The Spanish verb "carecer" means "to lack" in English. It is an irregular verb. Below you'll find the complete conjugation tables for "carecer" across all 5 tenses. New to Spanish verbs? Start with the Spanish verb guide.
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How to Conjugate "carecer" in the Present Tense
Presente de indicativo Actions happening now or regularly| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | carezco |
| tú | you (informal) | careces |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | carece |
| nosotros | we | carecemos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | carecéis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | carecen |
Ella carece de paciencia.
say it EH-yah kah-REH-seh deh pah-SYEN-syah
She lacks patience.
In other languages
- French Elle manque de patience.
- German Ihr fehlt die Geduld.
- Dutch Zij heeft geen geduld.
Yo carezco de tiempo.
say it YO kah-REHS-koh deh TYEM-poh
I lack time.
In other languages
- French Je manque de temps.
- German Mir fehlt die Zeit.
- Dutch Ik heb geen tijd.
How to Conjugate "carecer" in the Past (completed) Tense
Pretérito perfecto simple Actions that finished in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | carecí |
| tú | you (informal) | careciste |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | careció |
| nosotros | we | carecimos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | carecisteis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | carecieron |
Ella careció de ayuda.
say it EH-yah kah-reh-SYOH deh ah-YOO-dah
She lacked help.
In other languages
- French Elle a manqué d'aide.
- German Ihr fehlte Hilfe.
- Dutch Zij had geen hulp.
Yo carecí de tiempo.
say it yo kah-reh-SI deh TYEM-poh
I lacked time.
In other languages
- French J'ai manqué de temps.
- German Mir fehlte die Zeit.
- Dutch Ik had geen tijd.
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Pretérito imperfecto Actions that were ongoing in the past| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | carecía |
| tú | you (informal) | carecías |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | carecía |
| nosotros | we | carecíamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | carecíais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | carecían |
Ella carecía de ayuda.
say it EH-yah kah-reh-SEH-EE-ah deh ah-YOO-dah
She lacked help.
In other languages
- French Elle a manqué d'aide.
- German Ihr fehlte Hilfe.
- Dutch Zij had geen hulp.
Yo carecía de tiempo.
say it yo kah-reh-SEH-EE-ah deh TYEM-poh
I lacked time.
In other languages
- French J'ai manqué de temps.
- German Mir fehlte die Zeit.
- Dutch Ik had geen tijd.
How to Conjugate "carecer" in the Future Tense
Futuro simple Actions that will happen| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | careceré |
| tú | you (informal) | carecerás |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | carecerá |
| nosotros | we | careceremos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | careceréis |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | carecerán |
Él carecerá de paciencia.
say it el kah-reh-seh-RAH deh pah-syEN-syah
He will lack patience.
In other languages
- French Il manquera de patience.
- German Ihm wird Geduld fehlen.
- Dutch Hij zal geduld missen.
Yo careceré de tiempo.
say it yo kah-reh-seh-REH deh TYEHM-poh
I will lack time.
In other languages
- French Je manquerai de temps.
- German Mir wird die Zeit fehlen.
- Dutch Ik zal geen tijd hebben.
How to Conjugate "carecer" in the Would (conditional) Tense
Condicional simple Hypothetical actions| Person | English | Conjugation |
|---|---|---|
| yo | I | carecería |
| tú | you (informal) | carecerías |
| él/ella/usted | he/she/you (formal) | carecería |
| nosotros | we | careceríamos |
| vosotros | you all (Spain) | careceríais |
| ellos/ustedes | they/you all | carecerían |
Usted carecería de paciencia.
say it oos-TEHD kah-reh-SEH-ree-ah deh pah-syEN-syah
You would lack patience.
In other languages
- French Vous manqueriez de patience.
- German Ihnen würde Geduld fehlen.
- Dutch U zou geduld tekortkomen.
Yo carecería de tiempo.
say it yo kah-reh-SEH-ree-ah deh TYEM-poh
I would lack time.
In other languages
- French Je manquerais de temps.
- German Mir würde Zeit fehlen.
- Dutch Ik zou tijd tekortkomen.
Frequently Asked Questions About "carecer"
Is "carecer" regular or irregular in Spanish?
"Carecer" is an irregular Spanish verb, meaning its conjugation does not follow standard patterns and must be memorized individually.
What does "carecer" mean in English?
The Spanish verb "carecer" means "to lack" in English.
How do you conjugate "carecer" in the present tense?
In the present tense (Presente de indicativo): yo → carezco, tú → careces, él/ella/usted → carece, nosotros → carecemos, vosotros → carecéis, ellos/ustedes → carecen.
How many tenses does "carecer" have in Spanish?
"Carecer" is conjugated across 5 tenses in Spanish: Present, Past (completed), Past (ongoing), Future, Would (conditional).
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