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naciste

nah-SEES-tay

Verb (conjugated form)A1irregular (specifically in the 'yo' present tense) er
you were born?Simple past tense, informal 'tú'

Quick Reference

past Participlenacido
infinitivenacer
gerundnaciendo

📝 In Action

¿Dónde naciste? Quiero saber tu ciudad de origen.

A1

Where were you born? I want to know your city of origin.

Naciste el 15 de marzo, ¿verdad?

A1

You were born on March 15th, right?

Dicen que naciste con mucha suerte, ¡todo te sale bien!

B2

They say you were born lucky, everything goes well for you!

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • venir al mundo (to come into the world)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • Volver a nacer – To be born again

💡 Grammar Points

The 'Tú' Past Tense

The '-iste' ending almost always tells you that the action happened to 'you' (tú) in the simple past, or Preterite tense. It describes a single, finished event.

Base Verb Meaning

'Naciste' comes from the verb 'nacer,' which means 'to be born.' This verb can also refer to the beginning of movements, ideas, or rivers.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Using the Present Tense for Birth

Mistake: "¿Dónde naces?"

Correction: Use the simple past: '¿Dónde naciste?' Being born is a completed event that happened once, so Spanish requires the past tense here.

⭐ Usage Tips

Pronoun Omission

Because the ending '-iste' is only used for 'tú,' you can usually drop the pronoun: '¿Cuándo naciste?' is perfectly clear without saying 'tú'.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: naciste

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'naciste'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

nacer(to be born) - verb
nacimiento(birth) - noun
renacer(to be reborn) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

If I am speaking formally, should I still use 'naciste'?

No. 'Naciste' is the informal 'tú' form. If you are speaking formally to someone (using 'usted'), you must use the form 'nació' (Usted nació).

Why does the 'yo' form of nacer change to 'nazco'?

This is a common irregularity in Spanish verbs that end in -cer (like *conocer*). The 'c' changes to 'z' only in the 'yo' form of the present tense (and throughout the present subjunctive) to maintain the soft 's' sound.