Parecer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

parecer — to seem — is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. Parecer means to seem and to look like: parece fácil, me parece bien. It is the verb for opinions — ¿qué te parece? — and for resemblance: se parece a su padre. It is a c → zc spelling-change verb: parezco, parezca. It usually takes an adjective or a que-clause. On this page you will find parecer in real sentences, grouped by meaning and tense, two short texts that show it in context, the mistakes learners actually make with it, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then test yourself.

Example sentences with parecer

In the present tense

  • “Yo parezco cansado, pero estoy bien.” — “I look tired, but I am fine.”
  • “Ella parece muy contenta hoy.” — “She seems very happy today.”
  • “Nosotros parecemos de la misma familia.” — “We look as if we are from the same family.”
  • “Ellos parecen buenos amigos.” — “They seem like good friends.”
  • “¿Tú pareces de acuerdo con el plan?” — “Do you agree with the plan?”
  • “Vosotros parecéis preocupados por el examen.” — “You seem worried about the exam.”

In the preterite

  • “Ayer yo parecí enfermo, pero era solo cansancio.” — “Yesterday I seemed ill, but it was only tiredness.”
  • “Ella pareció sorprendida con la noticia.” — “She seemed surprised by the news.”
  • “Nosotros parecimos los únicos en la sala.” — “We seemed to be the only ones in the room.”
  • “Ellos parecieron no entender nada.” — “They seemed not to understand anything.”
  • “¿Tú pareciste nervioso antes del examen?” — “Did you seem nervous before the exam?”
  • “El plan pareció bueno al principio.” — “The plan seemed good at first.”

In other tenses

The same verb in the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect — the four tenses that complete the picture. All forms come from the verified tables.

  • “De niño, yo parecía cansado en casa.” — “As a child, I used to seem tired at home.”
  • “Mañana, yo pareceré cansado en casa.” — “Tomorrow, I will seem tired at home.”
  • “Si pudiera, yo parecería cansado en casa.” — “If I could, I would seem tired at home.”
  • “Yo he parecido cansado en casa.” — “I have seemed tired at home.”

Parecer in context

Cada día, yo parezco cansado en casa. Mi amigo también parece cansado en casa cuando tiene tiempo. Después, yo parezco cansado de nuevo por la tarde. Es una parte normal de mi rutina, y por eso el presente de parecer es la primera forma que conviene aprender.

Ayer, yo parecí cansado en casa. Mi amigo pareció cansado en casa también, y por la noche yo parecí cansado otra vez. Fue un día normal, pero es justo en días así cuando el pretérito de parecer aparece una y otra vez: una acción terminada, un momento concreto, y la historia sigue.

Common mistakes with parecer

Mistake 1

Wrong: Yo pareco cansado.

Right: Yo parezco cansado.

Parecer changes c to zc before o and a: parezco, parezca — never pareco.

Mistake 2

Wrong: Me parece que sí — learners forget the indirect object.

Right: Me parece bien.

Parecer with opinions needs me/te/le: me parece bien, not just parece bien.

Mistake 3

Wrong: Treating parecer as a regular verb.

Right: Learn the irregular forms: present parezco, preterite parecí.

parecer is irregular — its present and preterite do not follow the regular endings, so they have to be memorised as a set.

Quiz: parecer in everyday use

Ten questions on parecer across the tenses. Answers with explanations follow each question.

1. What is the yo form of parecer in the present tense?

  • A) parezco
  • B) pareces
  • C) parece
  • D) parecemos

Answer: A — The yo form in the present tense is parezco.

2. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of parecer in the present tense?

  • A) parezco
  • B) pareces
  • C) parecemos
  • D) parece

Answer: D — The él/ella/Ud. form in the present tense is parece.

3. What is the yo form of parecer in the preterite?

  • A) pareció
  • B) parecimos
  • C) parecí
  • D) pareciste

Answer: C — The yo form in the preterite is parecí.

4. What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of parecer in the preterite?

  • A) pareció
  • B) parecieron
  • C) parecí
  • D) pareciste

Answer: B — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the preterite is parecieron.

5. What is the yo form of parecer in the imperfect?

  • A) parecía
  • B) parecías
  • C) parecía
  • D) parecíamos

Answer: A — The yo form in the imperfect is parecía.

6. What is the tú form of parecer in the future?

  • A) pareceré
  • B) parecerá
  • C) pareceremos
  • D) parecerás

Answer: D — The tú form in the future is parecerás.

7. What is the él/ella/Ud. form of parecer in the conditional?

  • A) parecerías
  • B) pareceríamos
  • C) parecería
  • D) parecería

Answer: C — The él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional is parecería.

8. What is the nosotros/as form of parecer in the present perfect?

  • A) ha parecido
  • B) hemos parecido
  • C) he parecido
  • D) has parecido

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present perfect is hemos parecido.

9. Fill in the blank: “Yo ___ cansado, pero estoy bien.” (I look tired, but I am fine.)

  • A) parezco
  • B) pareces
  • C) parece
  • D) parecemos

Answer: A — The sentence needs parezco.

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Yo parezco cansado.
  • B) Yo pareco cansado.

Answer: A — Parecer changes c to zc before o and a: parezco, parezca — never pareco.

Frequently asked questions

What does parecer mean?

parecer means “to seem” in English. Parecer means to seem and to look like: parece fácil, me parece bien. It is the verb for opinions — ¿qué te parece? — and for resemblance: se parece a su padre. It is a c → zc spelling-change verb: parezco, parezca. It usually takes an adjective or a que-clause.

Is parecer regular?

No. parecer is an irregular -er verb. It is irregular in , and those forms have to be learnt as a set rather than built by rule. The full conjugation page shows every tense.

When do I use parecer in the past — preterite or imperfect?

Use the preterite — parecí, pareciste, pareció — for a finished action at a specific moment, and the imperfect — parecía, parecías, parecía — for what was happening, what used to happen, or the background. The same rule applies to parecer as to every Spanish verb; the tense changes the meaning, not the verb.

How can I practise parecer?

Start with the examples above, say them aloud, then take the quiz on this page. For more practice, use the Spanish Verb Quiz and the Parecer Conjugator, and read the full conjugation page for parecer to see the verb in every tense.

Say it yourself

Reading is not enough — say the verb aloud before you move on. Use the forms from the tables on this page and answer these three prompts as full sentences. First, say a sentence about yourself in the present tense: “Yo parezco…”. Second, say a sentence about yesterday in the preterite: “Ayer yo parecí…”. Third, say a sentence about tomorrow in the future: “Mañana yo pareceré…”. If you can answer all three without looking at the tables, the forms are starting to stick. If you hesitate, go back to the examples above, read them aloud twice, and try again. Speaking the forms is what turns a table you have seen into a verb you can use.

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