Tranquilizar Present Tense in Spanish
Introduction
tranquilizar means "to reassure, to calm" 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 tranquilizar, 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, me tranquiliza la llamada del médico. — "Every day, the doctor's call reassures me." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of tranquilizar: full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| Yo | tranquilizo |
| Tú | tranquilizas |
| Él / Ella | tranquiliza |
| Nosotros | tranquilizamos |
| Vosotros | tranquilizáis |
| Ellos | tranquilizan |
The gerund of tranquilizar is tranquilizando and the past participle is tranquilizado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy tranquilizando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he tranquilizado).
How the present tense of tranquilizar is formed
The present tense of tranquilizar is built from the stem tranquiliz- 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 tranquilizo, tú tranquilizas, él tranquiliza, nosotros tranquilizamos, vosotros tranquilizáis and ellos tranquilizan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
In everyday use, tranquilizar usually works like gustar: the thing that produces the feeling is the subject of the sentence, and you are the indirect object. So you say me tranquiliza la llamada del médico — literally, the thing is the subject and you are the person it affects — rather than starting with yo. The verb agrees with the thing, not with you: one thing takes the singular form tranquiliza, and several things take the plural form tranquilizan. The full table above still matters, because the transitive use (for example, tranquilizar a alguien) uses the ordinary persons.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is tranquilizando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy tranquilizando. The past participle is tranquilizado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he tranquilizado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with tranquilizar
1. A doctor's call
Me tranquiliza la llamada del médico is the most comforting use of this verb. The call is the subject, and you are the person it reassures, which is why Spanish says me tranquiliza and not yo tranquilizo. For example: Me tranquiliza la llamada del médico. — "The doctor's call reassures me."
2. Kind words
Me tranquilizan las palabras del profesor shows the plural agreement. Las palabras is plural, so the verb is tranquilizan. It is how students describe a teacher who removes their fear. For example: Te tranquilizan las palabras del profesor. — "The teacher's words reassure you."
3. Reassuring someone else
Tranquilizo a mi madre con buenas noticias shows the transitive use. Here you are the subject, your mother is the object, and the verb means you remove her worry deliberately. For example: Le tranquiliza la noticia oficial. — "The official news reassures him."
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, to talk about tomorrow's plan you can use the future — Mañana, me tranquilizará un abrazo de mi madre. — "Tomorrow, a hug from my mother will reassure me." — but in conversation you will also hear the present used the same way.
5. General truths and routines
Finally, the present tense states general truths and routines: what usually happens, what is always true, what people normally do. It is the tense of habits and of facts that do not belong to one moment. For example: Normalmente, le tranquiliza la llamada del médico. — "Normally, the doctor's call reassures him."
Present vs preterite: tranquilizar
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 tranquilizar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, me tranquiliza la llamada del médico. — "Every day, the doctor's call reassures me."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, me tranquilizó la llamada del médico. — "Yesterday, the doctor's call reassured me."
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, me tranquilizan las palabras del profesor. — "Every day, the teacher's words reassure me."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, me tranquilizaron las palabras del profesor. — "Yesterday, the teacher's words reassured me."
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, me tranquiliza la noticia oficial. — "Every day, the official news reassures me."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, me tranquilizó la noticia oficial. — "Yesterday, the official news reassured me."
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: tranquilizar in the present tense
These six sentences show tranquilizar 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.
- Me tranquiliza la llamada del médico. — "The doctor's call reassures me."
- Te tranquilizan las palabras del profesor. — "The teacher's words reassure you."
- Le tranquiliza la noticia oficial. — "The official news reassures him."
- Nos tranquiliza un abrazo de mi madre. — "A hug from my mother reassures us."
- Os tranquiliza la llamada del médico. — "The doctor's call reassures you."
- Les tranquilizan las palabras del profesor. — "The teacher's words reassure them."
Common mistakes with tranquilizar in the present tense
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo tranquilizo la llamada.
- Right: Me tranquiliza la llamada.
