Pacificar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb pacificar means to pacify, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Pacificar means to pacify, and it covers pacifying a region after a conflict, calming students with a game and pacifying a country after a war. It is a formal synonym of calmar, and it is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e. Like every Spanish verb, pacificar 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 pacifico la región después del conflicto, and in the preterite you say pacifiqué el ambiente en la reunión. 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: pacificar
- English: to pacify
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: pacificando
- Past participle: pacificado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + pacificado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for pacificar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is pacifiqué and the subjunctive is pacifique.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for pacificar. 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 | pacifico |
| tú | pacificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | pacifica |
| nosotros/as | pacificamos |
| vosotros/as | pacificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pacifican |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pacifiqué |
| tú | pacificaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | pacificó |
| nosotros/as | pacificamos |
| vosotros/as | pacificasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pacificaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pacificaba |
| tú | pacificabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | pacificaba |
| nosotros/as | pacificábamos |
| vosotros/as | pacificabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pacificaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pacificaré |
| tú | pacificarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | pacificará |
| nosotros/as | pacificaremos |
| vosotros/as | pacificaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pacificarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pacificaría |
| tú | pacificarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | pacificaría |
| nosotros/as | pacificaríamos |
| vosotros/as | pacificaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pacificarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he pacificado |
| tú | has pacificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha pacificado |
| nosotros/as | hemos pacificado |
| vosotros/as | habéis pacificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han pacificado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había pacificado |
| tú | habías pacificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había pacificado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos pacificado |
| vosotros/as | habíais pacificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían pacificado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré pacificado |
| tú | habrás pacificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá pacificado |
| nosotros/as | habremos pacificado |
| vosotros/as | habréis pacificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán pacificado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría pacificado |
| tú | habrías pacificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría pacificado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos pacificado |
| vosotros/as | habríais pacificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían pacificado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pacifique |
| tú | pacifiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | pacifique |
| nosotros/as | pacifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | pacifiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pacifiquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pacificara |
| tú | pacificaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | pacificara |
| nosotros/as | pacificáramos |
| vosotros/as | pacificarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pacificaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | pacifica |
| él/ella/Ud. | pacifique |
| nosotros/as | pacifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | pacificad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pacifiquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | pacifiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | pacifique |
| nosotros/as | pacifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | pacifiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pacifiquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | pacificando | with estar for the progressive: estoy pacificando |
| Past participle | pacificado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he pacificado |
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 pacificar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Pacifico la región después del conflicto. 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 pacifiqué. For pacificar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, pacifiqué a los alumnos con un juego. 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 pacificar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, pacificaba el ambiente en la reunión. 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 pacificar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, pacificaré el país tras la guerra. 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 pacificar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Pacificaría la región después del conflicto 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 pacificar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he pacificado a los alumnos con un juego. 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 pacificar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había pacificado el ambiente en la reunión 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 pacificar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré pacificado el país tras la guerra. 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 pacificar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría pacificado la región después del conflicto 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 pacificar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él pacifique a los alumnos con un juego. 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 pacificar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él pacificara el ambiente en la reunión, 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 pacificar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Pacifica el país tras la guerra! 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 pacificar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No pacifiques la región después del conflicto. 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 pacificar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Pacifico la región después del conflicto. — I pacify the region after the conflict.
- Pacifica a los alumnos con un juego. — He/she pacifies the students with a game.
- Ayer, pacifiqué el ambiente en la reunión. — Yesterday, I pacified the atmosphere in the meeting.
- Antes, nosotros pacificábamos el país tras la guerra. — Before, we used to pacify the country after the war.
- Mañana, tú pacificarás la región después del conflicto. — Tomorrow, you will pacify the region after the conflict.
- Yo pacificaría a los alumnos con un juego si tuviera más tiempo. — I would pacify the students with a game if I had more time.
- Él ha pacificado el ambiente en la reunión. — He has pacified the atmosphere in the meeting.
- Espero que él pacifique el país tras la guerra. — I hope he pacifies the country after the war.
- Yo ya había pacificado la región después del conflicto antes de salir. — I had already pacified the region after the conflict before leaving.
- Ellos pacificaban a los alumnos con un juego cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to pacify the students with a game when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo pacifica la región después del conflicto. — Right: Yo pacifico la región después del conflicto. — The person matters: pacifica is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is pacifico. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo pacificé a los alumnos con un juego. — Right: Yo pacifiqué a los alumnos con un juego. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is pacifiqué, not pacificé. pacificar 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.
- Wrong: Treating pacificar and calmar as identical in every context. — Right: Pacificar means to pacify, while calmar means to calm, the everyday verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: pacificar fits sentences such as Pacifico la región después del conflicto, while calmar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy pacificado a los alumnos con un juego. — Right: Yo he pacificado a los alumnos con un juego. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he pacificado, has pacificado, ha pacificado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo pacifiqué el ambiente en la reunión todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo pacificaba el ambiente en la reunión todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (pacificaba), not the preterite. The preterite (pacifiqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on pacificar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la región después del conflicto. (present tense) A. pacifico B. pacificas C. pacifica D. pacificamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a los alumnos con un juego. (preterite) A. pacifiqué B. pacificaste C. pacificaron D. pacificó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el ambiente en la reunión. (imperfect) A. pacificabas B. pacificaban C. pacificábamos D. pacificaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el país tras la guerra. (future) A. pacificaremos B. pacificarás C. pacificaré D. pacificará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la región después del conflicto si pudiera. (conditional) A. pacificaría B. pacificarías C. pacificarían D. pacifico
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a los alumnos con un juego. (present subjunctive) A. pacifiques B. pacifiquemos C. pacifico D. pacifique
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el ambiente en la reunión, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. pacificáramos B. pacifico C. pacificara D. pacificaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el país tras la guerra. (present perfect) A. han pacificado B. hemos pacificado C. he pacificado D. has pacificado
Complete the command: ¡___ la región después del conflicto! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. pacifica B. pacifique C. pacifiquemos D. pacificad
Which is the gerund of pacificar, used with estar for the progressive? A. pacificado B. pacifico C. pacifiqué D. pacificando
Answer key
- pacifico — The first-person present of pacificar is pacifico. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- pacificó — The third-person preterite of pacificar is pacificó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- pacificábamos — The nosotros imperfect of pacificar is pacificábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- pacificarás — The second-person future of pacificar is pacificarás.
- pacificaría — The first-person conditional of pacificar is pacificaría, the form for what would happen.
- pacifique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of pacificar is pacifique.
- pacificara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of pacificar is pacificara.
- hemos pacificado — The nosotros present perfect of pacificar is hemos pacificado: hemos + pacificado.
- pacifica — The affirmative tú imperative of pacificar is pacifica.
- pacificando — The gerund of pacificar is pacificando: estoy pacificando. The participle pacificado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does pacificar mean in English?
Pacificar means to pacify. It is used in everyday situations such as Pacifico la región después del conflicto. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is pacificar regular or irregular?
Pacificar 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 pacifico in the present and pacifiqué in the preterite.
What is the difference between pacificar and calmar?
Pacificar means to pacify, while calmar means to calm, the everyday verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use pacificar when you mean to pacify, as in Pacifico la región después del conflicto, and use calmar for to calm, the everyday verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I pacify” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo pacifiqué a los alumnos con un juego. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo pacificaba el ambiente en la reunión. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he pacificado a los alumnos con un juego.
How do I practise pacificar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the pacificar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Pacificar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for pacificar.
- Pacificar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for pacificar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Multiplicar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with pacificar.
- Unificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with pacificar.
- Duplicar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with pacificar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.