Formalizar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
formalizar means "to formalise" 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 formalizar with the contract with the company, the enrolment at the university, the agreement between the parties and the registration for the course — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo formalizo el contrato con la empresa. — "Every day, I formalise the contract with the company." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
formalizar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with formalizar, 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 formalizo el contrato con la empresa. — "Every day, I formalise the contract with the company." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo formalicé la matrícula en la universidad. — "Yesterday, I formalised the enrolment at the university." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo formalizaba el acuerdo entre las partes. — "In the past, I used to formalise the agreement between the parties." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros formalizaremos la inscripción en el curso. — "Tomorrow, we will formalise the registration for the course." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú formalizarías el contrato con la empresa. — "If you could, you would formalise the contract with the company." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he formalizado la matrícula en la universidad. — "I have formalised the enrolment at the university." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él formaliza el acuerdo entre las partes. — "Normally, he/she formalises the agreement between the parties." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él formalizó la inscripción en el curso. — "Yesterday, he/she formalised the registration for the course." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros formalizábamos el contrato con la empresa. — "In the past, we used to formalise the contract with the company." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo formalizaré la matrícula en la universidad. — "Tomorrow, I will formalise the enrolment at the university." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él formalice el acuerdo entre las partes. — "I hope that he/she formalises the agreement between the parties." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Formaliza la inscripción en el curso! — "Formalise the registration for the course!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using formalizar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: the contract with the company, the enrolment at the university, the agreement between the parties and the registration for the course.
Dialogue 1: talking about the contract with the company
María: ¿Tú formalizas el contrato con la empresa? — "Do you formalise the contract with the company?" Carlos: Sí, yo formalizo el contrato con la empresa. — "I formalise the contract with the company." María: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Carlos: Ayer, yo formalicé la matrícula en la universidad. — "Yesterday, I formalised the enrolment at the university." María: Mañana, nosotros formalizaremos el acuerdo entre las partes. — "Tomorrow, we will formalise the agreement between the parties." Carlos: Si pudiera, yo formalizaría la inscripción en el curso. — "If I could, I would formalise the registration for the course." María: Antes, yo formalizaba la matrícula en la universidad. — "In the past, I used to formalise the enrolment at the university." Carlos: Yo he formalizado el contrato con la empresa. — "I have formalised the contract with the company." María: ¡Formaliza el acuerdo entre las partes! — "Formalise the agreement between the parties!"
In this dialogue formalizar 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 agreement between the parties
María: Él formaliza el acuerdo entre las partes. — "he/she formalises the agreement between the parties." Carlos: ¿De verdad? ¿Él formaliza el acuerdo entre las partes todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she formalises the agreement between the parties every day?" María: Sí, y ellos formalizan la inscripción en el curso. — "they formalise the registration for the course." Carlos: Ayer, ellos formalizaron el acuerdo entre las partes. — "Yesterday, they formalised the agreement between the parties." María: Espero que él formalice la inscripción en el curso. — "I hope that he/she formalises the registration for the course." Carlos: Mañana, él formalizará el acuerdo entre las partes. — "Tomorrow, he/she will formalise the agreement between the parties." María: Antes, nosotros formalizábamos la inscripción en el curso. — "In the past, we used to formalise the registration for the course." Carlos: Nosotros formalizamos el contrato con la empresa también. — "we formalise the contract with the company too."
This dialogue shows formalizar 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 formalizar
The errors learners actually make with formalizar 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 formalizo el contrato con la empresa.
- Right: Yo formalizo el contrato con la empresa.
- Why: formalizar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo formalizo el contrato con la empresa. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo formalizar el contrato con la empresa.
- Right: Yo formalizo el contrato con la empresa.
- Why: The infinitive formalizar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form formalizo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo formalizo la matrícula en la universidad.
- Right: Ayer, yo formalicé la matrícula en la universidad.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo formalicé la matrícula en la universidad. — "Yesterday, I formalised the enrolment at the university."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy formalizado el acuerdo entre las partes.
- Right: Estoy formalizando el acuerdo entre las partes.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund formalizando for the progressive. The participle formalizado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he formalizado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros formaliza el contrato con la empresa.
- Right: Nosotros formalizamos el contrato con la empresa.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes formalizamos, while formaliza belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: formalizar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on formalizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of formalizar in the present tense?
- (a) formaliza
- (b) formalizamos
- (c) formalizo
- (d) formalizas
Answer: (c) formalizo. The yo form is formalizo.
2. What is the tú form of formalizar in the present tense?
- (a) formalizamos
- (b) formalizas
- (c) formalizo
- (d) formaliza
Answer: (b) formalizas. The tú form is formalizas.
3. What is the él/ella form of formalizar in the present tense?
- (a) formaliza
- (b) formalizo
- (c) formalizas
- (d) formalizamos
Answer: (a) formaliza. The él/ella form is formaliza.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ el contrato con la empresa.
- (a) formalizas
- (b) formaliza
- (c) formalizamos
- (d) formalizo
Answer: (d) formalizo. The sentence needs the yo form formalizo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ la matrícula en la universidad.
- (a) formalizó
- (b) formalizamos
- (c) formalicé
- (d) formalizaste
Answer: (c) formalicé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is formalicé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ el acuerdo entre las partes.
- (a) formalizabais
- (b) formalizaba
- (c) formalizabas
- (d) formalizábamos
Answer: (b) formalizaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is formalizaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ la inscripción en el curso.
- (a) formalizaré
- (b) formalizarás
- (c) formalizará
- (d) formalizaremos
Answer: (a) formalizaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is formalizaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el contrato con la empresa.
- (a) he formalizado
- (b) has formalizado
- (c) ha formalizado
- (d) hemos formalizado
Answer: (a) he formalizado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he formalizado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el acuerdo entre las partes.
- (a) formalicemos
- (b) formalicéis
- (c) formalice
- (d) formalices
Answer: (c) formalice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is formalice.
10. What does formalizar mean in English?
- (a) to get up early
- (b) to mistreat
- (c) to formalise
- (d) to get lost
Answer: (c) to formalise. formalizar means "to formalise" in English.
Frequently asked questions about formalizar
What does formalizar mean?
formalizar means "to formalise" in English. Use it when you talk about the contract with the company, the enrolment at the university, the agreement between the parties and the registration for the course — for example: Cada día, yo formalizo el contrato con la empresa. — "Every day, I formalise the contract with the company."
Is there a reflexive form of formalizar?
No. formalizar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo formalizo el contrato con la empresa. — "Every day, I formalise the contract with the company."
What is the most common mistake with formalizar?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is formalicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example formalice. 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 formalizar?
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.