The verb conducir means “to drive,” but it also extends to meanings like “to lead,” “to conduct,” or “to guide.” It’s irregular in some forms and appears in everyday situations—from literally driving a car to more figurative uses such as leading a group or conducting an experiment.
Usage and Meaning
Conducir primarily means “to drive,” but can also mean “to lead,” “to conduct,” or “to guide.” Context and surrounding words determine the specific sense. Here are the key uses:
- to drive a vehicle: Ellos conducen al trabajo todos los días. (They drive to work every day.)
- to lead or guide: Esta calle conduce al centro. (This street leads to downtown.)
- to conduct or carry out: La investigadora conduce un estudio sobre el cambio climático. (The researcher is conducting a study on climate change.)
The noun form conductor means “driver” (e.g., el conductor del autobús — the bus driver).
What does the noun conductor mean?
driver
Conductor is a noun meaning “driver” or “conductor” (someone who drives or leads), not a verb or a vehicle.
Conjugation Overview
Conducir is an -ir verb with -ducir stem. It follows the pattern of some irregular verbs that end in -ducir (like traducir and producir), where the root changes to conduj- in certain forms. It also has regular suffixes in most tenses.
| Tense | Irregular Stem/Pattern |
|---|---|
| Present Indicative | Regular conjugation of conducir (yo conduzco — the 'yo' form adds -zco) |
| Preterite | Use stem conduj- plus endings -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -eron (no accent marks) |
| Imperfect | Regular conducir endings (-ía, -ías, etc.) |
| Present Subjunctive | Begins with conduzc- (e.g., que yo conduzca) |
| Imperfect Subjunctive | Stem conduj- plus endings (-ra or -se) |
| Future/Conditional | Regular endings added to infinitive (conduciré, conduciría) |
| Past Participle | conducido (regular -ido ending) |
Pronouns (yo, tú, él/ella, etc.) are usually omitted unless needed for clarity.
Key Irregular Forms
Here are the main irregular forms and why they’re important:
| Form | Example | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| yo conduzco (present indicative) | Yo conduzco a casa. | -zc- added in “yo” form for consonant + -cer/-cir verbs |
| conduje, condujiste, condujo, … (preterite) | Ella condujo rápido. | Stem conduj- plus irregular endings (no accents) |
| conduzca, conduzcas, … (present subjunctive) | Quiero que conduzcas más despacio. | Root changes to conduzc- before subjunctive endings |
| condujera/condujese, … (imperfect subjunctive) | Si yo condujera, no iría tarde. | Stem conduj- plus imperfect subjunctive endings |
- Note: Other forms (future, conditional, participles, gerund) are regular: conduciré, conduciría, conduciendo, conducido.
'She drove fast.' Fill in the blank: Ella ______ rápido. (él/ella conducir, preterite)
condujo
The preterite third-person singular of conducir uses the stem conduj- plus -o ending, forming condujo.
Sample Sentences
Conducir = to drive a vehicle
- ¿Conduces tú el auto? (Do you drive the car?)
- Condujimos toda la noche. (We drove all night.)
- Ella no conduce en la ciudad. (She doesn’t drive in the city.)
Conducir = to lead or guide (something, someone)
- Este camino conduce al río. (This path leads to the river.)
- Su trabajo conduce a mejores resultados. (Her work leads to better results.)
- El conductor del tren es muy amable. (The train conductor is very kind.)
Conducir = to conduct or carry out (a process)
- El científico conduce un experimento. (The scientist is conducting an experiment.)
- El profesor conduce la clase con mucha energía. (The teacher leads the class with a lot of energy.)
- Conducimos una encuesta sobre hábitos de consumo. (We conducted a survey on consumption habits.)
Summary
- Conducir means “to drive,” “to lead,” “to guide,” or “to conduct.”
- Irregular in:
- present indicative yo form: conduzco
- preterite: stem conduj- plus -e, -iste, -o, -imos, -isteis, -eron (no accents)
- present subjunctive: root changes to conduzc-
- imperfect subjunctive: stem conduj-
- Other forms are regular.
- Also appears as noun conductor = “driver” or “conductor.”
Tip
Practice by writing sentences in different tenses, especially using contexts like driving a car, following a path, or conducting an activity. Pay special attention to these irregular forms:
- yo conduzco (present yo form)
- conduje … condujeron (preterite)
- que conduzca (present subjunctive)
- si condujera (imperfect subjunctive)
Also, consider synonyms for each meaning:
- manejar — to drive (more common in Latin America)
- dirigir — to lead or manage (more abstract)
- guiar — to guide (more literal)
- conducir can cover all these depending on context.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
