Pertenecer Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb pertenecer means to belong to, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Pertenecer means to belong to, and it is used for belonging to a family, a club, a generation and a company. It always takes the preposition a, and it is a -cer spelling-change verb: yo pertenezco. Like every Spanish verb, pertenecer 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 pertenezco a la familia desde siempre, and in the preterite you say pertenecí a una generación distinta. 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: pertenecer
- English: to belong to
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -er
- Gerund: perteneciendo
- Past participle: pertenecido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + pertenecido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for pertenecer, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes zc before o and a, so yo pertenezco and the subjunctive pertenezca. It always takes a: pertenecer a algo.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for pertenecer. 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 | pertenezco |
| tú | perteneces |
| él/ella/Ud. | pertenece |
| nosotros/as | pertenecemos |
| vosotros/as | pertenecéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pertenecen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pertenecí |
| tú | perteneciste |
| él/ella/Ud. | perteneció |
| nosotros/as | pertenecimos |
| vosotros/as | pertenecisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pertenecieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pertenecía |
| tú | pertenecías |
| él/ella/Ud. | pertenecía |
| nosotros/as | pertenecíamos |
| vosotros/as | pertenecíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pertenecían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perteneceré |
| tú | pertenecerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | pertenecerá |
| nosotros/as | perteneceremos |
| vosotros/as | perteneceréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pertenecerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pertenecería |
| tú | pertenecerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | pertenecería |
| nosotros/as | perteneceríamos |
| vosotros/as | perteneceríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pertenecerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he pertenecido |
| tú | has pertenecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha pertenecido |
| nosotros/as | hemos pertenecido |
| vosotros/as | habéis pertenecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han pertenecido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había pertenecido |
| tú | habías pertenecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había pertenecido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos pertenecido |
| vosotros/as | habíais pertenecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían pertenecido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré pertenecido |
| tú | habrás pertenecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá pertenecido |
| nosotros/as | habremos pertenecido |
| vosotros/as | habréis pertenecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán pertenecido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría pertenecido |
| tú | habrías pertenecido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría pertenecido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos pertenecido |
| vosotros/as | habríais pertenecido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían pertenecido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | pertenezca |
| tú | pertenezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | pertenezca |
| nosotros/as | pertenezcamos |
| vosotros/as | pertenecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pertenezcan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | perteneciera |
| tú | pertenecieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | perteneciera |
| nosotros/as | perteneciéramos |
| vosotros/as | pertenecierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pertenecieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | pertenece |
| él/ella/Ud. | pertenezca |
| nosotros/as | pertenezcamos |
| vosotros/as | perteneced |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pertenezcan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | pertenezcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | pertenezca |
| nosotros/as | pertenezcamos |
| vosotros/as | pertenecáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | pertenezcan |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | perteneciendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy perteneciendo |
| Past participle | pertenecido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he pertenecido |
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 zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For pertenecer, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Pertenezco a la familia desde siempre. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For pertenecer, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, pertenecí al club de tenis. 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 pertenecer, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, pertenecía a una generación distinta. 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 pertenecer, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, perteneceré a la empresa desde hace años. 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 pertenecer, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Pertenecería a la familia desde siempre 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 pertenecer, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he pertenecido al club de tenis. 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 pertenecer, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había pertenecido a una generación distinta 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 pertenecer, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré pertenecido a la empresa desde hace años. 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 pertenecer, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría pertenecido a la familia desde siempre 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 zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For pertenecer, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él pertenezca al club de tenis. 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 pertenecer, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él perteneciera a una generación distinta, 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 zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For pertenecer, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Pertenece a la empresa desde hace años! 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 zc before o and a, so the forms keep the same sound as the infinitive. For pertenecer, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No pertenezcas a la familia desde siempre. 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 pertenecer, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Pertenezco a la familia desde siempre. — I belong to the family forever.
- Pertenece al club de tenis. — He/she belongs to the tennis club.
- Ayer, pertenecí a una generación distinta. — Yesterday, I belonged to a different generation.
- Antes, nosotros pertenecíamos a la empresa desde hace años. — Before, we used to belong to the company for years.
- Mañana, tú pertenecerás a la familia desde siempre. — Tomorrow, you will belong to the family forever.
