A simple drawing of a red ball, a blue block, and a yellow teddy bear resting together inside a large, open wooden storage box, illustrating that they belong together in that container.

pertenecen

per-teh-NEH-sen

verbA2minor irregularity (Yo form) er

they belong?referring to objects or people,you all belong?referring to a group of people (formal 'ustedes')

Also:they are part of?membership in a group or organization,they pertain to?formal/legal context

Quick Reference

past Participlepertenecido

infinitivepertenecer

gerundperteneciendo

📝 In Action

Esas herramientas pertenecen a mi padre.

Those tools belong to my father.

Ellos pertenecen al club de ajedrez de la universidad.

They belong to the university's chess club.

Señores, ¿a qué equipo pertenecen ustedes?

Gentlemen, which team do you all belong to?

Los documentos importantes pertenecen al archivo principal.

The important documents pertain to the main archive.

Word Connections

Synonyms

ser de (to be of (ownership))
formar parte de (to be a part of)

Antonyms

carecer de (to lack)
desvincularse (to disassociate oneself)

Common Collocations

pertenecen a la misma familia – they belong to the same family
pertenecen al pasado – they belong to the past

💡 Grammar Points

Use with 'a'

In Spanish, the verb 'pertenecer' always needs the preposition 'a' (to) right after it to show who or what the item belongs to. Example: 'pertenecen a la empresa' (they belong to the company).

The 'Yo' Form Exception

While 'pertenecer' is generally regular, the 'yo' (I) form of the present tense is irregular: 'pertenezco'. This 'zc' ending is common for -cer verbs when 'c' follows a vowel.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the 'a'

Mistake: "Estos libros pertenecen mi hermana."

Correction: Estos libros pertenecen a mi hermana. (Always include 'a' after pertenecer.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Formal vs. Informal

Since 'pertenecen' is the 'ellos/ellas/ustedes' form, it can mean 'they belong' (ellos/ellas) or the formal 'you all belong' (ustedes). Context tells you which one it is.

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

vosotrospertenecéis

él/ella/ustedpertenece

túperteneces

yopertenezco

nosotrospertenecemos

ellos/ellas/ustedespertenecen

preterite

vosotrospertenecisteis

él/ella/ustedperteneció

túperteneciste

yopertenecí

nosotrospertenecimos

ellos/ellas/ustedespertenecieron

imperfect

vosotrospertenecíais

él/ella/ustedpertenecía

túpertenecías

yopertenecía

nosotrospertenecíamos

ellos/ellas/ustedespertenecían

subjunctive

present

vosotrospertenezcáis

él/ella/ustedpertenezca

túpertenezcas

yopertenezca

nosotrospertenezcamos

ellos/ellas/ustedespertenezcan

imperfect

vosotrospertenecierais

él/ella/ustedperteneciera

túpertenecieras

yoperteneciera

nosotrosperteneciéramos

ellos/ellas/ustedespertenecieran

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: pertenecen

Question 1 of 2

Which English phrase correctly translates 'Estos objetos no pertenecen a nadie'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

pertenecer(to belong (infinitive)) - verb

pertenencia(belonging / membership) - noun

perteneciente(belonging / relevant) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'pertenecer' used only for physical possession?

'Pertenecer' is used for both physical possession (e.g., 'the car belongs to them') and abstract membership (e.g., 'they belong to a political party' or 'those ideas belong to the Renaissance').

How do I know if 'pertenecen' means 'they' or 'you all'?

You need context. If you just finished addressing a group of people with 'Señores' or 'Ustedes', it means 'you all'. If the subject is 'los niños' or 'las ideas', it means 'they'.