Introduction

Learning to conjugate relacionar — “to relate” — opens up a whole set of sentences you will use in real Spanish. Whether you are talking about what you do every day, what happened yesterday, or what you plan to do tomorrow, relacionar is one of the verbs that carries those sentences, especially when the topic is the ideas. On this page you will find the full conjugation of relacionar in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. relacionar is a regular -ar verb; the gerund is relacionando and the past participle is relacionado, and both appear in the tables and examples below. For example: “Yo relaciono las ideas todos los días.” — “I relate the ideas.” Read the tables first, then the notes, and finish with the quiz to check what you have learned.

Quick facts
Infinitive relacionar
English to relate
Verb type Regular -ar verb
Gerund relacionando
Past participle relacionado
Auxiliary verb haber

Full conjugation tables

Gerund: relacionando · Past participle: relacionado

Present Indicative

Person Form
yo relaciono
tú relacionas
él/ella/Ud. relaciona
nosotros/as relacionamos
vosotros/as relacionáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. relacionan

The present tense describes habits, facts and what is happening now. For relacionar, the yo form is relaciono, as in “Yo relaciono las ideas.” — “I relate the ideas.”

Preterite

Person Form
yo relacioné
tú relacionaste
él/ella/Ud. relacionó
nosotros/as relacionamos
vosotros/as relacionasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. relacionaron

The preterite describes completed actions in the past — things that started and finished. For relacionar, the yo form is relacioné, as in “Yo relacioné las ideas.” — “I related the ideas.”

Imperfect

Person Form
yo relacionaba
tú relacionabas
él/ella/Ud. relacionaba
nosotros/as relacionábamos
vosotros/as relacionabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. relacionaban

The imperfect describes the past as background: habits, descriptions and actions in progress. For relacionar, the yo form is relacionaba, as in “Yo relacionaba las ideas.” — “I used to relate the ideas.”

Future

Person Form
yo relacionaré
tú relacionarás
él/ella/Ud. relacionará
nosotros/as relacionaremos
vosotros/as relacionaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. relacionarán

The future tense states what will happen. It is also used for predictions and promises. For relacionar, the yo form is relacionaré, as in “Yo relacionaré las ideas.” — “I will relate the ideas.”

Conditional

Person Form
yo relacionaría
tú relacionarías
él/ella/Ud. relacionaría
nosotros/as relacionaríamos
vosotros/as relacionaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. relacionarían

The conditional expresses what would happen: wishes, polite requests and hypothetical results. For relacionar, the yo form is relacionaría, as in “Yo relacionaría las ideas.” — “I would relate the ideas.”

Present Perfect

Person Form
yo he relacionado
tú has relacionado
él/ella/Ud. ha relacionado
nosotros/as hemos relacionado
vosotros/as habéis relacionado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han relacionado

The present perfect connects the past with the present: something that has happened, often today or recently. For relacionar, the yo form is he relacionado, as in “Yo he relacionado las ideas.” — “I have related the ideas.”

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había relacionado
tú habías relacionado
él/ella/Ud. había relacionado
nosotros/as habíamos relacionado
vosotros/as habíais relacionado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían relacionado

The pluperfect describes an event that happened before another past event. For relacionar, the yo form is había relacionado, as in “Yo había relacionado las ideas.” — “I had related the ideas.”

Future Perfect

Person Form
yo habré relacionado
tú habrás relacionado
él/ella/Ud. habrá relacionado
nosotros/as habremos relacionado
vosotros/as habréis relacionado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán relacionado

The future perfect describes something that will already be finished by a future moment. For relacionar, the yo form is habré relacionado, as in “Yo habré relacionado las ideas.” — “I will have related the ideas.”

Conditional Perfect

Person Form
yo habría relacionado
tú habrías relacionado
él/ella/Ud. habría relacionado
nosotros/as habríamos relacionado
vosotros/as habríais relacionado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían relacionado

The conditional perfect describes what would have happened under different conditions. For relacionar, the yo form is habría relacionado, as in “Yo habría relacionado las ideas.” — “I would have related the ideas.”

Present Subjunctive

Person Form
yo relacione
tú relaciones
él/ella/Ud. relacione
nosotros/as relacionemos
vosotros/as relacionéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. relacionen

The present subjunctive is used after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and influence. For relacionar, the yo form is relacione, as in “Espero que yo relacione las ideas.” — “I hope that I relate the ideas.”

Imperfect Subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo relacionara
tú relacionaras
él/ella/Ud. relacionara
nosotros/as relacionáramos
vosotros/as relacionarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. relacionaran

The imperfect subjunctive is used in the past versions of subjunctive clauses, and after "si" in hypothetical sentences. For relacionar, the yo form is relacionara, as in “Si yo relacionara las ideas, ...” — “If I related the ideas, ...”

The -se variant of this tense follows the same pattern with -se instead of -ra: relacionara becomes relacionase, and the same change applies to every person. Both variants mean the same thing; -ra is more common in everyday speech.

