Rectificar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb rectificar means to rectify, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Rectificar means to rectify or to put right, and it covers correcting an error in a report, a date in a letter, changing a position after thinking and correcting a boat's course. It is a spelling-change verb: the c becomes qu before e. Like every Spanish verb, rectificar 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 rectifico el error en el informe, and in the preterite you say rectifiqué su postura después de pensarlo. 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: rectificar
- English: to rectify
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: rectificando
- Past participle: rectificado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + rectificado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for rectificar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is rectifiqué and the subjunctive is rectifique.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for rectificar. 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 | rectifico |
| tú | rectificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | rectifica |
| nosotros/as | rectificamos |
| vosotros/as | rectificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | rectifican |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | rectifiqué |
| tú | rectificaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | rectificó |
| nosotros/as | rectificamos |
| vosotros/as | rectificasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | rectificaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | rectificaba |
| tú | rectificabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | rectificaba |
| nosotros/as | rectificábamos |
| vosotros/as | rectificabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | rectificaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | rectificaré |
| tú | rectificarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | rectificará |
| nosotros/as | rectificaremos |
| vosotros/as | rectificaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | rectificarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | rectificaría |
| tú | rectificarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | rectificaría |
| nosotros/as | rectificaríamos |
| vosotros/as | rectificaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | rectificarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he rectificado |
| tú | has rectificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha rectificado |
| nosotros/as | hemos rectificado |
| vosotros/as | habéis rectificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han rectificado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había rectificado |
| tú | habías rectificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había rectificado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos rectificado |
| vosotros/as | habíais rectificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían rectificado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré rectificado |
| tú | habrás rectificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá rectificado |
| nosotros/as | habremos rectificado |
| vosotros/as | habréis rectificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán rectificado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría rectificado |
| tú | habrías rectificado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría rectificado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos rectificado |
| vosotros/as | habríais rectificado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían rectificado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | rectifique |
| tú | rectifiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | rectifique |
| nosotros/as | rectifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | rectifiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | rectifiquen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | rectificara |
| tú | rectificaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | rectificara |
| nosotros/as | rectificáramos |
| vosotros/as | rectificarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | rectificaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | rectifica |
| él/ella/Ud. | rectifique |
| nosotros/as | rectifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | rectificad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | rectifiquen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | rectifiques |
| él/ella/Ud. | rectifique |
| nosotros/as | rectifiquemos |
| vosotros/as | rectifiquéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | rectifiquen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | rectificando | with estar for the progressive: estoy rectificando |
| Past participle | rectificado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he rectificado |
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 rectificar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Rectifico el error en el informe. 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 rectifiqué. For rectificar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, rectifiqué la fecha en la carta. 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 rectificar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, rectificaba su postura después de pensarlo. 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 rectificar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, rectificaré el rumbo del barco. 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 rectificar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Rectificaría el error en el informe 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 rectificar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he rectificado la fecha en la carta. 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 rectificar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había rectificado su postura después de pensarlo 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 rectificar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré rectificado el rumbo del barco. 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 rectificar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría rectificado el error en el informe 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 rectificar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él rectifique la fecha en la carta. 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 rectificar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él rectificara su postura después de pensarlo, 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 rectificar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Rectifica el rumbo del barco! 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 rectificar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No rectifiques el error en el informe. 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 rectificar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Rectifico el error en el informe. — I rectify the error in the report.
- Rectifica la fecha en la carta. — He/she rectifies the date in the letter.
- Ayer, rectifiqué su postura después de pensarlo. — Yesterday, I rectified his position after thinking about it.
- Antes, nosotros rectificábamos el rumbo del barco. — Before, we used to rectify the boat's course.
- Mañana, tú rectificarás el error en el informe. — Tomorrow, you will rectify the error in the report.
- Yo rectificaría la fecha en la carta si tuviera más tiempo. — I would rectify the date in the letter if I had more time.
- Él ha rectificado su postura después de pensarlo. — He has rectified his position after thinking about it.
- Espero que él rectifique el rumbo del barco. — I hope he rectifies the boat's course.
- Yo ya había rectificado el error en el informe antes de salir. — I had already rectified the error in the report before leaving.
- Ellos rectificaban la fecha en la carta cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to rectify the date in the letter when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo rectifica el error en el informe. — Right: Yo rectifico el error en el informe. — The person matters: rectifica is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is rectifico. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Yo rectificé la fecha en la carta. — Right: Yo rectifiqué la fecha en la carta. — In the preterite, the correct first-person form is rectifiqué, not rectificé. rectificar 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 rectificar and corregir as identical in every context. — Right: Rectificar means to rectify, while corregir means to correct, the close verb. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: rectificar fits sentences such as Rectifico el error en el informe, while corregir belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy rectificado la fecha en la carta. — Right: Yo he rectificado la fecha en la carta. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he rectificado, has rectificado, ha rectificado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo rectifiqué su postura después de pensarlo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo rectificaba su postura después de pensarlo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (rectificaba), not the preterite. The preterite (rectifiqué) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on rectificar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el error en el informe. (present tense) A. rectifico B. rectificas C. rectifica D. rectificamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ la fecha en la carta. (preterite) A. rectifiqué B. rectificaste C. rectificaron D. rectificó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ su postura después de pensarlo. (imperfect) A. rectificabas B. rectificaban C. rectificábamos D. rectificaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el rumbo del barco. (future) A. rectificaremos B. rectificarás C. rectificaré D. rectificará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el error en el informe si pudiera. (conditional) A. rectificaría B. rectificarías C. rectificarían D. rectifico
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la fecha en la carta. (present subjunctive) A. rectifiques B. rectifiquemos C. rectifico D. rectifique
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ su postura después de pensarlo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. rectificáramos B. rectifico C. rectificara D. rectificaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el rumbo del barco. (present perfect) A. han rectificado B. hemos rectificado C. he rectificado D. has rectificado
Complete the command: ¡___ el error en el informe! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. rectifica B. rectifique C. rectifiquemos D. rectificad
Which is the gerund of rectificar, used with estar for the progressive? A. rectificado B. rectifico C. rectifiqué D. rectificando
Answer key
- rectifico — The first-person present of rectificar is rectifico. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- rectificó — The third-person preterite of rectificar is rectificó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- rectificábamos — The nosotros imperfect of rectificar is rectificábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- rectificarás — The second-person future of rectificar is rectificarás.
- rectificaría — The first-person conditional of rectificar is rectificaría, the form for what would happen.
- rectifique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of rectificar is rectifique.
- rectificara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of rectificar is rectificara.
- hemos rectificado — The nosotros present perfect of rectificar is hemos rectificado: hemos + rectificado.
- rectifica — The affirmative tú imperative of rectificar is rectifica.
- rectificando — The gerund of rectificar is rectificando: estoy rectificando. The participle rectificado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does rectificar mean in English?
Rectificar means to rectify. It is used in everyday situations such as Rectifico el error en el informe. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is rectificar regular or irregular?
Rectificar 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 rectifico in the present and rectifiqué in the preterite.
What is the difference between rectificar and corregir?
Rectificar means to rectify, while corregir means to correct, the close verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use rectificar when you mean to rectify, as in Rectifico el error en el informe, and use corregir for to correct, the close verb. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I rectify” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo rectifiqué la fecha en la carta. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo rectificaba su postura después de pensarlo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he rectificado la fecha en la carta.
How do I practise rectificar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the rectificar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Rectificar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for rectificar.
- Rectificar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for rectificar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Certificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with rectificar.
- Unificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with rectificar.
- Pacificar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with rectificar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.