Cotizar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb cotizar means to quote (a price), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Cotizar is a spelling-changing -ar (z → c before e) verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. It has a spelling change (z → c before e), which keeps the pronunciation of the stem the same when the ending changes. On this page you will find the full conjugation of cotizar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo cotizo el trabajo — "I quote the work" — and in the preterite you say Yo coticé en bolsa — "I quoted on the stock market". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: cotizar
- English: to quote (a price)
- Verb type: spelling-changing -ar (z → c before e) verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: cotizando
- Past participle: cotizado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cotizado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cotizar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for cotizar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Gerund: cotizando · Past participle: cotizado
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cotizo |
| tú | cotizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cotiza |
| nosotros/as | cotizamos |
| vosotros/as | cotizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cotizan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | coticé |
| tú | cotizaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | cotizó |
| nosotros/as | cotizamos |
| vosotros/as | cotizasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cotizaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cotizaba |
| tú | cotizabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | cotizaba |
| nosotros/as | cotizábamos |
| vosotros/as | cotizabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cotizaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cotizaré |
| tú | cotizarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | cotizará |
| nosotros/as | cotizaremos |
| vosotros/as | cotizaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cotizarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cotizaría |
| tú | cotizarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | cotizaría |
| nosotros/as | cotizaríamos |
| vosotros/as | cotizaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cotizarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he cotizado |
| tú | has cotizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha cotizado |
| nosotros/as | hemos cotizado |
| vosotros/as | habéis cotizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han cotizado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había cotizado |
| tú | habías cotizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había cotizado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos cotizado |
| vosotros/as | habíais cotizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían cotizado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré cotizado |
| tú | habrás cotizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá cotizado |
| nosotros/as | habremos cotizado |
| vosotros/as | habréis cotizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán cotizado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría cotizado |
| tú | habrías cotizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría cotizado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos cotizado |
| vosotros/as | habríais cotizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían cotizado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cotice |
| tú | cotices |
| él/ella/Ud. | cotice |
| nosotros/as | coticemos |
| vosotros/as | coticéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | coticen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | cotizara |
| tú | cotizaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | cotizara |
| nosotros/as | cotizáramos |
| vosotros/as | cotizarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | cotizaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cotiza |
| él/ella/Ud. | cotice |
| nosotros/as | coticemos |
| vosotros/as | cotizad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | coticen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | cotices |
| él/ella/Ud. | cotice |
| nosotros/as | coticemos |
| vosotros/as | coticéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | coticen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | cotizando | with estar for the progressive: estoy cotizando |
| Past participle | cotizado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he cotizado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For cotizar, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo cotizo en bolsa — "I quote on the stock market". Learn the present indicative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For cotizar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo coticé a buen precio — "I quoted at a good price". Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense. Spelling change in the preterite: the yo form is coticé (z → c before e), so the sound of the stem stays the same.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For cotizar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo cotizaba el trabajo — "I used to quote the work". Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For cotizar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo cotizaré en bolsa — "I will quote on the stock market". Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For cotizar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo cotizaría a buen precio — "I would quote at a good price". Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. It connects the past with the present moment. For cotizar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo he cotizado el trabajo — "I have quoted the work". Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For cotizar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo había cotizado en bolsa — "I had quoted on the stock market". Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For cotizar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habré cotizado a buen precio — "I will have quoted at a good price". Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. It looks back at a past that never happened. For cotizar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo habría cotizado el trabajo — "I would have quoted the work". Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For cotizar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él cotice en bolsa — "I hope he quotes on the stock market". Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense. The subjunctive keeps the spelling change: cotice, cotices, cotice all show z → c before e, just like the preterite yo form.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For cotizar, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo cotizara a buen precio, todo cambiaría — "If I quoted at a good price, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For cotizar, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Cotice el trabajo — "Let him quote the work". Learn the imperative (affirmative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For cotizar, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No cotices en bolsa — "Don't quote on the stock market". Learn the imperative (negative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with cotizar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Yo cotizo a buen precio — "I quote at a good price"
- Él cotiza el trabajo — "He quotes the work"
- Yo coticé en bolsa — "I quoted on the stock market"
- Yo cotizaba a buen precio — "I used to quote at a good price"
- Tú cotizarás el trabajo — "You will quote the work"
- Yo cotizaría en bolsa — "I would quote on the stock market"
- Él ha cotizado a buen precio — "He has quoted at a good price"
- Espero que él cotice el trabajo — "I hope he quotes the work"
- Yo había cotizado en bolsa — "I had quoted on the stock market"
- Ellos cotizaban a buen precio — "They used to quote at a good price"
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Ellos cotiza el trabajo — Right: Ellos cotizan el trabajo — Ellos needs the ellos form cotizan. The singular cotiza belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo cotizo — Right: Ayer, yo coticé — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to coticé, with the spelling change z → c before e.
