Colonizar Conjugation in Spanish
colonizar means "to colonise" in English, and it comes up when people talk about the southern island, the river valley, the northern lands and the continent in the sixteenth century. This page gives you the complete conjugation of colonizar in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the spelling changes. colonizar is a spelling-changing (z → c before e) -ar verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: Cada día, yo colonizo la isla del sur. — "Every day, I colonise the southern island." Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: colonizar
- English: to colonise
- Verb type: spelling-changing (z → c before e) -ar verb
- Gerund: colonizando
- Past participle: colonizado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + colonizado)
- Spelling change: spelling-changing (z → c before e).
Full conjugation table
Every tense of colonizar with all six persons. The gerund is colonizando and the past participle is colonizado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | colonizo |
| tú | colonizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | coloniza |
| nosotros/as | colonizamos |
| vosotros/as | colonizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colonizan |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | colonicé |
| tú | colonizaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | colonizó |
| nosotros/as | colonizamos |
| vosotros/as | colonizasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colonizaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | colonizaba |
| tú | colonizabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | colonizaba |
| nosotros/as | colonizábamos |
| vosotros/as | colonizabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colonizaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | colonizaré |
| tú | colonizarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | colonizará |
| nosotros/as | colonizaremos |
| vosotros/as | colonizaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colonizarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | colonizaría |
| tú | colonizarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | colonizaría |
| nosotros/as | colonizaríamos |
| vosotros/as | colonizaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colonizarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he colonizado |
| tú | has colonizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha colonizado |
| nosotros/as | hemos colonizado |
| vosotros/as | habéis colonizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han colonizado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había colonizado |
| tú | habías colonizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había colonizado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos colonizado |
| vosotros/as | habíais colonizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían colonizado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré colonizado |
| tú | habrás colonizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá colonizado |
| nosotros/as | habremos colonizado |
| vosotros/as | habréis colonizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán colonizado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría colonizado |
| tú | habrías colonizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría colonizado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos colonizado |
| vosotros/as | habríais colonizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían colonizado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | colonice |
| tú | colonices |
| él/ella/Ud. | colonice |
| nosotros/as | colonicemos |
| vosotros/as | colonicéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colonicen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | colonizara |
| tú | colonizaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | colonizara |
| nosotros/as | colonizáramos |
| vosotros/as | colonizarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colonizaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | coloniza |
| él/ella/Ud. | colonice |
| nosotros/as | colonicemos |
| vosotros/as | colonizad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colonicen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | colonices |
| él/ella/Ud. | colonice |
| nosotros/as | colonicemos |
| vosotros/as | colonicéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | colonicen |
Notes on each tense
A short note for every tense: when it is used, one example, and anything irregular about colonizar in that tense.
Present indicative
The present indicative of colonizar is used for routines, habits, general truths and things happening right now. Cada día, yo colonizo la isla del sur. — "Every day, I colonise the southern island." For colonizar this tense follows the regular -ar pattern: the stem coloniz- plus the usual endings. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Preterite (past)
The preterite (past) of colonizar is used for one action that started and finished in the past. Ayer, yo colonicé el valle del río. — "Yesterday, I colonised the river valley." Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is colonicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example colonice. Say each form aloud with the complement after it, so the person and the ending stay linked in your memory.
Imperfect
The imperfect of colonizar is used for an ongoing or repeated action in the past, background description and habits that no longer happen. Antes, yo colonizaba las tierras del norte. — "In the past, I used to colonise the northern lands." For colonizar this tense follows the regular -ar pattern: the stem coloniz- plus the usual endings. Compare the forms with the present tense as you learn them, and the pattern will stay clear.
Future
The future of colonizar is used for what will happen, plans and predictions. Mañana, nosotros colonizaremos el continente en el siglo XVI. — "Tomorrow, we will colonise the continent in the sixteenth century." For colonizar this tense follows the regular -ar pattern: the stem coloniz- plus the usual endings. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Conditional
The conditional of colonizar is used for what would happen, hypothetical situations and polite requests. Si pudieras, tú colonizarías la isla del sur. — "If you could, you would colonise the southern island." For colonizar this tense follows the regular -ar pattern: the stem coloniz- plus the usual endings. Say each form aloud with the complement after it, so the person and the ending stay linked in your memory.
