Ella VerbsHow to conjugate Alcanzar in Spanish
alcanzar to reach, to attain, to achieve, to accomplish Irregular Verb Top 100
At a glance: Alcanzar (to reach, to attain, to achieve, to accomplish) is one of the most common irregular verbs in Spanish. In the present tense: alcanzo, alcanzas, alcanza, alcanzamos, alcanzáis, alcanzan. Its irregularities include: Change z to c for yo in the indicative preterite and for all pronouns in the subjunctive present (and therefore the imperatives).
- Past participle
- alcanzado
- Gerund
- alcanzando
- Similar
- llegar, lograr
Table of contents
- Introduction
- Indicative tenses of Alcanzar
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Present
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Preterite
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Imperfect
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Present Continuous
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Informal Future
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Future
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Conditional
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Present Perfect
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Past Perfect
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Future Perfect
- Alcanzar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
- Subjunctive tenses of Alcanzar
- Imperative tenses of Alcanzar
- Verbs that follow the same patterns
- Example sentences and usage
- Frequently asked questions
- Downloadable cheat sheet (PDF)
- Practise Alcanzar conjugations (free mobile app)
Introduction
Alcanzar is the Spanish verb for "to reach, to attain, to achieve, to accomplish". It is an irregular verb, and one of the most popular 100 Spanish verbs. Read on below to see how it is conjugated in the 18 major Spanish tenses!
Similar verbs to alcanzar include: llegar, lograr.
| Item | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Infinitive | alcanzar | to reach, to attain, to achieve, to accomplish |
| Past participle | alcanzado | reached |
| Gerund | alcanzando | reaching |
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Indicative tenses of Alcanzar
Alcanzar in the Indicative Present
The Indicative Present of alcanzar is used to talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths. For example, “alcanzo al destino”, meaning “I reach the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present is known as "El Presente".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | alcanzo | I reach |
| Tú | alcanzas | you reach |
| Ella / Él / Usted | alcanza | s/he reaches |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | alcanzamos | we reach |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | alcanzáis | you (plural) reach |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | alcanzan | they reach |
How it’s built: Regular: stem alcanz- plus the -ar endings.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Preterite
The Indicative Preterite of alcanzar is used to talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time. For example, “alcancé al destino”, meaning “I reached the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Preterite is known as "El Pretérito Indefinido".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | alcancé | I reached |
| Tú | alcanzaste | you reached |
| Ella / Él / Usted | alcanzó | s/he reached |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | alcanzamos | we reached |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | alcanzasteis | you (plural) reached |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | alcanzaron | they reached |
How it’s built: Yo changes z to c (alcancé); the other forms are regular.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Imperfect
The Indicative Imperfect of alcanzar is used to describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do. For example, “alcanzaba al destino”, meaning “I used to reach the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Imperfect is known as "El Pretérito Imperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | alcanzaba | I used to reach |
| Tú | alcanzabas | you used to reach |
| Ella / Él / Usted | alcanzaba | s/he used to reach |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | alcanzábamos | we used to reach |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | alcanzabais | you (plural) used to reach |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | alcanzaban | they used to reach |
How it’s built: Regular: stem alcanz- plus the -ar endings.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of alcanzar is used to talk about something that is happening continuously or right now. For example, “estoy alcanzando al destino”, meaning “I am reaching the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Continuous is known as "El Presente Progresivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | estoy alcanzando | I am reaching |
| Tú | estás alcanzando | you are reaching |
| Ella / Él / Usted | está alcanzando | s/he is reaching |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | estamos alcanzando | we are reaching |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | estáis alcanzando | you (plural) are reaching |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | están alcanzando | they are reaching |
How it’s built: Estar in the present (estoy, estás, está, estamos, estáis, están) plus the gerund alcanzando.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Informal Future
The Indicative Informal Future of alcanzar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future, especially in the near future. For example, “voy a alcanzar al destino”, meaning “I am going to reach the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Informal Future is known as "El Futuro Próximo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | voy a alcanzar | I am going to reach |
| Tú | vas a alcanzar | you are going to reach |
| Ella / Él / Usted | va a alcanzar | s/he is going to reach |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | vamos a alcanzar | we are going to reach |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | vais a alcanzar | you (plural) are going to reach |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | van a alcanzar | they are going to reach |
How it’s built: Ir in the present (voy, vas, va, vamos, vais, van), then a, then the infinitive alcanzar.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Future
The Indicative Future of alcanzar is used to talk about something that will happen in the future. For example, “alcanzaré al destino”, meaning “I will reach the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future is known as "El Futuro Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | alcanzaré | I will reach |
| Tú | alcanzarás | you will reach |
| Ella / Él / Usted | alcanzará | s/he will reach |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | alcanzaremos | we will reach |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | alcanzaréis | you (plural) will reach |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | alcanzarán | they will reach |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive alcanzar plus the future endings.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Conditional
The Indicative Conditional of alcanzar is used to talk about something that may happen in the future, hypothesis and probabilities. For example, “alcanzaría al destino”, meaning “I would reach the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional is known as "El Condicional Simple".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | alcanzaría | I would reach |
