Especializar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
especializar means "to specialise" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see especializar with his company in wines, the clinic in children, the workshop in old cars and his studies in law — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo especializo su empresa en vinos. — "Every day, I specialise his company in wines." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
especializar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with especializar, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo especializo su empresa en vinos. — "Every day, I specialise his company in wines." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo especialicé la clínica en niños. — "Yesterday, I specialised the clinic in children." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo especializaba el taller en coches antiguos. — "In the past, I used to specialise the workshop in old cars." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros especializaremos su estudio en derecho. — "Tomorrow, we will specialise his studies in law." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú especializarías su empresa en vinos. — "If you could, you would specialise his company in wines." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he especializado la clínica en niños. — "I have specialised the clinic in children." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él especializa el taller en coches antiguos. — "Normally, he/she specialises the workshop in old cars." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él especializó su estudio en derecho. — "Yesterday, he/she specialised his studies in law." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros especializábamos su empresa en vinos. — "In the past, we used to specialise his company in wines." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo especializaré la clínica en niños. — "Tomorrow, I will specialise the clinic in children." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él especialice el taller en coches antiguos. — "I hope that he/she specialises the workshop in old cars." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Especializa su estudio en derecho! — "Specialise his studies in law!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using especializar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: his company in wines, the clinic in children, the workshop in old cars and his studies in law.
Dialogue 1: talking about his company in wines
Ana: ¿Tú especializas su empresa en vinos? — "Do you specialise his company in wines?" Luis: Sí, yo especializo su empresa en vinos. — "I specialise his company in wines." Ana: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Luis: Ayer, yo especialicé la clínica en niños. — "Yesterday, I specialised the clinic in children." Ana: Mañana, nosotros especializaremos el taller en coches antiguos. — "Tomorrow, we will specialise the workshop in old cars." Luis: Si pudiera, yo especializaría su estudio en derecho. — "If I could, I would specialise his studies in law." Ana: Antes, yo especializaba la clínica en niños. — "In the past, I used to specialise the clinic in children." Luis: Yo he especializado su empresa en vinos. — "I have specialised his company in wines." Ana: ¡Especializa el taller en coches antiguos! — "Specialise the workshop in old cars!"
In this dialogue especializar appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about the workshop in old cars
Ana: Él especializa el taller en coches antiguos. — "he/she specialises the workshop in old cars." Luis: ¿De verdad? ¿Él especializa el taller en coches antiguos todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she specialises the workshop in old cars every day?" Ana: Sí, y ellos especializan su estudio en derecho. — "they specialise his studies in law." Luis: Ayer, ellos especializaron el taller en coches antiguos. — "Yesterday, they specialised the workshop in old cars." Ana: Espero que él especialice su estudio en derecho. — "I hope that he/she specialises his studies in law." Luis: Mañana, él especializará el taller en coches antiguos. — "Tomorrow, he/she will specialise the workshop in old cars." Ana: Antes, nosotros especializábamos su estudio en derecho. — "In the past, we used to specialise his studies in law." Luis: Nosotros especializamos su empresa en vinos también. — "we specialise his company in wines too."
This dialogue shows especializar in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with especializar
The errors learners actually make with especializar in everyday use, 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 especializo su empresa en vinos.
- Right: Yo especializo su empresa en vinos.
- Why: especializar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo especializo su empresa en vinos. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo especializar su empresa en vinos.
- Right: Yo especializo su empresa en vinos.
- Why: The infinitive especializar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form especializo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo especializo la clínica en niños.
- Right: Ayer, yo especialicé la clínica en niños.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo especialicé la clínica en niños. — "Yesterday, I specialised the clinic in children."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy especializado el taller en coches antiguos.
- Right: Estoy especializando el taller en coches antiguos.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund especializando for the progressive. The participle especializado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he especializado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Confusing especializar with especializarse
- Wrong: Yo me especializo su empresa en vinos.
- Right: Yo especializo su empresa en vinos.
- Why: especializar (to specialise) and especializarse are partners, not the same verb. The reflexive partner especializarse is used when the action comes back to the subject.
Quiz: especializar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on especializar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of especializar in the present tense?
- (a) especializas
- (b) especializa
- (c) especializamos
- (d) especializo
Answer: (d) especializo. The yo form is especializo.
2. What is the tú form of especializar in the present tense?
- (a) especializa
- (b) especializamos
- (c) especializas
- (d) especializo
Answer: (c) especializas. The tú form is especializas.
3. What is the él/ella form of especializar in the present tense?
- (a) especializamos
- (b) especializa
- (c) especializo
- (d) especializas
Answer: (b) especializa. The él/ella form is especializa.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ su empresa en vinos.
- (a) especializo
- (b) especializas
- (c) especializa
- (d) especializamos
Answer: (a) especializo. The sentence needs the yo form especializo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ la clínica en niños.
- (a) especializaste
- (b) especializó
- (c) especializamos
- (d) especialicé
Answer: (d) especialicé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is especialicé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ el taller en coches antiguos.
- (a) especializábamos
- (b) especializabais
- (c) especializaba
- (d) especializabas
Answer: (c) especializaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is especializaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ su estudio en derecho.
- (a) especializaremos
- (b) especializaré
- (c) especializarás
- (d) especializará
Answer: (b) especializaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is especializaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ su empresa en vinos.
- (a) hemos especializado
- (b) he especializado
- (c) has especializado
- (d) ha especializado
Answer: (b) he especializado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he especializado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el taller en coches antiguos.
- (a) especialices
- (b) especialicemos
- (c) especialicéis
- (d) especialice
Answer: (d) especialice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is especialice.
10. What does especializar mean in English?
- (a) to nourish oneself
- (b) to give birth
- (c) to infuriate
- (d) to specialise
Answer: (d) to specialise. especializar means "to specialise" in English.
Frequently asked questions about especializar
What does especializar mean?
especializar means "to specialise" in English. Use it when you talk about his company in wines, the clinic in children, the workshop in old cars and his studies in law — for example: Cada día, yo especializo su empresa en vinos. — "Every day, I specialise his company in wines."
What is the difference between especializar and especializarse?
especializar means "to specialise", while especializarse means "to specialise in". The reflexive form is used when the action comes back to the subject, and the plain form is used when the action is done to someone or something else.
What is the most common mistake with especializar?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is especialicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example especialice. Practise the yo form and the subjunctive forms until they feel automatic, and check them against the table on the conjugation page.
How can I practise especializar?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.