organizar
“organizar” means “to organize” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
to organize, to arrange
Also: to plan
📝 In Action
Necesito organizar mi escritorio antes de empezar a trabajar.
A1I need to organize my desk before starting to work.
Ellos organizaron una fiesta sorpresa para su cumpleaños.
A2They organized a surprise party for his birthday.
Si organizamos bien la semana, tendremos tiempo libre el sábado.
B1If we organize the week well, we will have free time on Saturday.
to set up
Also: to establish, to form
📝 In Action
Los vecinos decidieron organizar una asociación para limpiar el parque.
B1The neighbors decided to form an association to clean the park.
La empresa está organizando un nuevo departamento de innovación tecnológica.
B2The company is setting up a new department for technological innovation.
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
imperfect
preterite
subjunctive
present
imperfect
🔀 Commonly Confused With
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✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: organizar
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses 'organizar' in the sense of 'to establish a structure' (B1 meaning)?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Late Latin verb *organizo*, which itself is derived from the Greek word *organon*, meaning 'instrument' or 'tool'. The core idea is to arrange parts into a working whole.
First recorded: 15th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
¿Por qué cambia la 'z' a 'c' en algunas conjugaciones?
This is purely a spelling rule! In Spanish, the letter 'z' can only be followed by 'a', 'o', or 'u'. When the verb ending starts with 'e' (like in the 'yo' preterite: organic**é** or the present subjunctive: organic**e**mos), the 'z' must change to 'c' to keep the consistent 's' sound.
Is 'organizar' the same as 'ordenar'?
They are very similar synonyms! 'Organizar' focuses more on planning, structure, and arrangement (e.g., organizing a trip). 'Ordenar' is usually focused on tidiness and putting things in the correct sequence (e.g., ordering your room or a list).