Spanish conjugation explanation
Spelling change: -car → -qu-
<p>In Spanish, the pronunciation of the letter <strong>c</strong> changes depending on the vowel that follows it:</p>
<ul>
<li>Before <strong>a</strong>, <strong>o</strong>, or <strong>u</strong>, it is pronounced <span style="font-style: italic;">/k/</span> (a hard sound, like in <em>car</em>).</li>
<li>Before <strong>e</strong> or <strong>i</strong>, it is pronounced <span style="font-style: italic;">/s/</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">/θ/</span> (a soft sound, like in <em>cell</em>).</li>
</ul>
<p>Verbs ending in <strong style="font-style: italic;">-car</strong> have the hard <span style="font-style: italic;">/k/</span> sound in their stem. To <strong>preserve this pronunciation</strong> when a verb ending starts with <strong>e</strong>, the spelling must change from <span style="font-style: italic;">c</span> to <strong>qu</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">c → <strong>qu</strong> (before <em>e</em>)</p>
<p>Common verbs that undergo this spelling change include
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/buscar/" title="Click to see conjugations for buscar" target="_blank">buscar</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/explicar/" title="Click to see conjugations for explicar" target="_blank">explicar</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/practicar/" title="Click to see conjugations for practicar" target="_blank">practicar</a>
,<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/sacar/" title="Click to see conjugations for sacar" target="_blank">sacar</a>
, and<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/tocar/" title="Click to see conjugations for tocar" target="_blank">tocar</a>
.</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_title">1. Preterite (Indefinido)</div>
<p>In the
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/18/" target="_blank">Preterite</a>
, this change affects only the first person singular (<strong>yo</strong>), because the ending is <span style="font-style: italic;">-é</span>.</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Yo <span class="green_emphasis">busqué</span> mis llaves durante una hora. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I looked for my keys for an hour.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Ayer <span class="green_emphasis">saqué</span> buenas notas en el examen. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Yesterday I got good grades on the exam.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence_note">Note that other forms like <span style="font-style: italic;">tú buscaste</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">él buscó</span> keep the <strong>c</strong> because the endings start with <em>a</em> or <em>o</em>.</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">2. Present Subjunctive</div>
<p>In the
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/19/" target="_blank">Present Subjunctive</a>
, the change occurs in <strong>all forms</strong>, because all the endings for <em>-ar</em> verbs start with <strong>e</strong> (<span style="font-style: italic;">-e, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en</span>).</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Es importante que <span class="green_emphasis">practiques</span> todos los días. (<span style="font-style: italic;">It acts important that you practice every day.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Quiero que me <span class="green_emphasis">expliques</span> la lección. (<span style="font-style: italic;">I want you to explain the lesson to me.</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_title">3. Imperative</div>
<p>In the
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/22/" target="_blank">Imperative</a>
, the change affects the formal commands (<strong>usted</strong>, <strong>ustedes</strong>) and the <strong>nosotros</strong> form. It also applies to <strong>all negative commands</strong> (which use the subjunctive forms).</p><div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">¡No <span class="green_emphasis">toques</span> el horno! (<span style="font-style: italic;">Don't touch the oven!</span>)</div>
<div class="conjugation_explanation_example_sentence">Por favor, <span class="green_emphasis">marque</span> el número nuevamente. (<span style="font-style: italic;">Please, dial the number again.</span>)</div>
<p>In the following conjugation tables, the verb forms of
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext verb_link" href="/study/conjugations/esp/tocar/" title="Click to see conjugations for tocar" target="_blank">tocar</a>
affected by this spelling change are highlighted:</p><div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/18/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Pretérito perfecto simple</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
yo
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toqué<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tú
</span>tocaste
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
él
</span>tocó
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
nosotros
</span>tocamos
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
vosotros
</span>tocasteis
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ellos
</span>tocaron
</span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/19/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Presente subjuntivo</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
yo
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toque<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
tú
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toques<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
él
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toque<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
nosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toquemos<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
vosotros
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toquéis<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
ellos
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toquen<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_tense_container">
<a class="study_conjugations_tense_label box_label tense_box no_dark_mode " href="/study/tenseGuideForTense/22/" target="_blank" title="Open tense guide">Imperativo afirmativo</a>
<div class="study_conjugations_conjugation conjugations_table two_columns">
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">---</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(tú)
</span>toca
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(usted)
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toque<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(nosotros)
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toquemos<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(vosotros)
</span>tocad
</span>
</div>
</div>
<div class="study_conjugations_forms conjugation_forms highlighted_conjugation">
<div class="conjugation_form">
<span><span class="study_conjugations_pronoun conjugation_pronoun">
(ustedes)
</span><span class="irregular_conjugation" title="irregular conjugation">toquen<span class="irregularity_circle">●</span></span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<p>Similar spelling changes occur in other groups of verbs to preserve pronunciation:</p>
<ul>
<li>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_orthograpic_change_gar_gu/" target="_blank">Verbs ending in -gar</a>
(g → gu)</li><li>
<a class="conjugation_explanation_link_intext" href="/conjugationExplanation/spanish_orthograpic_change_zar_c/" target="_blank">Verbs ending in -zar</a>
(z → c)</li></ul>