How to Say "they belong" in Spanish
The Spanish word for “they belong” is “pertenecen” — A2 level. This is a very common word in everyday Spanish.
Examples
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?
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.
Forgetting the 'a'
Mistake: “Estos libros pertenecen mi hermana.”
Correction: Estos libros pertenecen a mi hermana. (Always include 'a' after pertenecer.)
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