Definition and Usage
The verb traducir means to translate in English. It is used when converting text or speech from one language to another. This verb is important for communicating across different languages and is commonly used in both formal and informal contexts.
Verb Type and Characteristics
Traducir is an irregular verb in Spanish, belonging to the group of verbs that end in -cir. It has unique conjugation patterns, especially in the preterite tense and subjunctive mood, where the stem changes and the endings differ from regular -ir verbs.
Present Tense Conjugation
The present tense conjugation of traducir is used to describe actions happening currently or habitual translations. It conjugates irregularly with a stem change from "traduc-" to "traduz-".
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | traduzco | I translate | Yo traduzco documentos al inglés. | I translate documents into English. |
| tú | traduces | you translate | ¿Tú traduces textos técnicos? | Do you translate technical texts? |
| él/ella/usted | traduce | he/she/you translates | Ella traduce novelas famosas. | She translates famous novels. |
| nosotros/as | traducimos | we translate | Nosotros traducimos para la empresa. | We translate for the company. |
| vosotros/as | traducís | you all translate | Vosotros traducís canciones. | You all translate songs. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | traducen | they/you all translate | Ellos traducen conferencias. | They translate conferences. |
Preterite Tense Conjugation
The preterite tense for traducir indicates completed translation actions in the past. It has an irregular conjugation with a stem change to "traduj-".
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | traduje | I translated | Yo traduje el artículo ayer. | I translated the article yesterday. |
| tú | tradujiste | you translated | Tú tradujiste el informe a tiempo. | You translated the report on time. |
| él/ella/usted | tradujo | he/she/you translated | Usted tradujo la novela rápidamente. | You translated the novel quickly. |
| nosotros/as | tradujimos | we translated | Nosotros tradujimos los subtítulos a tiempo. | We translated the subtitles on time. |
| vosotros/as | tradujisteis | you all translated | Vosotros tradujisteis el guion. | You all translated the script. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | tradujeron | they/you all translated | Ellos tradujeron los documentos oficiales. | They translated the official documents. |
Subjunctive Mood
The subjunctive mood is used to express doubt, desire, or hypotheticals with the verb traducir. Its present subjunctive form again shows irregularity.
| Spanish Pronoun | Spanish Conjugation | English Conjugation | Spanish Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | traduzca | I translate (subj.) | Espero que yo traduzca bien esta carta. | I hope that I translate this letter well. |
| tú | traduzcas | you translate (subj.) | Quiero que tú traduzcas el texto completo. | I want you to translate the entire text. |
| él/ella/usted | traduzca | he/she/you translates (subj.) | Es importante que ella traduzca con precisión. | It is important that she translates accurately. |
| nosotros/as | traduzcamos | we translate (subj.) | Deseamos que traducamos el documento a tiempo. | We wish that we translate the document on time. |
| vosotros/as | traduzcáis | you all translate (subj.) | Ojalá que vosotros traduzcáis bien. | Hopefully you all translate well. |
| ellos/ellas/ustedes | traduzcan | they/you all translate (subj.) | Es necesario que ellos traduzcan este informe. | It is necessary that they translate this report. |
Important Notes
The first person singular in the present tense ends with -zco (traduzco), which is characteristic of verbs ending in -cir. The stem change to "traduj-" appears in the preterite and past participle forms, making traducir essential to learn for irregular verb mastery.
