conducir
/kon-doo-SEER/
to drive
Conducir means 'to drive' a vehicle.
📝 In Action
¿Puedes conducir un coche estándar?
A2Can you drive a manual car?
Ella conduce muy rápido en la autopista.
A1She drives very fast on the highway.
Yo conduzco al trabajo todos los días.
A1I drive to work every day.
💡 Grammar Points
The Special 'I' Form
In the present tense, the 'yo' (I) form is irregular: it must be 'conduzco' (with 'zc') to keep the 'z' sound clear. This special stem also shows up in all the wish/command forms (subjunctive).
Preterite Change
In the simple past (preterite), the verb changes its stem completely from 'c' to 'j': 'conduje', 'condujiste', etc. This happens to other verbs ending in -ducir like 'traducir' (to translate).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'zc'
Mistake: "Yo conduco."
Correction: Yo conduzco. Remember the 'zc' is needed to maintain the correct sound and follow the verb pattern.
⭐ Usage Tips
Regional Differences
While 'conducir' means 'to drive' everywhere, in many Latin American countries, 'manejar' is heard more frequently in casual conversation.
Conducir can also mean 'to lead' a group or investigation.
conducir(Verb)
to lead
?a group, person, or investigation
,to guide
?someone to a location
to escort
?a visitor or dignitary
📝 In Action
El guardia condujo a los invitados a la sala principal.
B1The guard led the guests to the main hall.
Ella conduce las reuniones del equipo cada mañana.
B2She leads the team meetings every morning.
La policía está conduciendo la investigación sobre el caso.
C1The police are conducting the investigation into the case.
The phrase 'conducir a' means 'to lead to' a specific result or consequence.
conducir(Verb)
to lead to
?a result or consequence
to result in
?producing an outcome
,to be conducive to
?helping something happen
📝 In Action
Este tipo de políticas conduce al éxito económico.
B2This type of policy leads to economic success.
La falta de comunicación puede conducir a malentendidos graves.
B2Lack of communication can lead to serious misunderstandings.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: conducir
Question 1 of 2
Which verb form correctly completes the sentence: 'Es vital que ella ______ su equipo con respeto.' (It is vital that she leads her team with respect.)
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'conducir' have the 'zc' ending in the present tense 'yo' form?
This irregularity ('conduzco') exists purely for sound! It ensures that the 'c' before the 'o' keeps the hard 's' or 'th' sound, just like it does in the infinitive 'conducir.' Other verbs like 'traducir' and 'producir' follow this exact same pattern.
If I am in Latin America, should I use 'conducir' or 'manejar' for 'to drive'?
Both are correct and understood, but 'manejar' is often much more common and natural in casual conversation across many Latin American regions. Use 'manejar' if you want to sound more native there.