Suavizar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of suavizar — “to soften” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for suavizar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Suavizar means to soften, and it is used for softening skin, a voice, a rule and a blow: suavizar la piel, suavizar el tono. It is a spelling-change verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite is suavicé and the subjunctive suavice. To see it in a real sentence: Suavizo la piel con crema. — “I soften skin with cream.”
Present tense conjugation table: suavizar
Every person of suavizar in the present tense. The gerund is suavizando and the past participle is suavizado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suavizo |
| tú | suavizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | suaviza |
| nosotros/as | suavizamos |
| vosotros/as | suavizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavizan |
The gerund is suavizando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy suavizando” means the action of suavizar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is suavizado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he suavizado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how suavizar is used.
How the present of suavizar is formed
The present of suavizar is built from the stem suaviz plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | suavizo |
| tú | -as | suavizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | suaviza |
| nosotros/as | -amos | suavizamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | suavizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | suavizan |
suavizar is not fully regular in form: this verb is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is suavicé and the present subjunctive is suavice. The endings in the table above are the regular -ar endings, so once you know the pattern, the whole tense follows. The forms that show the pattern most clearly are suavizo and suaviza.
The gerund of suavizar is suavizando and the past participle is suavizado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present of suavizar
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use suavizar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A routine or habit
The present tense of suavizar is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and suavizar is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.
Example: “Suavizo la piel con crema.” — I soften skin with cream.
2. A general fact
The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what suavizar means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.
Example: “Suaviza el tono de la voz.” — He/she softens the tone of his voice.
3. Something happening right now
The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.
Example: “Suavizo las reglas del juego.” — I soften the rules of the game.
4. A plan or arrangement
Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and suavizar follows the same rule as every other verb.
Example: “Mañana, nosotros suavizamos el golpe con un cojín.” — Tomorrow, we soften the blow with a cushion.
5. Asking and answering questions
Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.
Example: “¿Suavizas el tono de la voz?” — Do you soften the tone of his voice?
The present vs the preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.
Present: “Suavizo la piel con crema.” — I soften skin with cream.
Preterite: “Suavicé la piel con crema.” — I softened skin with cream.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Suaviza el tono de la voz.” — He/she softens the tone of his voice.
Preterite: “Suavizó el tono de la voz.” — He/she softened the tone of his voice.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Present: “Suavizamos las reglas del juego.” — We soften the rules of the game.
Preterite: “Suavizamos las reglas del juego.” — We softened the rules of the game.
The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.
Example sentences: suavizar in the present
Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.
“Suavizo la piel con crema.” — I soften skin with cream.
“Suavizas el tono de la voz.” — You soften the tone of his voice.
“Suaviza las reglas del juego.” — He/she softens the rules of the game.
“Suavizamos el golpe con un cojín.” — We soften the blow with a cushion.
“Suavizáis la piel con crema.” — You soften skin with cream.
“Suavizan el tono de la voz.” — They soften the tone of his voice.
“Suavizo las reglas del juego.” — I soften the rules of the game.
“Suaviza el golpe con un cojín.” — He/she softens the blow with a cushion.
Common mistakes with suavizar in the present
These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo suaviza la piel con crema.” Right: “Yo suavizo la piel con crema.” Why: Yo needs the yo form suavizo. The form suaviza belongs with él, ella or Ud.
Wrong: “Yo suavizar el tono de la voz.” Right: “Yo suavizo el tono de la voz.” Why: The infinitive suavizar cannot be the main verb of a sentence: it must be conjugated to agree with yo, giving suavizo.
Wrong: “Ayer yo suavizo el tono de la voz.” Right: “Ayer yo suavicé el tono de la voz.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to suavicé.
Wrong: “Ellos suaviza el tono de la voz.” Right: “Ellos suavizan el tono de la voz.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form suavizan. The singular suaviza belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.
Quiz: suavizar in the present
Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.
1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ la piel con crema.”
- (a) suavizo
- (b) suavizas
- (c) suaviza
Answer: suavizo — The yo form of suavizar in the present is suavizo.
2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ el tono de la voz.”
- (a) suavizo
- (b) suaviza
- (c) suavizas
Answer: suavizas — The tú form of suavizar in the present is suavizas.
3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ las reglas del juego.”
- (a) suavizas
- (b) suaviza
- (c) suavizo
Answer: suaviza — The él/ella form of suavizar in the present is suaviza.
4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ el golpe con un cojín.”
- (a) suavizamos
- (b) suavizo
- (c) suavizas
Answer: suavizamos — The nosotros/as form of suavizar in the present is suavizamos.
5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ la piel con crema.”
- (a) suavizo
- (b) suavizas
- (c) suavizáis
Answer: suavizáis — The vosotros/as form of suavizar in the present is suavizáis.
6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ el tono de la voz.”
- (a) suavizas
- (b) suavizan
- (c) suavizo
Answer: suavizan — The ellos/ellas form of suavizar in the present is suavizan.
7. What does suavizar mean in English?
- (a) to soften
- (b) to soften
- (c) to be about
Answer: to soften — Suavizar means to soften.
8. Which sentence is in the present?
- (a) Suavicé la piel con crema.
- (b) Suavizaré la piel con crema.
- (c) Suavizo la piel con crema.
Answer: Suavizo la piel con crema. — “Suavizo la piel con crema.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.
Frequently asked questions
Is suavizar regular in the present?
Suavizar is a spelling-change verb in the present: it is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is suavicé and the present subjunctive is suavice. The endings are the regular -ar endings, so the table above follows the pattern exactly.
What is the gerund and the past participle of suavizar?
The gerund is suavizando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy suavizando. The past participle is suavizado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he suavizado.
What should I watch out for with suavizar?
Suavizar is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite is suavicé and the subjunctive suavice. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is suavizo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.
How do I practise suavizar in the present?
Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the suavizar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of suavizar — every tense of suavizar in one place.
- Suavizar examples and quiz — more sentences with suavizar and a ten-question quiz.
- Spanish present guide — how the present works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present instantly.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on suavizar and other verbs.