Present perfect
The present perfect of colonizar is used for an action completed in the recent past that still matters now, or life experience up to now. Yo he colonizado el valle del río. — "I have colonised the river valley." For colonizar this tense follows the regular -ar pattern: the stem coloniz- plus the usual endings. Compare the forms with the present tense as you learn them, and the pattern will stay clear.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect of colonizar is used for an action that had already happened before another past action. Antes de la fiesta, yo había colonizado las tierras del norte. — "Before the party, I had colonised the northern lands." For colonizar this tense follows the regular -ar pattern: the stem coloniz- plus the usual endings. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Future perfect
The future perfect of colonizar is used for an action that will be finished by a point in the future. Para mañana, yo habré colonizado el continente en el siglo XVI. — "By tomorrow, I will have colonised the continent in the sixteenth century." For colonizar this tense follows the regular -ar pattern: the stem coloniz- plus the usual endings. Say each form aloud with the complement after it, so the person and the ending stay linked in your memory.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect of colonizar is used for what would have happened if things had been different. Si hubiera podido, yo habría colonizado la isla del sur. — "If I had been able to, I would have colonised the southern island." For colonizar this tense follows the regular -ar pattern: the stem coloniz- plus the usual endings. Compare the forms with the present tense as you learn them, and the pattern will stay clear.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive of colonizar is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and requests after expressions such as espero que. Espero que él colonice el valle del río. — "I hope that he/she colonises the river valley." Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is colonicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example colonice. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of colonizar is used for the same subjunctive meanings in the past, and in si clauses about unreal situations. Si él colonizara las tierras del norte, todo saldría mejor. — "If he/she colonised the northern lands, everything would turn out better." For colonizar this tense follows the regular -ar pattern: the stem coloniz- plus the usual endings. Say each form aloud with the complement after it, so the person and the ending stay linked in your memory.
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) of colonizar is used for orders, instructions and invitations. ¡Coloniza el continente en el siglo XVI! — "Colonise the continent in the sixteenth century!" Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is colonicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example colonice. Compare the forms with the present tense as you learn them, and the pattern will stay clear.
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) of colonizar is used for prohibitions and negative orders. No colonices la isla del sur. — "Do not colonise the southern island." Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is colonicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example colonice. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Examples: colonizar in real sentences
Ten sentences with colonizar, one for each main tense, each with its English translation. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Cada día, yo colonizo la isla del sur. — "Every day, I colonise the southern island." This is the present tense, used for a habit.
- Ayer, yo colonicé el valle del río. — "Yesterday, I colonised the river valley." This is the preterite, one finished action.
- Antes, yo colonizaba las tierras del norte. — "In the past, I used to colonise the northern lands." This is the imperfect, a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros colonizaremos el continente en el siglo XVI. — "Tomorrow, we will colonise the continent in the sixteenth century." This is the future tense, a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú colonizarías la isla del sur. — "If you could, you would colonise the southern island." This is the conditional, something that would happen.
- Yo he colonizado el valle del río. — "I have colonised the river valley." This is the present perfect, an action with present relevance.
- Espero que él colonice las tierras del norte. — "I hope that he/she colonises the northern lands." This is the present subjunctive, after espero que.
- Si él colonizara el continente en el siglo XVI, todo saldría mejor. — "If he/she colonised the continent in the sixteenth century, everything would turn out better." This is the imperfect subjunctive, in a si clause.
- ¡Coloniza la isla del sur! — "Colonise the southern island!" This is the imperative, a direct order or request.
- Ahora, Yo estoy colonizando el valle del río. — "Now, I am colonising the river valley." This is the progressive, with estar and the gerund.
Common mistakes with colonizar
The errors learners actually make with colonizar, 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 colonizo la isla del sur.
- Right: Yo colonizo la isla del sur.
