"Traducir" is a Spanish verb that means "to translate" — to express the meaning of words or text from one language into another.
- It comes from the Latin verb traducere, meaning "to lead across."
- "Traducir" belongs to the -ir verb group, but it is irregular in some conjugations.
- Its most notable irregularity is in the preterite tense, where it changes to "traduj-..."
- It also has a stemm change to "-zc-" in the first person singular of the present tense: "yo traduzco."
Usage
- Use "traducir" when talking about converting spoken or written language from one language to another.
- It can be used with objects (e.g., "traducir un texto") but not with direct speech (use "decir").
- The indirect object is often a person or language (e.g., "traducir para alguien" or "traducir al inglés").
Example Conjugations
| Pronoun | Present Indicative | Preterite Indicative | Imperfect Indicative | Future Indicative | Present Subjunctive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | traduzco | traduje | traducía | traduciré | traduzca |
| tú | traduces | tradujiste | traducías | traducirás | traduzcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | traduce | tradujo | traducía | traducirá | traduzca |
| nosotros/as | traducimos | tradujimos | traducíamos | traduciremos | traduzcamos |
| vosotros/as | traducís | tradujisteis | traducíais | traduciréis | traduzcáis |
| ellos/as/Uds. | traducen | tradujeron | traducían | traducirán | traduzcan |
I translate (present indicative)
yo traduzco
In the present indicative first person singular, 'traducir' becomes 'yo traduzco' with -zc-.
Pronouns in Examples
- Yo = I
- Tú = you (informal singular)
- Él/Ella/Usted = he/she/you (formal singular)
- Nosotros/as = we
- Vosotros/as = you all (informal plural, Spain)
- Ellos/as/Ustedes = they/you all (formal plural)
Example Sentences
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Traduzco este libro del inglés al español. | I translate this book from English to Spanish. |
| ¿Puedes traducir la carta para mí? | Can you translate the letter for me? |
| Tradujeron los documentos ayer. | They translated the documents yesterday. |
| Necesito que traduzcas este texto para mañana. | I need you to translate this text by tomorrow. |
| Estoy traduciendo un artículo interesante. | I am translating an interesting article. |
| Traducíamos juntos en la universidad. | We used to translate together in college. |
Irregular Past Stem
- In the preterite tense, "traducir" takes the stem "traduj-".
- All endings are regular for -er/-ir verbs, but the letter "i" in the ending becomes "y" in the third person forms.
- Example: "tradujeron" (they translated), not "traducieron."
Which of these is a correct preterite form of 'traducir'?
tradujisteis
'Tradujisteis' correctly uses the irregular stem 'traduj-' with the vosotros preterite ending '-isteis'.
Useful Expressions
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| traducir un texto | to translate a text |
| traducir al inglés / al español | to translate into English / into Spanish |
| traducir para alguien | to translate for someone |
| traducir simultáneamente | to translate simultaneously |
| traducir del francés | to translate from French |
What is the Spanish phrase for 'to translate simultaneously'?
traducir simultáneamente
'Simultáneamente' means "simultaneously," and together with "traducir" it means to translate in real time.
Summary
- "Traducir" means to translate.
- It is irregular in the present tense first person (yo traduzco) and preterite tense (yo traduje, ellos tradujeron).
- Use it for written or spoken language conversion.
- Common prepositions: de (from), a (to), para (for).
- Remember context to choose the right preposition and object.
Which of the following is NOT true about 'traducir'?
It is regular in all tenses.
'Traducir' is irregular in the present (yo traduzco) and preterite (traduj-) but is regular in other tenses.
Flashcards (1 of 11)
- English: I translate this book from English to Spanish.
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
