is the gerund of civilizar?
- (a) civilizo
- (b) civilizar
- (c) civilizando
- (d) civilizado
Answer: (c) civilizando. The gerund is civilizando, used for the progressive: estoy civilizando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Mañana, yo civilizaré las costumbres del país.
- (b) Cada día, yo civilizo las costumbres del país.
- (c) Antes, yo civilizaba las costumbres del país.
- (d) Ayer, yo civilicé las costumbres del país.
Answer: (b) Cada día, yo civilizo las costumbres del país.. Cada día, yo civilizo las costumbres del país. (Every day, I civilise the customs of the country.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo civilicé las costumbres del país. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo civilizaré las costumbres del país. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of civilizar
Is civilizar regular in the present tense?
Almost. civilizar is a spelling-changing (z → c before e) -ar verb, so its endings are regular, but watch the spelling: 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.
How do you say 'civilise' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo civilizo a los pueblos de la región. — "Every day, I civilise the peoples of the region." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with civilizar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo civilizo las costumbres del país. — "Every day, I civilise the customs of the country." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo civilicé las costumbres del país. — "Yesterday, I civilised the customs of the country." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.
Can I use the present tense for the future with civilizar?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros civilizamos a las nuevas colonias. — "Tomorrow, we civilise the new colonies." Spanish often uses the present for a plan that feels certain, where English would use the future. Add a time word such as mañana so the listener knows you mean the future.