convencer

/kohn-vehn-SEHR/

to convince

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.

To convencer means to persuade someone else to agree with an idea or plan.

convencer(verb)

A2regular (-er) with a spelling change (c to zc) in the 'yo' form and all of the present subjunctive. er

to convince

to persuade someone to act or agree

to persuade

to influence someone's decision

Also:

to talk into

informal persuasion

📝 In Action

Intenté convencerlo de que viniera a la fiesta.

I tried to convince him to come to the party.

Ella me convenció de que era una buena idea invertir.

She persuaded me that investing was a good idea.

El vendedor nos convenció fácilmente con su demostración.

The salesperson convinced us easily with his demonstration.

Word Connections

Synonyms

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

Common Collocations

convencer a alguien – to convince someone
convencer de algo – to convince of something

💡 Grammar Points

The 'C' to 'ZC' Spelling Change

In the 'yo' form of the present tense, the 'c' changes to 'zc' (convenzo). This happens to keep the 'c' sounding like an 's' or 'th' sound before an 'o' or 'a'.

Using 'de' or 'que'

When convincing someone to do an action, you usually use 'de' followed by the action: 'convencer [a alguien] de [hacer algo]'. You can also use 'que' followed by a full sentence: 'convencer [a alguien] de que [sentence]'

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the ZC

Mistake: "Yo convenco (Incorrect)"

Correction: Yo convenzo (Correct). Remember the 'zc' ending in the 'yo' form and the entire present subjunctive (convenza).

⭐ Usage Tips

Using 'a' for People

When the person you are convincing is mentioned, always use the personal 'a': 'Convencí a mi jefe.' (I convinced my boss.)

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.

The reflexive form, convencerse, means to be convinced or to persuade oneself of something.

convencer(verb)

B1Used reflexively to mean 'to become convinced' or 'to be sure of something'. er

to be convinced

reflexive usage (convencerse)

to be sure

to have certainty about a fact

Also:

to satisfy oneself

to accept the truth

📝 In Action

Me convencí de que no era mi culpa.

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

Cuando vi las pruebas, me convencí de la verdad.

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

Ella nunca se convencerá de que está equivocada.

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 algo – to become convinced of something
estar convencido – to be convinced (used as an adjective)

💡 Grammar Points

Reflexive Use for Self-Belief

When you use 'convencerse' (with a pronoun like 'me,' 'te,' 'se'), it means you are persuading yourself, or coming to a firm conclusion in your own mind.

⭐ Usage Tips

Past Participle as Adjective

The most common way to express a state of being convinced is using the past participle as an adjective with 'estar': 'Estoy convencido/a' (I am convinced).

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedconvence

yoconvenzo

túconvences

ellos/ellas/ustedesconvencen

nosotrosconvencemos

vosotrosconvencéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedconvencía

yoconvencía

túconvencías

ellos/ellas/ustedesconvencían

nosotrosconvencíamos

vosotrosconvencíais

preterite

él/ella/ustedconvenció

yoconvencí

túconvenciste

ellos/ellas/ustedesconvencieron

nosotrosconvencimos

vosotrosconvencisteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedconvenza

yoconvenza

túconvenzas

ellos/ellas/ustedesconvenzan

nosotrosconvenzamos

vosotrosconvenzáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedconvenciera

yoconvenciera

túconvencieras

ellos/ellas/ustedesconvencieran

nosotrosconvenciéramos

vosotrosconvencierais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ 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

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).