Introduction

convencer means “to convince”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. It is the verb for expressing “to convince” in everyday Spanish — in conversation, at work, and at home. This page shows convencer in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo convenzo a mi amigo por la mañana.” — “I convince my friend.”

convencer in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how convencer is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.

In the present: everyday use

These sentences use {verb} in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.

  1. “Yo convenzo a mi amigo cada día.” — “I convince my friend.”
  2. “Tú convences a mi amigo cada día.” — “you convince my friend.”
  3. “Él convence a mi amigo siempre.” — “He convinces my friend.”
  4. “Nosotros convencemos a mi amigo todos los días.” — “We convince my friend.”

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show {verb} in the past, so you can talk about what already happened. 5. “Yo convencí a mi amigo ayer.” — “I convinced my friend.” (preterite) 6. “Él convenció a mi amigo ayer.” — “He convinced my friend.” (preterite) 7. “Yo convencía a mi amigo cuando era joven.” — “I used to convince my friend.” (imperfect)

Plans and things already done

These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of {verb} stays the same. 8. “Nosotros convenceremos a mi amigo mañana.” — “We will convince my friend.” (future) 9. “Tú has convencido a mi amigo hoy.” — “you have convinced my friend.” (present-perfect) 10. “Espero que yo convenza a mi amigo.” — “I hope that I convince my friend.” (present-subjunctive)

More everyday uses

Two more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action. 11. “Vosotros convencéis a mi amigo cada semana.” — “You convince my friend.” 12. “Ellos convencen a mi amigo normalmente.” — “They convince my friend.”

convencer in context

Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how convencer appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

Dialogue at work during a coffee break

Marta: “¿Tú convences a mi amigo?” — Do you convince my friend?

Carlos: “Sí, yo convenzo a mi amigo cada día. Es parte de mi rutina.” — Yes, I convince my friend every day. It is part of my routine.

Marta: “¿Y ayer? ¿También convences a mi amigo?” — And yesterday? Did you convince my friend too?

Carlos: “Sí, ayer yo convencí a mi amigo. Mañana nosotros convenceremos a mi amigo otra vez.” — Yes, yesterday I convinced my friend. Tomorrow we will convince my friend again.

A short paragraph

Él convence a mi amigo cada día — that one sentence already tells you a lot about how convencer works in real Spanish: who does it, when, and with what. Around it you can build a whole paragraph: what happened yesterday, what is happening now, and what will happen tomorrow, all with the same verb. When you write your own paragraph, start with the present — yo convenzo a mi amigo — then add one past sentence and one future sentence, and you have practised three tenses with one verb. That is the fastest way to make convencer yours: use it in a story, not only in a table.

Common mistakes

Using the unchanged stem

Learners often write convenco for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is convenzo. Because convencer changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo convenzo a mi amigo — until the changed stem feels natural.

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is convencí, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — convenci — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of convencer.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he convencido a mi amigo. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy convencido is not the present perfect of convencer — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing convencer with conservar

convencer and conservar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of convencer — convince — the sentence needs convencer; if it needs the meaning of conservar, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo convenza a mi amigo. Using the indicative — Espero que yo convenzo — is one of the most frequent learner errors with convencer. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of convencer in the present?

  • A. convences
  • B. convence
  • C. convencemos
  • D. convenzo

2. What is the tu form of convencer in the preterite?

  • A. convencimos
  • B. convenciste
  • C. convencí
  • D. convenció

3. What is the el form of convencer in the imperfect?

  • A. convencías
  • B. convencíamos
  • C. convencíais
  • D. convencía

4. What is the nosotros form of convencer in the future?

  • A. convencerá
  • B. convenceremos
  • C. convenceré
  • D. convencerás

5. What is the vosotros form of convencer in the present perfect?

  • A. he convencido
  • B. has convencido
  • C. ha convencido
  • D. habéis convencido

6. What is the ellos form of convencer in the present subjunctive?

  • A. convenza
  • B. convenzan
  • C. convenza
  • D. convenzas

7. What is the yo form of convencer in the preterite?

  • A. convenciste
  • B. convenció
  • C. convencimos
  • D. convencí

8. What is the tu form of convencer in the imperfect?

  • A. convencíamos
  • B. convencías
  • C. convencía
  • D. convencía

9. What is the el form of convencer in the future?

  • A. convenceré
  • B. convencerás
  • C. convenceremos
  • D. convencerá

10. What is the nosotros form of convencer in the conditional?

  • A. convencería
  • B. convenceríamos
  • C. convencería
  • D. convencerías

Answer key

  1. convenzo — The present table gives yo = convenzo.
  2. convenciste — The preterite table gives tu = convenciste.
  3. convencía — The imperfect table gives el = convencía.
  4. convenceremos — The future table gives nosotros = convenceremos.
  5. habéis convencido — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis convencido.
  6. convenzan — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = convenzan.
  7. convencí — The preterite table gives yo = convencí.
  8. convencías — The imperfect table gives tu = convencías.
  9. convencerá — The future table gives el = convencerá.
  10. convenceríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = convenceríamos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use convencer in a sentence?

Put the subject first, then the conjugated form, then the rest: “Yo convenzo a mi amigo.” — “I convince my friend.” Change the form for the person and the tense, but keep the sentence pattern the same.

What is the most useful form of convencer to learn first?

Learn the present yo form convenzo first, then the preterite yo form convencí and the participle convencido. With those three you can talk about the present, the past and the perfect tenses. Add the gerund convenciendo next, and you can describe actions in progress too.

Is convencer reflexive?

No — convencer is not reflexive. It takes a direct object, not a reflexive pronoun: yo convenzo a mi amigo. Do not add me or se to it unless the sentence genuinely needs a pronoun for another reason.

Where can I see the full conjugation of convencer?

On the main conjugation page for convencer, which has every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, plus notes, examples and a quiz. The present-tense page covers one tense in depth if that is what you need right now.

Related links