- Yo pertenecería al club de tenis si tuviera más tiempo. — I would belong to the tennis club if I had more time.
- Él ha pertenecido a una generación distinta. — He has belonged to a different generation.
- Espero que él pertenezca a la empresa desde hace años. — I hope he belongs to the company for years.
- Yo ya había pertenecido a la familia desde siempre antes de salir. — I had already belonged to the family forever before leaving.
- Ellos pertenecían al club de tenis cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to belong to the tennis club when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo pertenece a la familia desde siempre. — Right: Yo pertenezco a la familia desde siempre. — The person matters: pertenece is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is pertenezco. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo perteneco al club de tenis. — Right: Yo pertenezco al club de tenis. — In the present, the correct first-person form is pertenezco, not perteneco. pertenecer is a spelling-change verb: c becomes zc before o and a, so the written form changes to keep the same sound. The regular-looking form is wrong.
- Wrong: Treating pertenecer and ser as identical in every context. — Right: Pertenecer means to belong to, while ser means to be, for ownership with ser de. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: pertenecer fits sentences such as Pertenezco a la familia desde siempre, while ser belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy pertenecido al club de tenis. — Right: Yo he pertenecido al club de tenis. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he pertenecido, has pertenecido, ha pertenecido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo pertenecí a una generación distinta todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo pertenecía a una generación distinta todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (pertenecía), not the preterite. The preterite (pertenecí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on pertenecer. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a la familia desde siempre. (present tense) A. pertenezco B. perteneces C. pertenece D. pertenecemos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ al club de tenis. (preterite) A. pertenecí B. perteneciste C. pertenecieron D. perteneció
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a una generación distinta. (imperfect) A. pertenecías B. pertenecían C. pertenecíamos D. pertenecía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a la empresa desde hace años. (future) A. perteneceremos B. pertenecerás C. perteneceré D. pertenecerá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a la familia desde siempre si pudiera. (conditional) A. pertenecería B. pertenecerías C. pertenecerían D. pertenezco
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ al club de tenis. (present subjunctive) A. pertenezcas B. pertenezcamos C. pertenezco D. pertenezca
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a una generación distinta, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. perteneciéramos B. pertenezco C. perteneciera D. pertenecieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a la empresa desde hace años. (present perfect) A. han pertenecido B. hemos pertenecido C. he pertenecido D. has pertenecido
Complete the command: ¡___ a la familia desde siempre! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. pertenece B. pertenezca C. pertenezcamos D. perteneced
Which is the gerund of pertenecer, used with estar for the progressive? A. pertenecido B. pertenezco C. pertenecí D. perteneciendo
Answer key
- pertenezco — The first-person present of pertenecer is pertenezco. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- perteneció — The third-person preterite of pertenecer is perteneció, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- pertenecíamos — The nosotros imperfect of pertenecer is pertenecíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- pertenecerás — The second-person future of pertenecer is pertenecerás.
- pertenecería — The first-person conditional of pertenecer is pertenecería, the form for what would happen.
- pertenezca — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of pertenecer is pertenezca.
- perteneciera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of pertenecer is perteneciera.
- hemos pertenecido — The nosotros present perfect of pertenecer is hemos pertenecido: hemos + pertenecido.
- pertenece — The affirmative tú imperative of pertenecer is pertenece.
- perteneciendo — The gerund of pertenecer is perteneciendo: estoy perteneciendo. The participle pertenecido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does pertenecer mean in English?
Pertenecer means to belong to. It is used in everyday situations such as Pertenezco a la familia desde siempre. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is pertenecer regular or irregular?
Pertenecer is a fully regular -er 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 pertenezco in the present and pertenecí in the preterite.
What is the difference between pertenecer and ser?
Pertenecer means to belong to, while ser means to be, for ownership with ser de. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use pertenecer when you mean to belong to, as in Pertenezco a la familia desde siempre, and use ser for to be, for ownership with ser de. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I belong to” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo pertenecí al club de tenis. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo pertenecía a una generación distinta. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he pertenecido al club de tenis.
How do I practise pertenecer?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the pertenecer examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Pertenecer in the present tense — the full present-tense table for pertenecer.
- Pertenecer examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for pertenecer.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Obedecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with pertenecer.
- Permanecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with pertenecer.
- Establecer conjugation — another -er verb to compare with pertenecer.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.