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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

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

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

present

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

indicative

preterite

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

imperfect

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

present

túperteneces
vosotrospertenecéis
nosotrospertenecemos
yopertenezco
él/ella/ustedpertenece
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▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 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).