Kilo Lingo
Spanish grammar Part of Chapter 47

CEFR B2

3 min read

Test yourself (21 questions)

How Spanish Builds Verbs: -izar, -ecer, -ificar, -ear

By Michael McGettrick and Sergio Linares-HernandesUpdated 12 October 2026

Spanish makes verbs out of nouns and adjectives with a few endings, and each ending says what kind of verb you get:

Quick check

Three quick questions on what you have just read. The full practice is further down.

Spot the mistake

0/3

Tap the mistake.

the verb-making pieceWhat do the colours mean?
  • modernizar - to modernise (from , modern)
  • envejecer - to grow old (from , old)

Spanish verb-building endings at a glance

The whole kit on one screen. Read the ending first, then find the base.

PatternMeansExampleBase
-izarmake it thatmodernizar
-ificarmake it thatsimplificarsimple
-eardo the thing, blow
-ecerbecome thatoscurecer, dark
a- + -arput into a stateacortar, short
-, em- + -arput into a stateengordar, fat
- + -ecerbecome thatenvejecer, old

-izar: make it that

the verb-making piecespelling changeWhat do the colours mean?

-izar turns a noun or an adjective into a verb meaning make it that. It is the usual match for English -ise.

BaseVerbEnglish
modernizarto modernise
to use
generalizarto generalise
memorizarto memorise
to carry out

is a false friend: it means to carry out, not to notice. To realise is :

  • . - They are going to carry out the project.
  • . - I realised it was late.

One spelling rule: before an e, the z is written c.

  • . - Yesterday I used the computer.

-ificar: make it that, the Latin twin

the verb-making piecespelling changeWhat do the colours mean?

-ificar means the same as -izar, make it that. It comes from Latin facere, to make, and it takes its own set of bases.

BaseVerbEnglish
simplificarto simplify
clarificarto clarify
purificarto purify
to justify
to identify

Which base takes -izar and which -ificar is fixed by usage, with no rule to predict it: simplificar, never "simplizar"; modernizar, never "modernificar". Learn the verb whole.

Its spelling rule: before an e, the c is written qu.

  • simplifiqué . - I simplified it a little.

-ear: do the thing

the verb-making pieceWhat do the colours mean?

-ear turns a noun into a verb of doing: often something done again and again, or casually. It is also how Spanish takes in new verbs from English.

BaseVerbEnglish
to hit, to bang
hojearto leaf through
gotearto drip
telefonearto phone
veranearto spend the summer
chat (English)chatearto chat online
  • . - Someone is banging on the door.
  • gotea. - The tap is dripping.

already ends in e, so + -ar is . The base loses its written accent: , telefonear.

-ecer: become that

the verb-making piecethe zc of the yo formWhat do the colours mean?

-ecer makes a verb of becoming: a change that starts and goes on. Many add a- or en- as well (next section).

BaseVerbEnglish
oscurecerto get dark
florecerto flower
palidecerto turn pale
to get dark (night)
envejecerto grow old

Night and morning are impersonal: Anochece . - It gets dark at six.

Verbs built with -ecer add a z before the c in the yo form of the present:

Infinitiveyotú
oscureceroscurezcooscureces
envejecerenvejezcoenvejeces
  • . - Thanks for your help. (literally, I thank you for the help)

Everyday speech often says the same change with or : (he/she went red) beside enrojeció. Those verbs are on verbs of becoming.

a- and en-: wrapping the base

the verb-making piecesWhat do the colours mean?

Here a prefix and a verb ending go on together, round an adjective or a noun, and the verb means put it into that state. Both pieces go on at once: there is no gordar, and (to cut) is a different verb from acortar.

BaseVerbEnglish
acortarto shorten
alargarto lengthen
to bring closer
engordarto put on weight
enjaularto cage
embotellarto bottle
enriquecerto make rich
empobrecerto make poor

The prefix is written em- before p and b, the same m-before-p rule as in : embotellar, empobrecer. Everywhere else it is en-. Some a- verbs take -izar instead: gives , to land.

  • engordado . - I' put on three .
  • . - The plane landed at ten.

Mistakes English speakers make

the verb-making piecespelling changeWhat do the colours mean?
WrongRightWhy
... ... is carry out
utilizéz becomes c before e
simplifiqésimplifiquéc becomes qu before e
agradeco-ecer verbs: -zco for yo
enpobrecerempobrecerem- before p and b
clarizarclarificarthe base fixes the ending

What to do next

  1. Strip the ending off every new verb and find the noun or adjective.
  2. Do the word-build and sort drills below.
  3. Then verbs of becoming for and .

Practise: test yourself

Build the word

0/5

Build the verb from its pieces.

  1. to modernise (moderno)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  2. to simplify (simple)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  3. to hit (golpe)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  4. to shorten (corto)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

  5. to grow old (viejo)

    Accents optional

    Your word is empty.

Sort into groups

0/7

Which ending builds the verb from each word?

Tap a word, then the group it belongs in.

Spot the mistake

0/4

Tap the mistake.

Pick the right one

0/5

Choose the verb that is built correctly.

  1. From claro, to clarify:

  2. From general, to generalise:

  3. From botella, to bottle:

  4. From largo, to lengthen:

  5. From rico, to make rich:

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Frequently asked questions

What does -izar mean in Spanish?
Make it that, or turn it into that, like English -ise: gives modernizar (to modernise), gives (to use), general gives generalizar (to generalise). It is one of the busiest verb-making endings and still makes new verbs today, alongside -ear. Before an e the z is written c: , .
Does to realise?
No. means to carry out or to achieve: (to carry out a project). To realise, in the sense of notice, is : (I realised it was late). is a classic English speaker's mistake.
What is the difference between -izar and -ificar?
None in meaning: both mean make it that. The difference is which base takes which, and that is fixed by usage: simple gives simplificar, not simplizar; gives modernizar, not modernificar. Learn the verb whole and let the ending tell you the meaning.
Why is it oscurezco and ?
Verbs in -ecer add a z before the c in the yo form of the present, and all through the present subjunctive: oscurecer gives oscurezco, gives , envejecer gives envejezca. The rest of the verb is regular: oscureces, oscureció.
What do the prefixes a- and en- do in Spanish verbs?
Wrapped round an adjective or noun together with a verb ending, they make a verb of putting something into that state: gives acortar (to shorten), gives engordar (to put on weight), gives embotellar (to bottle). The prefix is written em- before p or b: empobrecer, embotellar.