Suavizar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb suavizar means to soften, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. 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. Like every Spanish verb, suavizar 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 suavizo la piel con crema, and in the preterite you say suavicé las reglas del juego. 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: suavizar
- English: to soften
- Verb type: irregular verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: suavizando
- Past participle: suavizado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + suavizado)
- Pattern to learn: this verb is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is suavicé and the present subjunctive is suavice.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for suavizar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Suavizar is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite is suavicé and the subjunctive suavice.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for suavizar. 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 | suavizo |
| tú | suavizas |
| él/ella/Ud. | suaviza |
| nosotros/as | suavizamos |
| vosotros/as | suavizáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavizan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suavicé |
| tú | suavizaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | suavizó |
| nosotros/as | suavizamos |
| vosotros/as | suavizasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavizaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suavizaba |
| tú | suavizabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | suavizaba |
| nosotros/as | suavizábamos |
| vosotros/as | suavizabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavizaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suavizaré |
| tú | suavizarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | suavizará |
| nosotros/as | suavizaremos |
| vosotros/as | suavizaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavizarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suavizaría |
| tú | suavizarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | suavizaría |
| nosotros/as | suavizaríamos |
| vosotros/as | suavizaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavizarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he suavizado |
| tú | has suavizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha suavizado |
| nosotros/as | hemos suavizado |
| vosotros/as | habéis suavizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han suavizado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había suavizado |
| tú | habías suavizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había suavizado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos suavizado |
| vosotros/as | habíais suavizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían suavizado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré suavizado |
| tú | habrás suavizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá suavizado |
| nosotros/as | habremos suavizado |
| vosotros/as | habréis suavizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán suavizado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría suavizado |
| tú | habrías suavizado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría suavizado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos suavizado |
| vosotros/as | habríais suavizado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían suavizado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suavice |
| tú | suavices |
| él/ella/Ud. | suavice |
| nosotros/as | suavicemos |
| vosotros/as | suavicéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavicen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | suavizara |
| tú | suavizaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | suavizara |
| nosotros/as | suavizáramos |
| vosotros/as | suavizarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavizaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | suaviza |
| él/ella/Ud. | suavice |
| nosotros/as | suavicemos |
| vosotros/as | suavizad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavicen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | suavices |
| él/ella/Ud. | suavice |
| nosotros/as | suavicemos |
| vosotros/as | suavicéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | suavicen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | suavizando | with estar for the progressive: estoy suavizando |
| Past participle | suavizado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he suavizado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. Note the pattern here: this verb is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is suavicé and the present subjunctive is suavice. For suavizar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Suavizo la piel con crema. 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 here: this verb is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is suavicé and the present subjunctive is suavice. For suavizar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, suavicé el tono de la voz. 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 suavizar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, suavizaba las reglas del juego. 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 suavizar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, suavizaré el golpe con un cojín. 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 suavizar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Suavizaría la piel con crema 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 suavizar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he suavizado el tono de la voz. 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 suavizar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había suavizado las reglas del juego 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 suavizar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré suavizado el golpe con un cojín. 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 suavizar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría suavizado la piel con crema 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: this verb is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is suavicé and the present subjunctive is suavice. For suavizar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él suavice el tono de la voz. 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 suavizar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él suavizara las reglas del juego, 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: this verb is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is suavicé and the present subjunctive is suavice. For suavizar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Suaviza el golpe con un cojín! 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: this verb is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is suavicé and the present subjunctive is suavice. For suavizar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No suavices la piel con crema. 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 suavizar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Suavizo la piel con crema. — I soften skin with cream.
- Suaviza el tono de la voz. — He/she softens the tone of his voice.
- Ayer, suavicé las reglas del juego. — Yesterday, I softened the rules of the game.
- Antes, nosotros suavizábamos el golpe con un cojín. — Before, we used to soften the blow with a cushion.
- Mañana, tú suavizarás la piel con crema. — Tomorrow, you will soften skin with cream.
