Sintetizar Present Tense in Spanish
sintetizar means "to synthesise" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for sintetizar, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo sintetizo la información en un resumen. — "Every day, I synthesise the information into a summary." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of sintetizar: full table
Every person of sintetizar in the present tense. The gerund is sintetizando and the past participle is sintetizado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | sintetizo |
| tú | sintetizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | sintetiza |
| nosotros/as | sintetizamos |
| vosotros/as | sintetizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | sintetizan |
The gerund of sintetizar is sintetizando and the past participle is sintetizado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy sintetizando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he sintetizado).
How the present tense of sintetizar is formed
The present tense of sintetizar is built from the stem sintetiz- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo sintetizo, tú sintetizas, él sintetiza, nosotros sintetizamos, vosotros sintetizáis and ellos sintetizan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | sintetizo |
| tú | -as | sintetizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | sintetiza |
| nosotros/as | -amos | sintetizamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | sintetizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | sintetizan |
Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is sinteticé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example sintetice.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is sintetizando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy sintetizando. The past participle is sintetizado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he sintetizado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with sintetizar
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo sintetizo la información en un resumen. — "Every day, I synthesise the information into a summary." The complement in this sentence is about the information into a summary, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear sintetizar in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú sintetizas los datos en un gráfico. — "Now, you synthesise the data into a chart." The complement in this sentence is about the data into a chart, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear sintetizar in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él sintetiza la lección en tres ideas. — "Normally, he/she synthesises the lesson into three ideas." The complement in this sentence is about the lesson into three ideas, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear sintetizar in the present tense.
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example: Mañana, nosotros sintetizamos el compuesto en el laboratorio. — "Tomorrow, we synthesise the compound in the laboratory." The complement in this sentence is about the compound in the laboratory, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear sintetizar in the present tense.
5. Frequent actions
With words such as siempre, a menudo and todos los días, the present tense shows how often something happens. For example: Siempre, ellos sintetizan la información en un resumen. — "Always, they synthesise the information into a summary." The complement in this sentence is about the information into a summary, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear sintetizar in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: sintetizar
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with sintetizar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo sintetizo la información en un resumen. — "Every day, I synthesise the information into a summary."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo sinteticé la información en un resumen. — "Yesterday, I synthesised the information into a summary."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, tú sintetizas los datos en un gráfico. — "Every day, you synthesise the data into a chart."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú sintetizaste los datos en un gráfico. — "Yesterday, you synthesised the data into a chart."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, él sintetiza la lección en tres ideas. — "Every day, he/she synthesises the lesson into three ideas."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él sintetizó la lección en tres ideas. — "Yesterday, he/she synthesised the lesson into three ideas."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: sintetizar in the present tense
These eight sentences show sintetizar in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo sintetizo la información en un resumen. — "I synthesise the information into a summary."
- Tú sintetizas los datos en un gráfico. — "you synthesise the data into a chart."
- Él sintetiza la lección en tres ideas. — "he/she synthesises the lesson into three ideas."
- Nosotros sintetizamos el compuesto en el laboratorio. — "we synthesise the compound in the laboratory."
- Vosotros sintetizáis la información en un resumen. — "you (plural) synthesise the information into a summary."
- Ellos sintetizan los datos en un gráfico. — "they synthesise the data into a chart."
- Yo sintetizo la lección en tres ideas. — "I synthesise the lesson into three ideas."
- Tú sintetizas el compuesto en el laboratorio. — "you synthesise the compound in the laboratory."
Common mistakes with sintetizar in the present tense
Mistake 1: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros sintetizais la información en un resumen.
- Right: Vosotros sintetizáis la información en un resumen.
- Why: The vosotros form sintetizáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 2: Adding a reflexive pronoun that does not belong
- Wrong: Yo me sintetizo la información en un resumen.
- Right: Yo sintetizo la información en un resumen.
- Why: sintetizar is not reflexive, so there is no pronoun to add. The extra pronoun changes the meaning of the sentence.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo sintetizo los datos en un gráfico.
- Right: Ayer, yo sinteticé los datos en un gráfico.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo sinteticé los datos en un gráfico. — "Yesterday, I synthesised the data into a chart." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo sintetizo la lección en tres ideas.
- Right: Antes, yo sintetizaba la lección en tres ideas.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo sintetizaba la lección en tres ideas. — "In the past, I used to synthesise the lesson into three ideas." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros sintetiza la información en un resumen.
- Right: Nosotros sintetizamos la información en un resumen.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes sintetizamos, while sintetiza belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of sintetizar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of sintetizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of sintetizar in the present tense?
- (a) sintetizas
- (b) sintetiza
- (c) sintetizamos
- (d) sintetizo
Answer: (d) sintetizo. The yo form is sintetizo. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of sintetizar in the present tense?
- (a) sintetiza
- (b) sintetizamos
- (c) sintetizas
- (d) sintetizo
Answer: (c) sintetizas. The tú form is sintetizas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of sintetizar in the present tense?
- (a) sintetizamos
- (b) sintetiza
- (c) sintetizo
- (d) sintetizas
Answer: (b) sintetiza. The él/ella form is sintetiza. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of sintetizar in the present tense?
- (a) sintetizamos
- (b) sintetizo
- (c) sintetizas
- (d) sintetiza
Answer: (a) sintetizamos. The nosotros form is sintetizamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of sintetizar in the present tense?
- (a) sintetizo
- (b) sintetizas
- (c) sintetiza
- (d) sintetizan
Answer: (d) sintetizan. The ellos/ellas form is sintetizan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la información en un resumen.
- (a) sintetiza
- (b) sintetizamos
- (c) sintetizo
- (d) sintetizas
Answer: (c) sintetizo. The sentence needs the yo form sintetizo (Every day, I synthesise the information into a summary.)
7. What is the gerund of sintetizar?
- (a) sintetizo
- (b) sintetizar
- (c) sintetizando
- (d) sintetizado
Answer: (c) sintetizando. The gerund is sintetizando, used for the progressive: estoy sintetizando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Mañana, yo sintetizaré los datos en un gráfico.
- (b) Cada día, yo sintetizo los datos en un gráfico.
- (c) Antes, yo sintetizaba los datos en un gráfico.
- (d) Ayer, yo sinteticé los datos en un gráfico.
Answer: (b) Cada día, yo sintetizo los datos en un gráfico.. Cada día, yo sintetizo los datos en un gráfico. (Every day, I synthesise the data into a chart.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo sinteticé los datos en un gráfico. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo sintetizaré los datos en un gráfico. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of sintetizar
Is sintetizar regular in the present tense?
Almost. sintetizar is a spelling-changing (z → c before e) -ar verb, so its endings are regular, but watch the spelling: Watch the spelling: the z becomes c before e, so the yo preterite is sinteticé and the subjunctive forms start with c, for example sintetice.
How do you say 'synthesise' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo sintetizo la información en un resumen. — "Every day, I synthesise the information into a summary." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with sintetizar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo sintetizo los datos en un gráfico. — "Every day, I synthesise the data into a chart." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo sinteticé los datos en un gráfico. — "Yesterday, I synthesised the data into a chart." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.
Can I use the present tense for the future with sintetizar?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros sintetizamos el compuesto en el laboratorio. — "Tomorrow, we synthesise the compound in the laboratory." Spanish often uses the present for a plan that feels certain, where English would use the future. Add a time word such as mañana so the listener knows you mean the future.