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú relaciona
Ud. relacione
nosotros/as relacionemos
vosotros/as relacionad
Uds. relacionen

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú relaciones
Ud. relacione
nosotros/as relacionemos
vosotros/as relacionéis
Uds. relacionen

The imperative is for orders, requests and advice. The affirmative tú form is relaciona, as in “¡Relaciona las ideas” — “Relate the ideas” For the negative imperative, Spanish uses the subjunctive forms: no relaciones. Note that the affirmative and negative forms differ, so check the table above before you give an order with relacionar.

Example sentences

Here are ten sentences with relacionar, covering different tenses and persons. Read each one out loud, then read the translation, and notice how the verb form changes while the meaning stays the same.

  1. “Yo relaciono las ideas cada día.” — “I relate the ideas.”
  2. “Él relaciona las ideas todos los días.” — “He relates the ideas.”
  3. “Yo relacioné las ideas ayer.” — “I related the ideas.”
  4. “Él relacionó las ideas ayer.” — “He related the ideas.”
  5. “Yo relacionaba las ideas cuando era joven.” — “I used to relate the ideas.”
  6. “Nosotros relacionaremos las ideas mañana.” — “We will relate the ideas.”
  7. “Si pudiera, yo relacionaría las ideas.” — “If I could, i would relate the ideas.”
  8. “Yo he relacionado las ideas hoy.” — “I have related the ideas.”
  9. “Espero que yo relacione las ideas.” — “I hope that I relate the ideas.”
  10. “estoy relacionando las ideas ahora mismo.” — “I am relating the ideas.”

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is relacioné, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — relacione — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of relacionar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For relacionar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: relacionamos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he relacionado las ideas. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy relacionado is not the present perfect of relacionar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing relacionar with relajar

relacionar and relajar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of relacionar — relate — the sentence needs relacionar; if it needs the meaning of relajar, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo relacione las ideas. Using the indicative — Espero que yo relaciono — is one of the most frequent learner errors with relacionar. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of relacionar in the present?

  • A. relacionas
  • B. relaciona
  • C. relacionamos
  • D. relaciono

2. What is the tu form of relacionar in the preterite?

  • A. relacionamos
  • B. relacionaste
  • C. relacioné
  • D. relacionó

3. What is the el form of relacionar in the imperfect?

  • A. relacionabas
  • B. relacionábamos
  • C. relacionabais
  • D. relacionaba

4. What is the nosotros form of relacionar in the future?

  • A. relacionará
  • B. relacionaremos
  • C. relacionaré
  • D. relacionarás

5. What is the vosotros form of relacionar in the present perfect?

  • A. he relacionado
  • B. has relacionado
  • C. ha relacionado
  • D. habéis relacionado

6. What is the ellos form of relacionar in the present subjunctive?

  • A. relacione
  • B. relacionen
  • C. relacione
  • D. relaciones

7. What is the yo form of relacionar in the preterite?

  • A. relacionaste
  • B. relacionó
  • C. relacionamos
  • D. relacioné

8. What is the tu form of relacionar in the imperfect?

  • A. relacionábamos
  • B. relacionabas
  • C. relacionaba
  • D. relacionaba

9. What is the el form of relacionar in the future?

  • A. relacionaré
  • B. relacionarás
  • C. relacionaremos
  • D. relacionará

10. What is the nosotros form of relacionar in the conditional?

  • A. relacionaría
  • B. relacionaríamos
  • C. relacionaría
  • D. relacionarías

Answer key

  1. relaciono — The present table gives yo = relaciono.
  2. relacionaste — The preterite table gives tu = relacionaste.
  3. relacionaba — The imperfect table gives el = relacionaba.
  4. relacionaremos — The future table gives nosotros = relacionaremos.
  5. habéis relacionado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis relacionado.
  6. relacionen — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = relacionen.
  7. relacioné — The preterite table gives yo = relacioné.
  8. relacionabas — The imperfect table gives tu = relacionabas.
  9. relacionará — The future table gives el = relacionará.
  10. relacionaríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = relacionaríamos.

Frequently asked questions

Is relacionar regular or irregular?

relacionar is a regular -ar verb. It follows the regular patterns for its ending in every tense. The tables on this page show the correct form for every person, so use them rather than guessing.

What is the past participle of relacionar?

The past participle of relacionar is relacionado. You use it with haber in the perfect tenses — he relacionado, había relacionado, habré relacionado — and after estar in passive-style descriptions. It is the regular participle for its verb class. Learn it together with the gerund relacionando and you have the two non-finite forms covered.

What is the gerund of relacionar?

The gerund of relacionar is relacionando. You use it with estar to describe an action in progress, as in estoy relacionando, and after verbs such as seguir and ir. Keep it distinct from the past participle relacionado, which belongs with haber, not with estar.

What is the yo form of relacionar in the present?

The yo form is relaciono — “Yo relaciono las ideas.” means “I relate the ideas.” That is the form you will use most often when you talk about yourself. For other persons, use the present table above: tú relacionas, él relaciona, nosotros relacionamos, ellos relacionan.

What is the difference between relacionar and relajar?

relacionar means “to relate”, while relajar means “to relax”. They share letters and sometimes a root, but they are different verbs. If your sentence means “to relate”, use relacionar; if it is about the meaning of relajar, use relajar instead. Checking the English meaning first prevents most mix-ups.

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