- Wrong: De niño, yo coticé todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo cotizaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cotizaba), not the preterite. The preterite (coticé) is for one finished action.
- Wrong: Yo soy cotizado en bolsa. — Right: Yo he cotizado en bolsa. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cotizado, has cotizado, ha cotizado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: Espero que él cotiza el trabajo. — Right: Espero que él cotice el trabajo. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: cotice. The indicative cotiza is wrong here.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on cotizar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el trabajo. (present tense) A. cotizo B. coticéis C. cotizáis D. cotizabais
Complete the sentence: Él ___ el trabajo. (preterite) A. habría cotizado B. cotizad C. cotizó D. habíais cotizado
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el trabajo. (imperfect) A. has cotizado B. cotizan C. cotizaras D. cotizábamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ el trabajo. (future) A. habríais cotizado B. habrían cotizado C. cotizarais D. cotizarás
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el trabajo. (conditional) A. cotizabas B. coticé C. habéis cotizado D. cotizaría
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el trabajo. (present subjunctive) A. cotizáis B. coticé C. habríais cotizado D. cotice
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el trabajo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. cotizaréis B. habríais cotizado C. cotizara D. cotizáramos
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el trabajo. (present perfect) A. cotizaré B. hemos cotizado C. habíais cotizado D. cotices
Complete the command: No ___ el trabajo. (negative imperative, tú) A. cotices B. coticen C. cotice D. coticemos
Which is the gerund of cotizar, used with estar for the progressive? A. cotizando B. cotizado C. cotizo D. cotizaré
Answer key
- cotizo — The yo present tense of cotizar is cotizo.
- cotizó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of cotizar is cotizó.
- cotizábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of cotizar is cotizábamos.
- cotizarás — The tú future of cotizar is cotizarás.
- cotizaría — The yo conditional of cotizar is cotizaría.
- cotice — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of cotizar is cotice.
- cotizara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of cotizar is cotizara.
- hemos cotizado — The nosotros/as present perfect of cotizar is hemos cotizado.
- cotices — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: cotices.
- cotizando — The gerund of cotizar is cotizando: estoy cotizando. The participle cotizado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does cotizar mean in English?
Cotizar means to quote (a price). It is used in everyday situations such as Yo cotizo el trabajo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is cotizar regular?
Mostly. Cotizar follows the regular -ar endings, but it has a spelling change (z → c before e). The tables on this page show every form, so you can see exactly where the spelling changes.
What is the gerund and the past participle of cotizar?
The gerund is cotizando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy cotizando. The past participle is cotizado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he cotizado.
How do I say “I quote” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo coticé en bolsa. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo cotizaba a buen precio. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo he cotizado el trabajo.
How do I practise cotizar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the cotizar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Cotizar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for cotizar.
- Cotizar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for cotizar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Tasar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cotizar.
- Hipotecar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cotizar.
- Malgastar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with cotizar.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.
- Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.