Parecer Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of parecer — to seem — is the form you need for habits, facts and what is happening now. 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. This page gives you the complete present tense table for parecer, how it is formed, when to use it, the mistakes learners make with it, and a quiz to check yourself. The first example shows it in action: “Yo parezco cansado, pero estoy bien.” — “I look tired, but I am fine”.

Present tense conjugation of parecer

Every form in the table below comes from VerbFlow’s verified conjugation tables for parecer. Parecer is an irregular -er verb, so watch out for the forms that break the pattern — they are the ones learners need to memorise.

Present tense indicative — parecer

Person Form
yo parezco
tú pareces
él/ella/Ud. parece
nosotros/as parecemos
vosotros/as parecéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. parecen

The gerund of parecer is pareciendo and the past participle is parecido. You need the participle for the perfect tenses and the gerund for the progressive with estar.

How the present tense of parecer is formed

The present tense of parecer does not follow the regular pattern. If parecer were regular, the present tense forms would be yo → pareco, tú → pareces, él/ella/Ud. → parece, nosotros/as → parecemos, vosotros/as → parecéis, ellos/ellas/Uds. → parecen — but parecer breaks the pattern in this tense: the forms are parezco, pareces, parece, parecemos, parecéis and parecen.

A note on spelling: the written accents in this tense are part of the form, not decoration. In the present tense, parecéis carries an accent, and leaving it out changes the pronunciation and, in writing, marks the form as wrong. Copy the forms from the table above exactly, accents included.

When to use the present tense of parecer

1. Habits and routines

Use the present for things you do regularly. For example, with parecer: “Yo parezco cansado, pero estoy bien.” — “I look tired, but I am fine”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

2. General truths and facts

Use the present for things that are always true. For example, with parecer: “Ella parece muy contenta hoy.” — “She seems very happy today”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

3. What is happening right now

Use the present for actions in progress at this moment. For example, with parecer: “Nosotros parecemos de la misma familia.” — “We look as if we are from the same family”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

4. Scheduled plans and the near future

Use the present for fixed plans, especially with a time expression. For example, with parecer: “Ellos parecen buenos amigos.” — “They seem like good friends”. Notice how the time expression and the context, not just the verb form, tell you which rule applies.

Present vs future: parecer now, parecer later

The present and the future both talk about things that have not happened yet in one sense, but they are not interchangeable. The present is for what is true now or already fixed; the future is for what will happen and is not yet certain. Compare the pairs below — the present form comes from this page, the future form from the full conjugation table.

  • Present tense tense: “Yo parezco cansado todos los días.” — “I seem tired every day.”

  • Future: “Yo pareceré cansado mañana.” — “Tomorrow I will seem tired.”

  • Present tense tense: “Ella parece cansado ahora.” — “She seems tired now.”

  • Future: “Ella parecerá cansado la semana que viene.” — “Next week she will seem tired.”

  • Present tense tense: “Nosotros parecemos cansado en clase.” — “We seem tired in class.”

  • Future: “Nosotros pareceremos cansado el lunes.” — “On Monday we will seem tired.”

Example sentences: parecer in the present tense

Six sentences using only the present tense of parecer, with English translations. Read them aloud — saying the forms is the fastest way to fix them in memory.

  • “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.”

Common mistakes with parecer in the present tense

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.

Quiz: parecer in the present tense

Eight questions on the present tense of parecer. 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 tú form of parecer in the present tense?

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

Answer: D — The tú form in the present tense is pareces.

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

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

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

4. What is the nosotros/as form of parecer in the present tense?

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

Answer: B — The nosotros/as form in the present tense is parecemos.

5. 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.

6. Fill in the blank: “Ella ___ muy contenta hoy.” (She seems very happy today.)

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

Answer: D — The sentence needs parece.

7. Which sentence is correct?

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

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

8. Which sentence is correct?

  • A) Me parece bien.
  • B) Me parece que sí — learners forget the indirect object.

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

Frequently asked questions

Is parecer regular in the present tense?

No. parecer is irregular in the present tense: the forms are parezco, pareces, parece, parecemos, parecéis and parecen. There is no rule that produces them from the infinitive, so they have to be learnt as a set — the quiz above is a good place to start.

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

It is parezco. The yo form is the one learners use most and the one that most often breaks the pattern — for parecer it is the form to learn first, before the rest of the table.

When do I use the present tense of parecer instead of the preterite?

Use the present when the action is a habit, a fact, or happening now, and the preterite when it is a finished action in the past. If you can add “yesterday” to the sentence and it still makes sense, you almost certainly need the preterite, not the present.

How can I remember the present tense forms of parecer?

Say the six forms aloud in order — parezco, pareces, parece, parecemos, parecéis, parecen — three times a day for a week, always in a sentence, never as a bare list. Then use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself, and 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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