Inklingo
Dictionary

pertenece

per-te-NE-cepeɾteˈneθe

“pertenece” means “belongs (to)” in Spanish (ownership or membership).

belongs (to), is part (of)Also: is relevant (to)

A2irregular (in 'yo' form only) er
A small, bright red key perfectly inserted and turned in a matching brass lock, symbolizing that the key belongs to the lock.
past Participlepertenecido
infinitivepertenecer
gerundperteneciendo

📝 In Action

Ese libro pertenece a la biblioteca de la universidad.

A1

That book belongs to the university library.

¿A quién pertenece este teléfono? Lo encontré en la mesa.

A2

Whose phone is this? I found it on the table.

Este tipo de problema pertenece a la categoría de fallas técnicas.

B1

This type of problem belongs to the technical failure category.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • es de (is of (casual possession))
  • forma parte de (is part of)

Antonyms

  • es ajeno (is foreign/does not belong)

Common Collocations

  • pertenece a la familia – belongs to the family
  • pertenece al estado – belongs to the state

Subjunctive

Imperfect Subjunctive

yoperteneciera
túpertenecieras
él/ella/ustedperteneciera
nosotrosperteneciéramos
vosotrospertenecierais
ellos/ellas/ustedespertenecieran

Present Subjunctive

yopertenezca
túpertenezcas
él/ella/ustedpertenezca
nosotrospertenezcamos
vosotrospertenezcáis
ellos/ellas/ustedespertenezcan

Indicative

Preterite

yopertenecí
túperteneciste
él/ella/ustedperteneció
nosotrospertenecimos
vosotrospertenecisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedespertenecieron

Imperfect

yopertenecía
túpertenecías
él/ella/ustedpertenecía
nosotrospertenecíamos
vosotrospertenecíais
ellos/ellas/ustedespertenecían

Present

yopertenezco
túperteneces
él/ella/ustedpertenece
nosotrospertenecemos
vosotrospertenecéis
ellos/ellas/ustedespertenecen
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: pertenece

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'pertenece'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family
pertenecer(to belong (infinitive)) — Verb
pertenencia(belonging / membership) — Noun
perteneciente(belonging / relevant (adjective)) — Adjective
🎵 Rhymes
ofrececrece
📚 Etymology

It comes from the Latin verb *pertinēre*, meaning 'to reach, extend, or relate to.' It is built from the prefix *per-* (through) and the verb *tenēre* (to hold), giving it the core meaning of 'holding relevance to' or 'extending to' something else.

First recorded: 13th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: appartenereFrench: appartenir

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Frequently Asked Questions

Since 'pertenece' means 'it belongs,' how do I say 'I belong'?

You use the first-person form, which is irregular: 'Yo pertenezco'. Remember that 'pertenecer' changes the 'c' to 'zc' only in the 'yo' form of the present tense.

Is 'pertenece' used for people or just objects?

'Pertenece' is used for both! It is used for objects (This book belongs to me) and for people when talking about membership or affiliation (She belongs to the club).