oscurecer Present Conjugation
oscurecer — to get dark
Oscurecer follows the -cer/-cir pattern: the 'yo' form is oscurezco, while other forms are regular.
oscurecer Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use the present tense to talk about the sun setting daily, the sky getting dark during a storm, or a liquid changing color right now.
Notes on oscurecer in the Present
This verb has a 'z-change' in the first person singular (yo). You add a 'z' before the 'c' to maintain the soft 'th' or 's' sound before the 'o'.
Example Sentences
Oscurezco la habitación con estas cortinas.
I darken the room with these curtains.
yo
En invierno oscurece muy temprano.
In winter it gets dark very early.
él/ella/usted
Las nubes oscurecen el cielo.
The clouds are darkening the sky.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: yo oscureco
Correct: yo oscurezco
Why: Verbs ending in -cer preceded by a vowel need the 'zc' spelling in the 'yo' form to keep the pronunciation consistent.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: oscurecí
Oscurecer is completely regular in the preterite: oscurecí, oscureciste, oscureció, oscurecimos, oscurecisteis, oscurecieron.
Imperfect
yo: oscurecía
Oscurecer is regular in the imperfect: oscurecía, oscurecías, oscurecía, oscurecíamos, oscurecíais, oscurecían.
Future
yo: oscureceré
Oscurecer is regular in the future: oscureceré, oscurecerás, oscurecerá, oscureceremos, oscureceréis, oscurecerán.
Conditional
yo: oscurecería
Oscurecer is regular in the conditional: oscurecería, oscurecerías, oscurecería, oscureceríamos, oscureceríais, oscurecerían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: oscurezca
The present subjunctive uses the 'zc' stem for all forms: oscurezca, oscurezcas, oscurezca, oscurezcamos, oscurezcáis, oscurezcan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: oscureciera
Oscurecer is regular in the imperfect subjunctive, using the 'ra' or 'se' forms: oscureciera, oscurecieras, etc.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: oscurece
The imperative uses 'oscurece' (tú) and 'oscurezca' (usted/ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no oscurezcas
The negative imperative always uses the present subjunctive forms with 'no'.