- Why: When something reassures you, tranquilizar works like gustar: me tranquiliza la llamada. Yo tranquilizo would mean I reassure someone.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Me tranquiliza las palabras.
- Right: Me tranquilizan las palabras.
- Why: The verb agrees with the subject. Las palabras is plural, so the verb must be tranquilizan.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Tranquilizar es lo mismo que calmar.
- Right: They are close but not identical.
- Why: Tranquilizar removes worry: it reassures. Calmar lowers intensity: it soothes nerves or pain. A doctor's call tranquiliza; soft music calma.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, me tranquiliza la llamada del médico.
- Right: Ayer, me tranquilizó la llamada del médico.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Me tranquilizais la llamada del médico.
- Right: Me tranquilizáis la llamada del médico.
- Why: The form is tranquilizáis, with a written accent. The accent is part of the spelling, and without it the word is misspelled.
Quiz: the present tense of tranquilizar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of tranquilizar. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of tranquilizar in the present tense?
- (a) tranquilizo
- (b) tranquilizas
- (c) tranquiliza
- (d) tranquilizamos
Answer: (a) tranquilizo. The i form is tranquilizo. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the you form of tranquilizar in the present tense?
- (a) tranquilizo
- (b) tranquiliza
- (c) tranquilizamos
- (d) tranquilizas
Answer: (d) tranquilizas. The you form is tranquilizas. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the he / she form of tranquilizar in the present tense?
- (a) tranquilizas
- (b) tranquilizamos
- (c) tranquiliza
- (d) tranquilizo
Answer: (c) tranquiliza. The he / she form is tranquiliza. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the we form of tranquilizar in the present tense?
- (a) tranquiliza
- (b) tranquilizamos
- (c) tranquilizo
- (d) tranquilizas
Answer: (b) tranquilizamos. The we form is tranquilizamos. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the they form of tranquilizar in the present tense?
- (a) tranquilizan
- (b) tranquilizo
- (c) tranquilizas
- (d) tranquiliza
Answer: (a) tranquilizan. The they form is tranquilizan. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, me ___ la llamada del médico.
- (a) tranquilizó
- (b) tranquilizaba
- (c) tranquiliza
- (d) tranquilizan
Answer: (c) tranquiliza. The sentence needs the third-person form tranquiliza (Every day, the doctor's call reassures me.)
7. What is the gerund of tranquilizar?
- (a) tranquilizado
- (b) tranquilizar
- (c) tranquiliza
- (d) tranquilizando
Answer: (d) tranquilizando. The gerund is tranquilizando, used for the progressive: estoy tranquilizando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, me tranquilizan las palabras del profesor.
- (b) Antes, me tranquilizaban las palabras del profesor.
- (c) Ayer, me tranquilizaron las palabras del profesor.
- (d) Mañana, me tranquilizarán las palabras del profesor.
Answer: (a) Cada día, me tranquilizan las palabras del profesor.. Cada día, me tranquilizan las palabras del profesor. (Every day, the teacher's words reassure me.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, me tranquilizaron las palabras del profesor. is a single completed action, and Mañana, me tranquilizarán las palabras del profesor. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of tranquilizar
Why is it 'me tranquiliza' and not 'yo tranquilizo'?
Because tranquilizar usually works like gustar. The reassuring thing is the subject and you are the indirect object: me tranquiliza la llamada.
What is the difference between tranquilizar and calmar?
Tranquilizar is about worry: it reassures you that things are fine. Calmar is about intensity: it soothes nerves, pain or anger.
Is tranquilizar regular?
Yes, with one spelling change: the preterite yo form is tranquilicé, with a c, to keep the soft sound. The present tense is fully regular: tranquilizo, tranquilizas, tranquiliza.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with tranquilizar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, me tranquiliza la llamada del médico. — "Every day, the doctor's call reassures me." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, me tranquilizó la llamada del médico. — "Yesterday, the doctor's call reassured me." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.