lanza
/LAHN-sah/
spear
When used as a noun, lanza means 'spear,' a traditional weapon.
📝 In Action
El caballero llevaba una lanza larga en el torneo.
B1The knight carried a long lance in the tournament.
La punta de lanza del equipo era el nuevo delantero.
B2The spearhead (leader) of the team was the new striker.
As a verb, lanza is the third-person singular present tense conjugation meaning 'throws.'
lanza(verb)
throws
?He/She/It throws (present tense)
,launches
?He/She/It launches (a product, campaign, etc.)
,throw!
?Command (Tú form)
📝 In Action
Ella lanza la pelota muy alto.
A2She throws the ball very high.
La empresa lanza su nueva aplicación mañana.
B1The company launches its new application tomorrow.
¡Lanza el anzuelo al agua!
A2Throw the hook into the water!
💡 Grammar Points
The Z-C Spelling Rule
To keep the 'z' sound consistent in Spanish, the letter 'z' must change to 'c' whenever it is followed by the vowel 'e'. This happens in the 'yo' preterite ('lancé') and the entire present subjunctive (e.g., 'que yo lance').
⭐ Usage Tips
Figurative Use
Remember that 'lanzar' isn't just for physical objects. It's used metaphorically for starting a campaign ('lanzar una campaña') or expressing an idea ('lanzar una idea').
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: lanza
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence correctly uses 'lanza' as a noun?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does 'lanzar' change to 'lancé' in some conjugations?
This is a spelling rule, not an irregularity! In Spanish, the letter 'z' always sounds like the 's' in 'see' (or 'th' in Spain) and cannot come before 'e' or 'i.' To keep the sound, the 'z' changes to a 'c' before those vowels (e.g., 'yo lancé' or 'que él lance').