Inklingo

convencer

kohn-vehn-SEHRkombenˈθeɾ

convencer means to convince in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

to convince, to persuadeAlso: to talk into

VerbA2regular (-er) with a spelling change (c to zc) in the 'yo' form and all of the present subjunctive. er
A colorful illustration showing a woman successfully persuading a man. She is pointing excitedly at a small, miniature model house on a table, and the man next to her is smiling and giving a decisive thumbs up.
infinitiveconvencer
gerundconvenciendo
past Participleconvencido

📝 In Action

Intenté convencerlo de que viniera a la fiesta.

A2

I tried to convince him to come to the party.

Ella me convenció de que era una buena idea invertir.

B1

She persuaded me that investing was a good idea.

El vendedor nos convenció fácilmente con su demostración.

A2

The salesperson convinced us easily with his demonstration.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • persuadir (to persuade)
  • disuadir (to dissuade (antonym of 'convencer'))

Common Collocations

  • convencer a alguiento convince someone
  • convencer de algoto convince of something

to be convinced, to be sureAlso: to satisfy oneself

VerbB1Used reflexively to mean 'to become convinced' or 'to be sure of something'. er
A simple illustration of a person sitting alone at a desk, looking up suddenly with a wide, relieved smile, representing the moment of self-realization or becoming convinced.
infinitiveconvencerse
gerundconvenciéndose
past Participleconvencido

📝 In Action

Me convencí de que no era mi culpa.

B1

I convinced myself (I became sure) that it wasn't my fault.

Cuando vi las pruebas, me convencí de la verdad.

B1

When I saw the evidence, I became convinced of the truth.

Ella nunca se convencerá de que está equivocada.

B2

She will never be convinced that she is wrong.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • asegurarse (to make sure)
  • estar seguro (to be certain)

Common Collocations

  • convencerse de algoto become convinced of something
  • estar convencidoto be convinced (used as an adjective)

Indicative

Present

yoconvenzo
convences
él/ella/ustedconvence
nosotrosconvencemos
vosotrosconvencéis
ellos/ellas/ustedesconvencen

Imperfect

yoconvencía
convencías
él/ella/ustedconvencía
nosotrosconvencíamos
vosotrosconvencíais
ellos/ellas/ustedesconvencían

Preterite

yoconvencí
convenciste
él/ella/ustedconvenció
nosotrosconvencimos
vosotrosconvencisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesconvencieron

Subjunctive

Present Subjunctive

yoconvenza
convenzas
él/ella/ustedconvenza
nosotrosconvenzamos
vosotrosconvenzáis
ellos/ellas/ustedesconvenzan

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoconvenciera
convencieras
él/ella/ustedconvenciera
nosotrosconvenciéramos
vosotrosconvencierais
ellos/ellas/ustedesconvencieran

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "convencer" in Spanish:

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: convencer

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the spelling rule for 'convencer' in the present tense?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
convencimiento(conviction / certainty)Noun
convicción(conviction / strong belief)Noun
convencido(convinced)Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
📚 Etymology

Comes from the Latin word *convincere*, which means 'to overcome' or 'to prove conclusively.' The Spanish word kept the core idea of winning an argument or proving a point.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: convincePortuguese: convencer

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'convencer' and 'persuadir'?

They are very close synonyms and often interchangeable. 'Convencer' often emphasizes winning an argument through logic and evidence (convincing the mind), while 'persuadir' sometimes implies appealing to feelings or desires (persuading the will). However, in everyday speech, you can usually use either one.

Does 'convencer' require the subjunctive mood?

No. Unlike verbs that express desires or commands (like 'querer' or 'pedir'), 'convencer' states a fact (that someone *is* convinced or *was* convinced). Therefore, the second verb usually stays in the normal indicative mood: 'Me convenció de que **tiene** razón' (He convinced me that he **is** right).