encabezar Present Subjunctive Conjugation
encabezar — to lead
The present subjunctive of encabezar requires a spelling change from 'z' to 'c' (encabece, encabeces, etc.).
encabezar Present Subjunctive Forms
When to Use the Present Subjunctive
Use this form when expressing hopes, doubts, or requests about who leads a project or who heads a list in the present or future.
Notes on encabezar in the Present Subjunctive
This tense is regular but has a spelling change: the 'z' in the stem changes to 'c' before 'e' to maintain the soft 's' sound.
Example Sentences
Espero que tú encabeces el equipo este año.
I hope that you lead the team this year.
tú
Dudo que ellos encabecen la manifestación.
I doubt that they are leading the protest.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Busco a alguien que encabece el departamento de ventas.
I am looking for someone to head the sales department.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Writing 'encabezes' with a 'z'.
Correct: encabeces
Why: In Spanish, the letter 'z' almost never appears before 'e' or 'i'; it changes to 'c' to keep the sound consistent.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: encabezo
Encabezar is completely regular in the present indicative (encabezo, encabezas, encabeza).
Preterite
yo: encabecé
The preterite of encabezar is regular except for the 'yo' form (encabecé) which changes 'z' to 'c'.
Imperfect
yo: encabezaba
The imperfect of encabezar is regular, using the -aba endings (encabezaba, encabezabas).
Future
yo: encabezaré
The future of encabezar is regular: add the endings to the full infinitive (encabezaré, encabezarás).
Conditional
yo: encabezaría
The conditional of encabezar is regular: infinitive + -ía endings (encabezaría, encabezarías).
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: encabezara
The imperfect subjunctive of encabezar follows the standard -ra pattern (encabezara, encabezaras).
Affirmative Imperative
yo: encabeza
The imperative uses 'encabeza' (tú) and 'encabecen' (ustedes) with a spelling change in most forms.
Negative Imperative
yo: no encabeces
The negative imperative always uses the present subjunctive forms: no encabeces, no encabece.