convirtió
/kohn-veer-TYOH/
he/she/it converted
The wizard 'converted' (convirtió) the stone into gold.
convirtió(Verb)
he/she/it converted
?past action
,he/she/it turned into
?transformation
he/she/it changed
?general change of state
📝 In Action
El director convirtió la vieja fábrica en una galería de arte.
B1The director converted the old factory into an art gallery.
La lluvia convirtió el camino de tierra en un lodazal.
B2The rain turned the dirt road into a mud pit.
El técnico convirtió el archivo de video a un formato más pequeño.
B1The technician converted the video file to a smaller format.
💡 Grammar Points
Preterite Tense
This form ('convirtió') describes a single, finished action that happened at a specific point in the past, like a chapter closing in a story.
Irregularity (e > i)
The verb 'convertir' is tricky! In the simple past (preterite), the 'e' in the stem changes to 'i' only in the 'él/ella/usted' and 'ellos/ellas/ustedes' forms. Notice: 'convirtió' and 'convirtieron'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Missing the Stem Change
Mistake: "El agua *convertó* el desierto en un oasis."
Correction: El agua *convirtió* el desierto en un oasis. (Remember the 'e' changes to 'i' in the 'él/ella/usted' form.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Using 'en'
When saying what something was converted into, always use the preposition 'en': 'convirtió [A] en [B]' (converted A into B).
The caterpillar 'became' (se convirtió) a butterfly.
convirtió(Verb)
he/she became
?change in status or identity (requires 'se')
he/she converted (religiously)
?change in belief system (requires 'se')
📝 In Action
Después de ese viaje, ella se convirtió en vegetariana.
B2After that trip, she became a vegetarian.
El pequeño negocio se convirtió rápidamente en un imperio.
B2The small business quickly became an empire.
Tras años de estudio, se convirtió en un experto en la materia.
C1After years of study, he became an expert in the subject.
💡 Grammar Points
Reflexive Form ('se')
When 'convertir' means 'to become' or 'to change oneself,' it must be used with the reflexive pronoun 'se' (or 'me,' 'te,' 'nos,' etc.). This tells us the subject is changing itself.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'se'
Mistake: "Él *convirtió* en un gran líder."
Correction: Él *se convirtió* en un gran líder. (Without 'se', it means he changed someone else into a leader.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Becoming vs. Changing
Use 'se convirtió en' when describing a change in permanent identity or status, like becoming a professional, a believer, or a new type of person.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: convirtió
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence uses 'convirtió' correctly in the sense of changing an object?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'convirtió' have an 'i' instead of an 'e'?
'Convertir' is an irregular verb. In the simple past (preterite) tense, the vowel 'e' in the stem changes to 'i' in the third-person singular ('él/ella/usted') and plural ('ellos/ellas/ustedes') forms. This is a common pattern for certain Spanish -ir verbs.
What is the difference between 'convirtió' and 'se convirtió'?
'Convirtió' means 'he/she converted/changed (something else).' 'Se convirtió' means 'he/she converted/became (himself/herself).' The 'se' indicates that the subject is performing the change on itself.