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conduce

kon-DOO-sehkonˈduθe

drives, is driving

Also: you drive (formal)
VerbA2irregular (z-c and j-stem changes) ir
Mexico, Central America
A person with short hair sitting in a car, holding the steering wheel and driving. The focus is on the action of operating the vehicle.
infinitiveconducir
gerundconduciendo
past Participleconducido

📝 In Action

Ella conduce un coche muy rápido.

A2

She drives a very fast car.

¿Quién conduce el autobús hoy?

B1

Who is driving the bus today?

El señor Pérez conduce con mucha precaución.

A2

Mr. Pérez drives with a lot of caution.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • maneja (drives (common in Latin America))
  • pilota (pilots, drives (informal))

Common Collocations

  • conducir un coche – to drive a car
  • conducir por la izquierda – to drive on the left

leads, guides

Also: conducts
VerbB1irregular (z-c and j-stem changes) ir
A guide standing at the front of a small group of people who are following closely behind, indicating they are being led.

📝 In Action

El guía conduce a los turistas por el museo.

B1

The guide leads the tourists through the museum.

Este material conduce muy bien el calor.

B2

This material conducts heat very well.

El director conduce la orquesta con pasión.

B1

The conductor leads the orchestra with passion.

Word Connections

Synonyms

leads to, results in

Also: causes
VerbB2irregular (z-c and j-stem changes) irformal
A winding dirt path stretching across a green landscape, visibly terminating at a small, welcoming cottage.

📝 In Action

El camino principal conduce directamente al centro de la ciudad.

B2

The main road leads directly to the city center.

La falta de planificación conduce a errores graves.

C1

The lack of planning leads to serious mistakes.

Esta investigación conduce a nuevas preguntas.

C1

This investigation leads to new questions.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Common Collocations

  • conducir al éxito – to lead to success
  • conducir a la ruina – to lead to ruin

Indicative

Present

yoconduzco
túconduces
él/ella/ustedconduce
nosotrosconducimos
vosotrosconducís
ellos/ellas/ustedesconducen

Imperfect

yoconducía
túconducías
él/ella/ustedconducía
nosotrosconducíamos
vosotrosconducíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesconducían

Preterite

yoconduje
túcondujiste
él/ella/ustedcondujo
nosotroscondujimos
vosotroscondujisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedescondujeron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yoconduzca
túconduzcas
él/ella/ustedconduzca
nosotrosconduzcamos
vosotrosconduzcáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesconduzcan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yocondujera
túcondujeras
él/ella/ustedcondujera
nosotroscondujéramos
vosotroscondujerais
ellos/ellas/ustedescondujeran
View All Tenses & Moods →

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: conduce

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence uses 'conduce' in the sense of leading to a result?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
conducción(driving, leadership, conduction) — Noun
conductor(driver, conductor, leader) — Noun
conducible(conductible, passable) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin verb *conducere*, meaning 'to lead together' or 'to bring together.' It has always carried the sense of guiding or moving something from one place to another, whether physically (like a wagon) or abstractly (like a result).

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: conductFrench: conduire

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'conduce' the command form for 'tú' (you informal)?

No, the command form for 'tú' is actually 'conduce' (the same as the 'él/ella' form). For example: '¡Conduce con cuidado!' (Drive carefully!).

Why does the 'yo' form change to 'conduzco'?

The verb 'conducir' belongs to a small group of verbs where the 'c' changes to a 'zc' only in the 'yo' form of the present tense. This is an irregularity you just need to memorize, but it helps keep the sound consistent.