- Why: colonizar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add. Yo colonizo la isla del sur. is the correct sentence, and the extra pronoun changes the meaning.
Mistake 2: Using the present tense after espero que
- Wrong: Espero que él coloniza el valle del río.
- Right: Espero que él colonice el valle del río.
- Why: After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and for colonizar the subjunctive also changes z to c: colonice, not coloniza.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo colonizo el valle del río.
- Right: Ayer, yo colonicé el valle del río.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday: Ayer, yo colonicé el valle del río. — "Yesterday, I colonised the river valley."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy colonizado las tierras del norte.
- Right: Estoy colonizando las tierras del norte.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund colonizando for the progressive. The participle colonizado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he colonizado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros coloniza la isla del sur.
- Right: Nosotros colonizamos la isla del sur.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes colonizamos, while coloniza belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: colonizar conjugation
Test yourself with ten questions on colonizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of colonizar in the present tense?
- (a) coloniza
- (b) colonizamos
- (c) colonizo
- (d) colonizas
Answer: (c) colonizo. The yo form is colonizo. Check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of colonizar in the present tense?
- (a) colonizamos
- (b) colonizas
- (c) colonizo
- (d) coloniza
Answer: (b) colonizas. The tú form is colonizas. Check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of colonizar in the present tense?
- (a) coloniza
- (b) colonizo
- (c) colonizas
- (d) colonizamos
Answer: (a) coloniza. The él/ella form is coloniza. Check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of colonizar in the present tense?
- (a) colonizo
- (b) colonizas
- (c) coloniza
- (d) colonizamos
Answer: (d) colonizamos. The nosotros form is colonizamos. Check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of colonizar in the present tense?
- (a) colonizas
- (b) coloniza
- (c) colonizan
- (d) colonizo
Answer: (c) colonizan. The ellos/ellas form is colonizan. Check the person before you answer.
6. What is the gerund of colonizar?
- (a) colonizo
- (b) colonizar
- (c) colonizando
- (d) colonizado
Answer: (c) colonizando. The gerund is colonizando, used for the progressive: estoy colonizando.
7. What is the past participle of colonizar?
- (a) colonizar
- (b) colonizado
- (c) colonizando
- (d) colonicé
Answer: (b) colonizado. The past participle is colonizado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he colonizado.
8. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la isla del sur.
- (a) colonizo
- (b) colonizas
- (c) coloniza
- (d) colonizamos
Answer: (a) colonizo. The sentence needs the yo form colonizo (Every day, I colonise the southern island.)
9. What is the yo form of colonizar in the preterite?
- (a) colonizaste
- (b) colonizó
- (c) colonizamos
- (d) colonicé
Answer: (d) colonicé. The yo preterite is colonicé. The preterite describes one finished action.
10. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ las tierras del norte.
- (a) colonicéis
- (b) colonice
- (c) colonices
- (d) colonicemos
Answer: (b) colonice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is colonice.
Frequently asked questions about colonizar
Is colonizar regular?
Almost. colonizar is a spelling-changing (z → c before e) -ar verb, so its endings are regular but its spelling changes in some forms: Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is colonicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example colonice. The rest of the conjugation follows the regular pattern, and the tables above show every form exactly.
What does colonizar mean, and when do I use it?
colonizar means "to colonise" in English. Use it when you talk about the southern island, the river valley, the northern lands and the continent in the sixteenth century — for example: Yo colonizo la isla del sur. — "I colonise the southern island." It is a practical verb for everyday conversation, and it appears in all the tenses on this page.
How do you say it in a real sentence?
A natural sentence is: Yo colonizo la isla del sur. — "I colonise the southern island." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life: the verb stays the same, only the ending changes.
Is there a reflexive form of colonizar?
No. colonizar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Yo colonizo la isla del sur. — "I colonise the southern island." Adding me, te or se would change the meaning, so keep the verb plain unless you mean the reflexive partner.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with colonizar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Yo colonizo la isla del sur. — "I colonise the southern island." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo colonicé la isla del sur. — "Yesterday, I colonised the southern island." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.