Dedicar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb dedicar means to dedicate, to devote, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Dedicar means to dedicate or to devote, and it covers dedicating a book to your mother, dedicating a song, devoting time to your children and devoting an afternoon to tidying. It takes a for the person, and it is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e. Like every Spanish verb, dedicar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say dedico el libro a su madre, and in the preterite you say dediqué tiempo a sus hijos. 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: dedicar
  • English: to dedicate, to devote
  • Verb type: irregular verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: dedicando
  • Past participle: dedicado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + dedicado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for dedicar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is dediqué and the subjunctive is dedique. Dedicar algo a alguien is to dedicate it to them.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for dedicar. 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.

Present indicative

Person Form
yo dedico
tú dedicas
él/ella/Ud. dedica
nosotros/as dedicamos
vosotros/as dedicáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. dedican

Preterite

Person Form
yo dediqué
tú dedicaste
él/ella/Ud. dedicó
nosotros/as dedicamos
vosotros/as dedicasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. dedicaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo dedicaba
tú dedicabas
él/ella/Ud. dedicaba
nosotros/as dedicábamos
vosotros/as dedicabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. dedicaban

Future

Person Form
yo dedicaré
tú dedicarás
él/ella/Ud. dedicará
nosotros/as dedicaremos
vosotros/as dedicaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. dedicarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo dedicaría
tú dedicarías
él/ella/Ud. dedicaría
nosotros/as dedicaríamos
vosotros/as dedicaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. dedicarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he dedicado
tú has dedicado
él/ella/Ud. ha dedicado
nosotros/as hemos dedicado
vosotros/as habéis dedicado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han dedicado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había dedicado
tú habías dedicado
él/ella/Ud. había dedicado
nosotros/as habíamos dedicado
vosotros/as habíais dedicado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían dedicado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré dedicado
tú habrás dedicado
él/ella/Ud. habrá dedicado
nosotros/as habremos dedicado
vosotros/as habréis dedicado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán dedicado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría dedicado
tú habrías dedicado
él/ella/Ud. habría dedicado
nosotros/as habríamos dedicado
vosotros/as habríais dedicado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían dedicado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo dedique
tú dediques
él/ella/Ud. dedique
nosotros/as dediquemos
vosotros/as dediquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. dediquen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo dedicara
tú dedicaras
él/ella/Ud. dedicara
nosotros/as dedicáramos
vosotros/as dedicarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. dedicaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú dedica
él/ella/Ud. dedique
nosotros/as dediquemos
vosotros/as dedicad
ellos/ellas/Uds. dediquen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú dediques
él/ella/Ud. dedique
nosotros/as dediquemos
vosotros/as dediquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. dediquen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund dedicando with estar for the progressive: estoy dedicando
Past participle dedicado with haber for the perfect tenses: he dedicado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For dedicar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Dedico el libro a su madre. Learn the present 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 with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. Note the spelling change in the first person: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite first person is dediqué. For dedicar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, dediqué una canción a su novia. 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.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dedicar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, dedicaba tiempo a sus hijos. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dedicar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, dedicaré la tarde a ordenar la casa. 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 with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dedicar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Dedicaría el libro a su madre si pudiera. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dedicar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he dedicado una canción a su novia. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dedicar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había dedicado tiempo a sus hijos antes de salir. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dedicar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré dedicado la tarde a ordenar la casa. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dedicar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría dedicado el libro a su madre con más tiempo. 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For dedicar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él dedique una canción a su novia. 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.

