Neutralizar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
neutralizar means "to neutralise" 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 neutralizar with the acid with the base, the poison with the antidote, the smell with vinegar and the threat with an agreement — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo neutralizo el ácido con la base. — "Every day, I neutralise the acid with the base." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
neutralizar in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with neutralizar, 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 neutralizo el ácido con la base. — "Every day, I neutralise the acid with the base." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo neutralicé el veneno con el antídoto. — "Yesterday, I neutralised the poison with the antidote." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo neutralizaba el olor con vinagre. — "In the past, I used to neutralise the smell with vinegar." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros neutralizaremos la amenaza con un acuerdo. — "Tomorrow, we will neutralise the threat with an agreement." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú neutralizarías el ácido con la base. — "If you could, you would neutralise the acid with the base." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo he neutralizado el veneno con el antídoto. — "I have neutralised the poison with the antidote." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él neutraliza el olor con vinagre. — "Normally, he/she neutralises the smell with vinegar." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él neutralizó la amenaza con un acuerdo. — "Yesterday, he/she neutralised the threat with an agreement." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros neutralizábamos el ácido con la base. — "In the past, we used to neutralise the acid with the base." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo neutralizaré el veneno con el antídoto. — "Tomorrow, I will neutralise the poison with the antidote." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él neutralice el olor con vinagre. — "I hope that he/she neutralises the smell with vinegar." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡Neutraliza la amenaza con un acuerdo! — "Neutralise the threat with an agreement!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using neutralizar naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: the acid with the base, the poison with the antidote, the smell with vinegar and the threat with an agreement.
Dialogue 1: talking about the acid with the base
Ana: ¿Tú neutralizas el ácido con la base? — "Do you neutralise the acid with the base?" Luis: Sí, yo neutralizo el ácido con la base. — "I neutralise the acid with the base." Ana: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Luis: Ayer, yo neutralicé el veneno con el antídoto. — "Yesterday, I neutralised the poison with the antidote." Ana: Mañana, nosotros neutralizaremos el olor con vinagre. — "Tomorrow, we will neutralise the smell with vinegar." Luis: Si pudiera, yo neutralizaría la amenaza con un acuerdo. — "If I could, I would neutralise the threat with an agreement." Ana: Antes, yo neutralizaba el veneno con el antídoto. — "In the past, I used to neutralise the poison with the antidote." Luis: Yo he neutralizado el ácido con la base. — "I have neutralised the acid with the base." Ana: ¡Neutraliza el olor con vinagre! — "Neutralise the smell with vinegar!"
In this dialogue neutralizar 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 smell with vinegar
Ana: Él neutraliza el olor con vinagre. — "he/she neutralises the smell with vinegar." Luis: ¿De verdad? ¿Él neutraliza el olor con vinagre todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she neutralises the smell with vinegar every day?" Ana: Sí, y ellos neutralizan la amenaza con un acuerdo. — "they neutralise the threat with an agreement." Luis: Ayer, ellos neutralizaron el olor con vinagre. — "Yesterday, they neutralised the smell with vinegar." Ana: Espero que él neutralice la amenaza con un acuerdo. — "I hope that he/she neutralises the threat with an agreement." Luis: Mañana, él neutralizará el olor con vinagre. — "Tomorrow, he/she will neutralise the smell with vinegar." Ana: Antes, nosotros neutralizábamos la amenaza con un acuerdo. — "In the past, we used to neutralise the threat with an agreement." Luis: Nosotros neutralizamos el ácido con la base también. — "we neutralise the acid with the base too."
This dialogue shows neutralizar 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 neutralizar
The errors learners actually make with neutralizar 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 neutralizo el ácido con la base.
- Right: Yo neutralizo el ácido con la base.
- Why: neutralizar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add: Yo neutralizo el ácido con la base. is the correct sentence.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo neutralizar el ácido con la base.
- Right: Yo neutralizo el ácido con la base.
- Why: The infinitive neutralizar is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form neutralizo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo neutralizo el veneno con el antídoto.
- Right: Ayer, yo neutralicé el veneno con el antídoto.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo neutralicé el veneno con el antídoto. — "Yesterday, I neutralised the poison with the antidote."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Estoy neutralizado el olor con vinagre.
- Right: Estoy neutralizando el olor con vinagre.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund neutralizando for the progressive. The participle neutralizado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (he neutralizado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros neutraliza el ácido con la base.
- Right: Nosotros neutralizamos el ácido con la base.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes neutralizamos, while neutraliza belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: neutralizar in use
Test yourself with ten questions on neutralizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of neutralizar in the present tense?
- (a) neutralizas
- (b) neutraliza
- (c) neutralizamos
- (d) neutralizo
Answer: (d) neutralizo. The yo form is neutralizo.
2. What is the tú form of neutralizar in the present tense?
- (a) neutraliza
- (b) neutralizamos
- (c) neutralizas
- (d) neutralizo
Answer: (c) neutralizas. The tú form is neutralizas.
3. What is the él/ella form of neutralizar in the present tense?
- (a) neutralizamos
- (b) neutraliza
- (c) neutralizo
- (d) neutralizas
Answer: (b) neutraliza. The él/ella form is neutraliza.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ el ácido con la base.
- (a) neutralizo
- (b) neutralizas
- (c) neutraliza
- (d) neutralizamos
Answer: (a) neutralizo. The sentence needs the yo form neutralizo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ el veneno con el antídoto.
- (a) neutralizaste
- (b) neutralizó
- (c) neutralizamos
- (d) neutralicé
Answer: (d) neutralicé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is neutralicé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ el olor con vinagre.
- (a) neutralizábamos
- (b) neutralizabais
- (c) neutralizaba
- (d) neutralizabas
Answer: (c) neutralizaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is neutralizaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ la amenaza con un acuerdo.
- (a) neutralizaremos
- (b) neutralizaré
- (c) neutralizarás
- (d) neutralizará
Answer: (b) neutralizaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is neutralizaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el ácido con la base.
- (a) hemos neutralizado
- (b) he neutralizado
- (c) has neutralizado
- (d) ha neutralizado
Answer: (b) he neutralizado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: he neutralizado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el olor con vinagre.
- (a) neutralices
- (b) neutralicemos
- (c) neutralicéis
- (d) neutralice
Answer: (d) neutralice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is neutralice.
10. What does neutralizar mean in English?
- (a) to modernise
- (b) to moralise
- (c) to normalise
- (d) to neutralise
Answer: (d) to neutralise. neutralizar means "to neutralise" in English.
Frequently asked questions about neutralizar
What does neutralizar mean?
neutralizar means "to neutralise" in English. Use it when you talk about the acid with the base, the poison with the antidote, the smell with vinegar and the threat with an agreement — for example: Cada día, yo neutralizo el ácido con la base. — "Every day, I neutralise the acid with the base."
Is there a reflexive form of neutralizar?
No. neutralizar is not reflexive, so it is used without a pronoun: Cada día, yo neutralizo el ácido con la base. — "Every day, I neutralise the acid with the base."
What is the most common mistake with neutralizar?
The spelling change. Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is neutralicé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example neutralice. 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 neutralizar?
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.