Organizar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb organizar means to organise, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Organizar means to organise, and it is used for organising a surprise party, an end-of-course trip, computer files and a meeting with the team. It is a spelling-change verb: the z becomes c before e, so the preterite is organicé. Like every Spanish verb, organizar 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 organizo una fiesta sorpresa, and in the preterite you say organicé los archivos del ordenador. 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: organizar
- English: to organise
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: organizando
- Past participle: organizado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + organizado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for organizar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: z becomes c before e, so the preterite is organicé and the subjunctive is organice.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for organizar. 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 | organizo |
| tú | organizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | organiza |
| nosotros/as | organizamos |
| vosotros/as | organizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | organizan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | organicé |
| tú | organizaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | organizó |
| nosotros/as | organizamos |
| vosotros/as | organizasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | organizaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | organizaba |
| tú | organizabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | organizaba |
| nosotros/as | organizábamos |
| vosotros/as | organizabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | organizaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | organizaré |
| tú | organizarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | organizará |
| nosotros/as | organizaremos |
| vosotros/as | organizaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | organizarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | organizaría |
| tú | organizarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | organizaría |
| nosotros/as | organizaríamos |
| vosotros/as | organizaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | organizarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he organizado |
| tú | has organizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha organizado |
| nosotros/as | hemos organizado |
| vosotros/as | habéis organizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han organizado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había organizado |
| tú | habías organizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había organizado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos organizado |
| vosotros/as | habíais organizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían organizado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré organizado |
| tú | habrás organizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá organizado |
| nosotros/as | habremos organizado |
| vosotros/as | habréis organizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán organizado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría organizado |
| tú | habrías organizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría organizado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos organizado |
| vosotros/as | habríais organizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían organizado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | organice |
| tú | organices |
| él/ella/Ud. | organice |
| nosotros/as | organicemos |
| vosotros/as | organicéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | organicen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | organizara |
| tú | organizaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | organizara |
| nosotros/as | organizáramos |
| vosotros/as | organizarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | organizaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | organiza |
| él/ella/Ud. | organice |
| nosotros/as | organicemos |
| vosotros/as | organizad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | organicen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | organices |
| él/ella/Ud. | organice |
| nosotros/as | organicemos |
| vosotros/as | organicéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | organicen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | organizando | with estar for the progressive: estoy organizando |
| Past participle | organizado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he organizado |
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: z becomes c before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For organizar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Organizo una fiesta sorpresa. 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: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is organicé. For organizar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, organicé el viaje de fin de curso. 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 organizar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, organizaba los archivos del ordenador. 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 organizar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, organizaré una reunión con el equipo. 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 organizar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Organizaría una fiesta sorpresa 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 organizar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he organizado el viaje de fin de curso. 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 organizar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había organizado los archivos del ordenador 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 organizar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré organizado una reunión con el equipo. 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 organizar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría organizado una fiesta sorpresa 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: z becomes c before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For organizar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él organice el viaje de fin de curso. 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 organizar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él organizara los archivos del ordenador, 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: z becomes c before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For organizar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Organiza una reunión con el equipo! 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: z becomes c before e, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For organizar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No organices una fiesta sorpresa. 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 organizar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Organizo una fiesta sorpresa. — I organise a surprise party.
- Organiza el viaje de fin de curso. — He/she organises the end-of-course trip.
- Ayer, organicé los archivos del ordenador. — Yesterday, I organised the computer files.
- Antes, nosotros organizábamos una reunión con el equipo. — Before, we used to organise a meeting with the team.
- Mañana, tú organizarás una fiesta sorpresa. — Tomorrow, you will organise a surprise party.
- Yo organizaría el viaje de fin de curso si tuviera más tiempo. — I would organise the end-of-course trip if I had more time.
- Él ha organizado los archivos del ordenador. — He has organised the computer files.
- Espero que él organice una reunión con el equipo. — I hope he organises a meeting with the team.
- Yo ya había organizado una fiesta sorpresa antes de salir. — I had already organised a surprise party before leaving.
- Ellos organizaban el viaje de fin de curso cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to organise the end-of-course trip when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo organiza una fiesta sorpresa. — Right: Yo organizo una fiesta sorpresa. — The person matters: organiza is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is organizo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo organizé el viaje de fin de curso. — Right: Yo organicé el viaje de fin de curso. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is organicé, not organizé. organizar is a spelling-change verb: z becomes c before e, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
- Wrong: Treating organizar and planificar as identical in every context. — Right: Organizar means to organise, while planificar means to plan, the close verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: organizar fits sentences such as Organizo una fiesta sorpresa, while planificar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy organizado el viaje de fin de curso. — Right: Yo he organizado el viaje de fin de curso. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he organizado, has organizado, ha organizado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo organicé los archivos del ordenador todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo organizaba los archivos del ordenador todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (organizaba), not the preterite. The preterite (organicé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on organizar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una fiesta sorpresa. (present tense) A. organizo B. organizas C. organiza D. organizamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el viaje de fin de curso. (preterite) A. organicé B. organizaste C. organizaron D. organizó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ los archivos del ordenador. (imperfect) A. organizabas B. organizaban C. organizábamos D. organizaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ una reunión con el equipo. (future) A. organizaremos B. organizarás C. organizaré D. organizará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ una fiesta sorpresa si pudiera. (conditional) A. organizaría B. organizarías C. organizarían D. organizo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el viaje de fin de curso. (present subjunctive) A. organices B. organicemos C. organizo D. organice
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ los archivos del ordenador, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. organizáramos B. organizo C. organizara D. organizaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una reunión con el equipo. (present perfect) A. han organizado B. hemos organizado C. he organizado D. has organizado
Complete the command: ¡___ una fiesta sorpresa! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. organiza B. organice C. organicemos D. organizad
Which is the gerund of organizar, used with estar for the progressive? A. organizado B. organizo C. organicé D. organizando
Answer key
- organizo — The first-person present of organizar is organizo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- organizó — The third-person preterite of organizar is organizó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- organizábamos — The nosotros imperfect of organizar is organizábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- organizarás — The second-person future of organizar is organizarás.
- organizaría — The first-person conditional of organizar is organizaría, the form for what would happen.
- organice — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of organizar is organice.
- organizara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of organizar is organizara.
- hemos organizado — The nosotros present perfect of organizar is hemos organizado: hemos + organizado.
- organiza — The affirmative tú imperative of organizar is organiza.
- organizando — The gerund of organizar is organizando: estoy organizando. The participle organizado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does organizar mean in English?
Organizar means to organise. It is used in everyday situations such as Organizo una fiesta sorpresa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is organizar regular or irregular?
Organizar 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 organizo in the present and organicé in the preterite.
What is the difference between organizar and planificar?
Organizar means to organise, while planificar means to plan, the close verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use organizar when you mean to organise, as in Organizo una fiesta sorpresa, and use planificar for to plan, the close verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I organise” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo organicé el viaje de fin de curso. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo organizaba los archivos del ordenador. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he organizado el viaje de fin de curso.
How do I practise organizar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the organizar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Organizar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for organizar.
- Organizar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for organizar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Abrazar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with organizar.
- Realizar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with organizar.
- Rezar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with organizar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.