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 this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For dedicar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él dedicara tiempo a sus hijos, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For dedicar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Dedica la tarde a ordenar la casa! Learn the affirmative imperative 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. Note the spelling change here: c becomes qu before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For dedicar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No dediques el libro a su madre. Learn the negative imperative 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 dedicar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Dedico el libro a su madre. — I dedicate the book to his mother.
  2. Dedica una canción a su novia. — He/she dedicates a song to his girlfriend.
  3. Ayer, dediqué tiempo a sus hijos. — Yesterday, I dedicated time to his children.
  4. Antes, nosotros dedicábamos la tarde a ordenar la casa. — Before, we used to dedicate the afternoon to tidying the house.
  5. Mañana, tú dedicarás el libro a su madre. — Tomorrow, you will dedicate the book to his mother.
  6. Yo dedicaría una canción a su novia si tuviera más tiempo. — I would dedicate a song to his girlfriend if I had more time.
  7. Él ha dedicado tiempo a sus hijos. — He has dedicated time to his children.
  8. Espero que él dedique la tarde a ordenar la casa. — I hope he dedicates the afternoon to tidying the house.
  9. Yo ya había dedicado el libro a su madre antes de salir. — I had already dedicated the book to his mother before leaving.
  10. Ellos dedicaban una canción a su novia cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to dedicate a song to his girlfriend when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo dedica el libro a su madre. — Right: Yo dedico el libro a su madre. — The person matters: dedica is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is dedico. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Yo dedicé una canción a su novia. — Right: Yo dediqué una canción a su novia. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is dediqué, not dedicé. dedicar is a spelling-change verb: c becomes qu before e, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
  3. Wrong: Treating dedicar and ofrecer as identical in every context. — Right: Dedicar means to dedicate, to devote, while ofrecer means to offer, the close verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: dedicar fits sentences such as Dedico el libro a su madre, while ofrecer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy dedicado una canción a su novia. — Right: Yo he dedicado una canción a su novia. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he dedicado, has dedicado, ha dedicado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo dediqué tiempo a sus hijos todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo dedicaba tiempo a sus hijos todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (dedicaba), not the preterite. The preterite (dediqué) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on dedicar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el libro a su madre. (present tense) A. dedico B. dedicas C. dedica D. dedicamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ una canción a su novia. (preterite) A. dediqué B. dedicaste C. dedicaron D. dedicó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ tiempo a sus hijos. (imperfect) A. dedicabas B. dedicaban C. dedicábamos D. dedicaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la tarde a ordenar la casa. (future) A. dedicaremos B. dedicarás C. dedicaré D. dedicará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el libro a su madre si pudiera. (conditional) A. dedicaría B. dedicarías C. dedicarían D. dedico

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una canción a su novia. (present subjunctive) A. dediques B. dediquemos C. dedico D. dedique

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ tiempo a sus hijos, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. dedicáramos B. dedico C. dedicara D. dedicaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la tarde a ordenar la casa. (present perfect) A. han dedicado B. hemos dedicado C. he dedicado D. has dedicado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ el libro a su madre! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. dedica B. dedique C. dediquemos D. dedicad

  10. Which is the gerund of dedicar, used with estar for the progressive? A. dedicado B. dedico C. dediqué D. dedicando

Answer key

  1. dedico — The first-person present of dedicar is dedico. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. dedicó — The third-person preterite of dedicar is dedicó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. dedicábamos — The nosotros imperfect of dedicar is dedicábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. dedicarás — The second-person future of dedicar is dedicarás.
  5. dedicaría — The first-person conditional of dedicar is dedicaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. dedique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of dedicar is dedique.
  7. dedicara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of dedicar is dedicara.
  8. hemos dedicado — The nosotros present perfect of dedicar is hemos dedicado: hemos + dedicado.
  9. dedica — The affirmative tú imperative of dedicar is dedica.
  10. dedicando — The gerund of dedicar is dedicando: estoy dedicando. The participle dedicado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does dedicar mean in English?

Dedicar means to dedicate, to devote. It is used in everyday situations such as Dedico el libro a su madre. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is dedicar regular or irregular?

Dedicar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including dedico in the present and dediqué in the preterite.

What is the difference between dedicar and ofrecer?

Dedicar means to dedicate, to devote, while ofrecer means to offer, the close verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use dedicar when you mean to dedicate, to devote, as in Dedico el libro a su madre, and use ofrecer for to offer, the close verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I dedicate” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo dediqué una canción a su novia. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo dedicaba tiempo a sus hijos. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he dedicado una canción a su novia.

How do I practise dedicar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the dedicar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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