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dedica

deh-DEE-kah/deˈði.ka/

dedicates, devotes

Also: dedicate!, inscribes
VerbA2regular ar
A woman carefully placing a small, decorative plaque onto a pedestal, symbolizing the act of dedicating something.
past Participlededicado
infinitivededicar
gerunddedicando

📝 In Action

Mi jefe dedica 10 horas al día a este proyecto.

A2

My boss dedicates 10 hours a day to this project.

Ella dedica la mayor parte de su energía a cuidar a sus hijos.

B1

She devotes most of her energy to raising her children.

¡Dedica todo tu esfuerzo al examen!

A2

Dedicate all your effort to the exam!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • consagra (consecrates/dedicates)
  • entrega (delivers/gives over)

Common Collocations

  • dedica tiempo a – dedicates time to
  • dedica su vida a – dedicates his/her life to

works as, is devoted to

Also: specializes in
VerbB1regular ar
A person wearing a yellow hard hat and safety vest, standing on a construction site while holding a rolled-up blueprint, symbolizing their profession.
past Participlededicado
infinitivededicarse
gerunddedicándose

📝 In Action

¿A qué se dedica su hermano?

B1

What does your brother do for a living?

Mi madre se dedica a la jardinería después de jubilarse.

B1

My mother is devoted to gardening after retiring.

El equipo se dedica solo a resolver ese problema.

B2

The team is dedicated only to solving that problem.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • trabaja (works)
  • ejerce (practices (a profession))

Common Collocations

  • se dedica a – works as/is devoted to
  • se dedica al arte – is devoted to art

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

imperfect

él/ella/usteddedicaba
túdedicabas
vosotrosdedicabais
yodedicaba
ellos/ellas/ustedesdedicaban
nosotrosdedicábamos

present

él/ella/usteddedica
túdedicas
vosotrosdedicáis
yodedico
ellos/ellas/ustedesdedican
nosotrosdedicamos

preterite

él/ella/usteddedicó
túdedicaste
vosotrosdedicasteis
yodediqué
ellos/ellas/ustedesdedicaron
nosotrosdedicamos

subjunctive

imperfect

él/ella/usteddedicara
túdedicaras
vosotrosdedicarais
yodedicara
ellos/ellas/ustedesdedicaran
nosotrosdedicáramos

present

él/ella/usteddedique
túdediques
vosotrosdediquéis
yodedique
ellos/ellas/ustedesdediquen
nosotrosdediquemos
View All Tenses & Moods →

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✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: dedica

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'dedica' to talk about a job?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
dedicación(dedication) — Noun
dedicado(dedicated) — Adjective
dedicar(to dedicate) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
explicaaplica
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin verb *dedicare*, meaning 'to proclaim' or 'to set aside.' This origin perfectly captures the Spanish meaning of setting aside time or effort for a specific purpose.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

English: dedicatePortuguese: dedica

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'dedica' and 'se dedica'?

'Dedica' (without the 'se') means someone is giving time, effort, or an object (like a book) to something else. 'Se dedica' (with the 'se') means someone is dedicated to an activity or works in a specific field, usually referring to their profession.

Does 'dedica' change spelling in the past tense?

Yes, its base verb 'dedicar' is a regular -AR verb, but it changes to 'dediqué' in the 'yo' form of the past tense to maintain the hard 'k' sound.