Irregular verb pattern
Spelling-change verbs: -zar
Verbs ending in -zar change z to c before the letter e — a spelling convention that affects the preterite yo form and present subjunctive.
The pattern rule
In standard Spanish spelling, z does not appear before e or i (except in a few loanwords). Verbs ending in -zar must therefore change z to c before the preterite -é ending and the present subjunctive -e endings.
Example: empezar (to begin / to start) — Preterite
Irregular forms are highlighted in red. Regular forms for comparison are shown in grey where they differ.
| Pronoun | Actual form | Regular would be |
|---|---|---|
| yo | empecé* | empezé |
| tú | empezaste | ✓ |
| él/ella | empezó | ✓ |
| nosotros | empezamos | ✓ |
| vosotros | empezasteis | ✓ |
| ellos/ellas | empezaron | ✓ |
Frequently asked questions
What are -zar spelling-change verbs in Spanish?
Verbs ending in -zar change z to c before e to follow Spanish spelling rules (z does not precede e in standard spelling). This affects the preterite yo form (empezar → empecé) and all present subjunctive forms. The rest of the conjugation is regular.
Is cruzar a -zar spelling-change verb?
Yes — cruzar (to cross) changes to crucé in the preterite yo and to cruce, cruces, cruce, crucemos, crucéis, crucen in the present subjunctive.
All 16 -zar verbs verbs — ordered by frequency
Sorted by how commonly each verb appears in everyday Spanish. Start with rank #1 and work down.
Other irregular verb patterns
Practise these verbs with spaced repetition to actually remember them.