Concienciar Present Tense in Spanish
concienciar means "to raise awareness" 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 concienciar, 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 conciencio a los jóvenes sobre el clima. — "Every day, I raise awareness young people about the climate." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of concienciar: full table
Every person of concienciar in the present tense. The gerund is concienciando and the past participle is concienciado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | conciencio |
| tú | conciencias |
| él/ella/Ud. | conciencia |
| nosotros/as | concienciamos |
| vosotros/as | concienciáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | conciencian |
The gerund of concienciar is concienciando and the past participle is concienciado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy concienciando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he concienciado).
How the present tense of concienciar is formed
The present tense of concienciar is built from the stem concienci- 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 conciencio, tú conciencias, él conciencia, nosotros concienciamos, vosotros concienciáis and ellos conciencian. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | conciencio |
| tú | -as | conciencias |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | conciencia |
| nosotros/as | -amos | concienciamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | concienciáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | conciencian |
concienciar is completely regular in the present tense: the stem never changes and every ending is the standard -ar ending. The only thing to watch is the accent on the vosotros form concienciáis.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is concienciando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy concienciando. The past participle is concienciado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he concienciado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with concienciar
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo conciencio a los jóvenes sobre el clima. — "Every day, I raise awareness young people about the climate." The complement in this sentence is about young people about the climate, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear concienciar in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú conciencias a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. — "Now, you raise awareness the pupils about recycling." The complement in this sentence is about the pupils about recycling, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear concienciar 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 conciencia a la sociedad sobre la salud. — "Normally, he/she raises awareness society about health." The complement in this sentence is about society about health, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear concienciar 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 concienciamos a los conductores sobre el peligro. — "Tomorrow, we raise awareness drivers about the danger." The complement in this sentence is about drivers about the danger, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear concienciar 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 conciencian a los jóvenes sobre el clima. — "Always, they raise awareness young people about the climate." The complement in this sentence is about young people about the climate, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear concienciar in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: concienciar
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 concienciar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo conciencio a los jóvenes sobre el clima. — "Every day, I raise awareness young people about the climate."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo conciencié a los jóvenes sobre el clima. — "Yesterday, I raised awareness young people about the climate."
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 conciencias a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. — "Every day, you raise awareness the pupils about recycling."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú concienciaste a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. — "Yesterday, you raised awareness the pupils about recycling."
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 conciencia a la sociedad sobre la salud. — "Every day, he/she raises awareness society about health."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él concienció a la sociedad sobre la salud. — "Yesterday, he/she raised awareness society about health."
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: concienciar in the present tense
These eight sentences show concienciar 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 conciencio a los jóvenes sobre el clima. — "I raise awareness young people about the climate."
- Tú conciencias a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. — "you raise awareness the pupils about recycling."
- Él conciencia a la sociedad sobre la salud. — "he/she raises awareness society about health."
- Nosotros concienciamos a los conductores sobre el peligro. — "we raise awareness drivers about the danger."
- Vosotros concienciáis a los jóvenes sobre el clima. — "you (plural) raise awareness young people about the climate."
- Ellos conciencian a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. — "they raise awareness the pupils about recycling."
- Yo conciencio a la sociedad sobre la salud. — "I raise awareness society about health."
- Tú conciencias a los conductores sobre el peligro. — "you raise awareness drivers about the danger."
Common mistakes with concienciar in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros concienciais a los jóvenes sobre el clima.
- Right: Vosotros concienciáis a los jóvenes sobre el clima.
- Why: The vosotros form concienciáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me conciencio a los jóvenes sobre el clima.
- Right: Yo conciencio a los jóvenes sobre el clima.
- Why: concienciar 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 conciencio a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje.
- Right: Ayer, yo conciencié a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo conciencié a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. — "Yesterday, I raised awareness the pupils about recycling." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo conciencio a la sociedad sobre la salud.
- Right: Antes, yo concienciaba a la sociedad sobre la salud.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo concienciaba a la sociedad sobre la salud. — "In the past, I used to raise awareness society about health." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros conciencia a los jóvenes sobre el clima.
- Right: Nosotros concienciamos a los jóvenes sobre el clima.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes concienciamos, while conciencia belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of concienciar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of concienciar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of concienciar in the present tense?
- (a) conciencia
- (b) concienciamos
- (c) conciencio
- (d) conciencias
Answer: (c) conciencio. The yo form is conciencio. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of concienciar in the present tense?
- (a) concienciamos
- (b) conciencias
- (c) conciencio
- (d) conciencia
Answer: (b) conciencias. The tú form is conciencias. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of concienciar in the present tense?
- (a) conciencia
- (b) conciencio
- (c) conciencias
- (d) concienciamos
Answer: (a) conciencia. The él/ella form is conciencia. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of concienciar in the present tense?
- (a) conciencio
- (b) conciencias
- (c) conciencia
- (d) concienciamos
Answer: (d) concienciamos. The nosotros form is concienciamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of concienciar in the present tense?
- (a) conciencias
- (b) conciencia
- (c) conciencian
- (d) conciencio
Answer: (c) conciencian. The ellos/ellas form is conciencian. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ a los jóvenes sobre el clima.
- (a) concienciamos
- (b) conciencio
- (c) conciencias
- (d) conciencia
Answer: (b) conciencio. The sentence needs the yo form conciencio (Every day, I raise awareness young people about the climate.)
7. What is the gerund of concienciar?
- (a) concienciar
- (b) concienciando
- (c) concienciado
- (d) conciencio
Answer: (b) concienciando. The gerund is concienciando, used for the progressive: estoy concienciando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo conciencio a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje.
- (b) Antes, yo concienciaba a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje.
- (c) Ayer, yo conciencié a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje.
- (d) Mañana, yo concienciaré a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo conciencio a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje.. Cada día, yo conciencio a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. (Every day, I raise awareness the pupils about recycling.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo conciencié a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo concienciaré a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of concienciar
Is concienciar regular in the present tense?
Yes. concienciar is a regular -ar verb: conciencio, conciencias, conciencia, concienciamos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
How do you say 'raise awareness' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo conciencio a los jóvenes sobre el clima. — "Every day, I raise awareness young people about the climate." 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 concienciar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo conciencio a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. — "Every day, I raise awareness the pupils about recycling." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo conciencié a los alumnos sobre el reciclaje. — "Yesterday, I raised awareness the pupils about recycling." 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 concienciar?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros concienciamos a los conductores sobre el peligro. — "Tomorrow, we raise awareness drivers about the danger." 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.