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pertenecer Present Conjugation

pertenecerto belong

B1regular -er★★★★
Quick answer:

The present tense of 'pertenecer' (pertenezco) is for current actions, habits, and general truths.

pertenecer Present Forms

yopertenezco
perteneces
él/ella/ustedpertenece
nosotrospertenecemos
vosotrospertenecéis
ellos/ellas/ustedespertenecen

When to Use the Present

Use the present tense for actions happening right now, habitual actions, or general truths about belonging. For example, 'This book belongs to me' or 'He belongs to the chess club'.

Notes on pertenecer in the Present

'Pertenecer' is irregular in the present indicative. It has a stem change from 'c' to 'z' in the 'yo' form ('pertenezco') and also in the present subjunctive forms. All other present indicative forms (tú, él/ella/usted, nosotros, vosotros, ellos/ellas/ustedes) are regular for -er verbs.

Example Sentences

  • Yo pertenezco al club de lectura.

    I belong to the book club.

    yo

  • ¿A quién pertenece este bolígrafo?

    Who does this pen belong to?

    él/ella/usted

  • Nosotros pertenecemos a la misma comunidad.

    We belong to the same community.

    nosotros

  • Ellos pertenecen a un grupo de voluntarios.

    They belong to a volunteer group.

    ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Using 'pertenezco' for all persons, instead of conjugating.

    Correct: Conjugate according to the subject: 'Yo pertenezco', 'Tú perteneces', 'Él pertenece', etc.

    Why: Spanish verbs change endings for each grammatical person.

  • Mistake: Forgetting the 'zc' change in the 'yo' form: 'Yo pertengo'.

    Correct: The correct 'yo' form is 'Yo pertenezco'.

    Why: This is a spelling change ('c' to 'zc') that occurs only in the first person singular present indicative for verbs ending in -cer.

Master Spanish verbs in context

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