caracterizar Affirmative Imperative Conjugation
caracterizar — to characterize
The imperative uses 'caracteriza' for tú and 'caracterice' for formal commands.
caracterizar Affirmative Imperative Forms
When to Use the Affirmative Imperative
Use the imperative to tell someone how to portray a character or how to define a concept in a description.
Notes on caracterizar in the Affirmative Imperative
The 'usted' and 'nosotros' forms use the 'c' spelling change from the subjunctive. The 'tú' form is regular with a 'z'.
Example Sentences
Caracteriza al personaje con un acento fuerte.
Portray the character with a strong accent.
tú
Caracterice usted los puntos principales del informe.
Characterize the main points of the report.
usted
Caractericemos esta situación como una oportunidad.
Let's characterize this situation as an opportunity.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'caracterize' for the formal command.
Correct: caracterice
Why: Formal commands (usted) are pulled from the subjunctive, which requires the 'z' to 'c' change.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: caracterizo
The present of caracterizar is regular, but remember the 'z' sounds like 's' (or 'th' in Spain): caracterizo, caracterizas, caracteriza.
Preterite
yo: caractericé
The preterite of caracterizar has a spelling change in the 'yo' form: caractericé.
Imperfect
yo: caracterizaba
The imperfect of caracterizar is regular: caracterizaba, caracterizabas, caracterizaba.
Future
yo: caracterizaré
The future of caracterizar is regular: caracterizaré, caracterizarás, caracterizará.
Conditional
yo: caracterizaría
The conditional of caracterizar is regular: caracterizaría, caracterizarías, caracterizaría.
Present Subjunctive
yo: caracterice
The present subjunctive of caracterizar requires a 'z' to 'c' spelling change in all forms.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: caracterizara
The imperfect subjunctive is regular: caracterizara, caracterizaras, caracterizara.
Negative Imperative
yo: no caracterices
Negative commands all use the 'c' spelling change: no caracterices, no caracterice.