alcanzar Present Conjugation
alcanzar — to reach
The present tense of alcanzar is regular: alcanzo, alcanzas, alcanza, alcanzamos, alcanzáis, alcanzan.
alcanzar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to talk about reaching goals, catching up with someone, or when something is physically within reach right now. It is also used to describe general truths about what a person can achieve.
Notes on alcanzar in the Present
Alcanzar is completely regular in the present indicative; simply replace the -ar ending with the standard endings.
Example Sentences
No alcanzo el libro en el estante de arriba.
I can't reach the book on the top shelf.
yo
Ella alcanza sus metas con mucho esfuerzo.
She reaches her goals with a lot of effort.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros alcanzamos el éxito trabajando juntos.
We reach success by working together.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'alcanzar' for 'to achieve' in every context.
Correct: While it means 'to reach', sometimes 'lograr' is better for 'to achieve'.
Why: Alcanzar often implies a physical reach or arriving at a specific milestone.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: alcancé
Alcanzar has a spelling change in the yo form (alcancé) to maintain the soft 'c' sound.
Imperfect
yo: alcanzaba
The imperfect of alcanzar is regular: alcanzaba, alcanzabas, alcanzaba, alcanzábamos, alcanzabais, alcanzaban.
Future
yo: alcanzaré
The future of alcanzar uses the full infinitive as the base: alcanzaré, alcanzarás, alcanzará, alcanzaremos, alcanzaréis, alcanzarán.
Conditional
yo: alcanzaría
The conditional of alcanzar is regular: alcanzaría, alcanzarías, alcanzaría, alcanzaríamos, alcanzaríais, alcanzarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: alcance
The present subjunctive of alcanzar features a 'z' to 'c' spelling change in every form: alcance, alcances, alcance, etc.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: alcanzara
The imperfect subjunctive of alcanzar is regular based on the preterite stem: alcanzara, alcanzaras, alcanzara, alcanzáramos, alcanzarais, alcanzaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: alcanza
The imperative of alcanzar uses 'alcanza' for tú and 'alcance(n)' for formal commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no alcances
The negative imperative of alcanzar uses the present subjunctive forms with 'no'.