- Yo suavizaría el tono de la voz si tuviera más tiempo. — I would soften the tone of his voice if I had more time.
- Él ha suavizado las reglas del juego. — He has softened the rules of the game.
- Espero que él suavice el golpe con un cojín. — I hope he softens the blow with a cushion.
- Yo ya había suavizado la piel con crema antes de salir. — I had already softened skin with cream before leaving.
- Ellos suavizaban el tono de la voz cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to soften the tone of his voice when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo suaviza la piel con crema. — Right: Yo suavizo la piel con crema. — The person matters: suaviza is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is suavizo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Espero que yo suavize la piel con crema. — Right: Espero que yo suavice la piel con crema. — Spelling change: this verb is a -zar verb: z becomes c before e, so the preterite first person is suavicé and the present subjunctive is suavice, so the present subjunctive is suavice, never suavize.
- Wrong: Treating suavizar and ablandar as identical in every context. — Right: Suavizar means to soften, while ablandar means to soften. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: suavizar fits sentences such as Suavizo la piel con crema, while ablandar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy suavizado el tono de la voz. — Right: Yo he suavizado el tono de la voz. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he suavizado, has suavizado, ha suavizado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo suavicé las reglas del juego todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo suavizaba las reglas del juego todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (suavizaba), not the preterite. The preterite (suavicé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on suavizar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la piel con crema. (present tense) A. suavizo B. suavizas C. suaviza D. suavizamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el tono de la voz. (preterite) A. suavicé B. suavizaste C. suavizamos D. suavizó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ las reglas del juego. (imperfect) A. suavizabas B. suavizo C. suavizábamos D. suavizaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el golpe con un cojín. (future) A. suavizaremos B. suavizarás C. suavizaré D. suavizará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la piel con crema si pudiera. (conditional) A. suavizaría B. suavizarías C. suavizaríamos D. suavizo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el tono de la voz. (present subjunctive) A. suavices B. suavicemos C. suavizo D. suavice
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ las reglas del juego, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. suavizáramos B. suavizo C. suavizara D. suavizaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el golpe con un cojín. (present perfect) A. ha suavizado B. hemos suavizado C. he suavizado D. has suavizado
Complete the command: ¡___ la piel con crema! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. suaviza B. suavice C. suavicemos D. suavizad
Which is the gerund of suavizar, used with estar for the progressive? A. suavizado B. suavizo C. suavicé D. suavizando
Answer key
- suavizo — The yo present tense of suavizar is suavizo.
- suavizó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of suavizar is suavizó.
- suavizábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of suavizar is suavizábamos.
- suavizarás — The tú future of suavizar is suavizarás.
- suavizaría — The yo conditional of suavizar is suavizaría.
- suavice — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of suavizar is suavice.
- suavizara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of suavizar is suavizara.
- hemos suavizado — The nosotros/as present perfect of suavizar is hemos suavizado.
- suaviza — The affirmative tú imperative of suavizar is suaviza.
- suavizando — The gerund of suavizar is suavizando: estoy suavizando. The participle suavizado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does suavizar mean in English?
Suavizar means to soften. It is used in everyday situations such as Suavizo la piel con crema. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is suavizar regular or irregular?
Suavizar is a spelling-change verb: 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 regular, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page, including suavizo in the present and suavicé in the preterite.
What is the difference between suavizar and ablandar?
Suavizar means to soften, while ablandar means to soften. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use suavizar when you mean to soften, as in Suavizo la piel con crema, and use ablandar for to soften. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I soften” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo suavicé el tono de la voz. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo suavizaba las reglas del juego. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he suavizado el tono de la voz.
How do I practise suavizar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the suavizar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Suavizar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for suavizar.
- Suavizar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for suavizar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Complete list of Spanish irregular verbs — where this verb's pattern is listed.
- Sudar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with suavizar.
- Soportar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with suavizar.
- Solucionar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with suavizar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.