localizar Preterite Conjugation
localizar — to locate
The preterite of localizar has a spelling change in the 'yo' form (localicé), but is otherwise regular.
localizar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for the specific moment you successfully found or tracked down something or someone. It emphasizes the completed act of locating.
Notes on localizar in the Preterite
This verb has a 'Z to C' spelling change in the first person singular (yo) to keep the 'th/s' sound before the letter 'e'. All other forms are regular.
Example Sentences
Por fin localicé las llaves del coche.
I finally located the car keys.
yo
¿Localizaste el hotel en el mapa?
Did you locate the hotel on the map?
tú
La policía localizó al sospechoso en una hora.
The police located the suspect in an hour.
él/ella/usted
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Writing 'localizé' with a Z.
Correct: localicé
Why: In Spanish, the letter Z rarely appears before E or I; it changes to C to maintain the same sound.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: localizo
Localizar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense (localizo, localizas, localiza...).
Imperfect
yo: localizaba
The imperfect of localizar is regular: localizaba, localizabas, localizaba...
Future
yo: localizaré
The future tense is regular: add the endings -é, -ás, -á to the full infinitive (localizaré).
Conditional
yo: localizaría
Form the conditional by adding -ía endings to the infinitive: localizaría, localizarías...
Present Subjunctive
yo: localice
The present subjunctive uses a 'C' instead of 'Z' in all forms (localice, localices...).
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: localizara
Formed from the 'ellos' preterite: localizara, localizaras, localizara...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: localiza
Use 'localiza' (tú) or 'localice' (usted) to give direct orders to find something.
Negative Imperative
yo: no localices
All negative commands for localizar use the present subjunctive forms with 'no'.