conducir
“conducir” means “to drive” in Spanish. It has 3 different meanings depending on context:
to drive
Also: to operate
📝 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.
to lead, to guide
Also: to escort
📝 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.
to lead to
Also: to result in, to be conducive to
📝 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
🔀 Commonly Confused With
Translate to Spanish
✏️ 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
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *conducere*, which meant 'to lead together' or 'to bring with one.' It is formed by combining the prefix *con-* (meaning 'with' or 'together') and *ducere* ('to lead'). This explains why the Spanish word means both 'to drive' and 'to lead.'
First recorded: 13th century (in Old Spanish)
Cognates (Related words)
💡 Master Spanish
Take your Spanish to the next level. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories tailored to your level with the Inklingo app!
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.