Meaning and Usage
The verb conducir means to drive in English. It is used primarily to indicate the act of operating a vehicle, but can also be used metaphorically to mean leading or conducting something.
Conjugation Overview
Conducir is an irregular verb in Spanish, particularly notable for its irregularities in certain tenses like the preterite and subjunctive. It belongs to the group of verbs ending in -cir, which often have a "zc" change in the present tense.
Present Tense Conjugation
In the present tense, conducir changes to conduzco in the first person singular. The rest of the forms follow a regular pattern with the root "conduc-".
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | conduzco | I drive | Yo conduzco todos los días. | I drive every day. |
| Tú | conduces | You drive (informal) | Tú conduces muy rápido. | You drive very fast. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | conduce | He/She/You (formal) drives | Ella conduce al trabajo. | She drives to work. |
| Nosotros | conducimos | We drive | Nosotros conducimos juntos. | We drive together. |
| Vosotros | conducís | You all drive | Vosotros conducís bien. | You all drive well. |
| Ellos/Ustedes | conducen | They/You all drive | Ellos conducen por la ciudad. | They drive through the city. |
Preterite Tense Conjugation
In the preterite tense, conducir undergoes a stem change to conduj-, losing the "i" in the endings for some forms, which is an irregularity.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | conduje | I drove | Yo conduje ayer al trabajo. | I drove to work yesterday. |
| Tú | condujiste | You drove (informal) | Tú condujiste muy despacio. | You drove very slowly. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | condujo | He/She/You (formal) drove | Él condujo durante el viaje. | He drove during the trip. |
| Nosotros | condujimos | We drove | Nosotros condujimos juntos. | We drove together. |
| Vosotros | condujisteis | You all drove | Vosotros condujisteis rápido. | You all drove fast. |
| Ellos/Ustedes | condujeron | They/You all drove | Ellos condujeron toda la noche. | They drove all night. |
Imperfect Tense Conjugation
The imperfect tense of conducir is regular and follows the standard -ir verb endings with the root conduc-.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yo | conducía | I was driving / I used to drive | Yo conducía cuando era joven. | I used to drive when I was young. |
| Tú | conducías | You were driving / You used to drive | Tú conducías muy rápido. | You used to drive very fast. |
| Él/Ella/Usted | conducía | He/She/You (formal) was driving | Ella conducía por la ciudad. | She was driving through the city. |
| Nosotros | conducíamos | We were driving / We used to drive | Nosotros conducíamos juntos. | We used to drive together. |
| Vosotros | conducíais | You all were driving | Vosotros conducíais despacio. | You all were driving slowly. |
| Ellos/Ustedes | conducían | They/You all were driving | Ellos conducían en la autopista. | They were driving on the highway. |
Subjunctive Present
The present subjunctive of conducir also shows the "zc" stem change and uses the root conduzc-.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | conduzca | I hope that I drive |
| Tú | conduzcas | I want you to drive |
| Él/Ella/Usted | conduzca | It is important that he drives |
| Nosotros | conduzcamos | We demand that we drive |
| Vosotros | conduzcáis | It is necessary that you all drive |
| Ellos/Ustedes | conduzcan | They insist that they drive |
Uses and Expressions
Conducir can be used in everyday conversation to talk about driving a car or other vehicles. It also appears in expressions like "conducir a buen puerto" (to lead to a good outcome) or "conducir una reunión" (to conduct a meeting).
Related Verbs
Other verbs related to transportation or leading include manejar (to drive, more common in Latin America) and liderar (to lead). Both have distinct nuances from conducir.
Summary
Conducir is an important irregular verb in Spanish with a unique stem change and irregular preterite. It is essential to know its conjugations for effective communication about driving and leadership contexts.