| Tú | alcanzarías | you would reach |
| Ella / Él / Usted | alcanzaría | s/he would reach |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | alcanzaríamos | we would reach |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | alcanzaríais | you (plural) would reach |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | alcanzarían | they would reach |
How it’s built: Regular: the infinitive alcanzar plus the conditional endings.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Present Perfect
The Indicative Present Perfect of alcanzar is used to describe actions that started recently (in the past) and are still happening now or things that have been done recently. For example, “he alcanzado al destino”, meaning “I have reached the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | he alcanzado | I have reached |
| Tú | has alcanzado | you have reached |
| Ella / Él / Usted | ha alcanzado | s/he has reached |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hemos alcanzado | we have reached |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habéis alcanzado | you (plural) have reached |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | han alcanzado | they have reached |
How it’s built: Haber in the present (he, has, ha, hemos, habéis, han) plus the past participle alcanzado.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Past Perfect
The Indicative Past Perfect of alcanzar is used to talk about actions that happened before another action in the past. For example, “había alcanzado al destino”, meaning “I had reached the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | había alcanzado | I had reached |
| Tú | habías alcanzado | you had reached |
| Ella / Él / Usted | había alcanzado | s/he had reached |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habíamos alcanzado | we had reached |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habíais alcanzado | you (plural) had reached |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habían alcanzado | they had reached |
How it’s built: Haber in the imperfect (había, habías, había, habíamos, habíais, habían) plus the past participle alcanzado.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Future Perfect
The Indicative Future Perfect of alcanzar is used to talk about something that will have happened in the future after something else has already happened. For example, “habré alcanzado al destino”, meaning “I will have reached the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habré alcanzado | I will have reached |
| Tú | habrás alcanzado | you will have reached |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habrá alcanzado | s/he will have reached |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habremos alcanzado | we will have reached |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habréis alcanzado | you (plural) will have reached |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrán alcanzado | they will have reached |
How it’s built: Haber in the future (habré, habrás, habrá, habremos, habréis, habrán) plus the past participle alcanzado.
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Alcanzar in the Indicative Conditional Perfect
The Indicative Conditional Perfect of alcanzar is used to talk about something that would have happened in the past but didn’t due to another action. For example, “habría alcanzado al destino”, meaning “I would have reached the destination”.
In Spanish, the Indicative Conditional Perfect is known as "El Condicional Perfecto".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | habría alcanzado | I would have reached |
| Tú | habrías alcanzado | you would have reached |
| Ella / Él / Usted | habría alcanzado | s/he would have reached |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | habríamos alcanzado | we would have reached |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | habríais alcanzado | you (plural) would have reached |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | habrían alcanzado | they would have reached |
How it’s built: Haber in the conditional (habría, habrías, habría, habríamos, habríais, habrían) plus the past participle alcanzado.
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Subjunctive tenses of Alcanzar
Alcanzar in the Subjunctive Present
The Subjunctive Present is used to talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about. For example, “alcance”, meaning “I reach”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is known as "El Presente de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | alcance | I reach |
| Tú | alcances | you reach |
| Ella / Él / Usted | alcance | s/he reaches |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | alcancemos | we reach |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | alcancéis | you (plural) reach |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | alcancen | they reach |
How it’s built: Every form changes z to c (alcance, alcances, alcance, alcancemos, alcancéis, alcancen).
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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Alcanzar in the Subjunctive Imperfect
The Subjunctive Imperfect is used to speak about unlikely or uncertain events in the past or to cast an opinion (emotional) about something that happened in the past. For example, “alcanzara”, meaning “I reached”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Imperfect is known as "El Imperfecto Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | alcanzara | I reached |
| Tú | alcanzaras | you reached |
| Ella / Él / Usted | alcanzara | s/he reached |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | alcanzáramos | we reached |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | alcanzarais | you (plural) reached |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | alcanzaran | they reached |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, alcanzaron, without -ron, plus the -ra endings; nosotros adds an accent (alcanzáramos).
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Alcanzar in the Subjunctive Future
The Subjunctive Future is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that may happen in the future. For example, “alcanzare”, meaning “I will reach”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future is known as "El Futuro de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | alcanzare | I will reach |
| Tú | alcanzares | you will reach |
| Ella / Él / Usted | alcanzare | s/he will reach |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | alcanzáremos | we will reach |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | alcanzareis | you (plural) will reach |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | alcanzaren | they will reach |
How it’s built: Regular: the ellas/ellos preterite, alcanzaron, without -ron, plus the -re endings; nosotros adds an accent (alcanzáremos).
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Alcanzar in the Subjunctive Present Perfect
The Subjunctive Present Perfect is used to describe past actions or events that are still connected to the present day and to speak about an action that will have happened by a certain time in the future. For example, “haya alcanzado”, meaning “I have reached”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | haya alcanzado | I have reached |
| Tú | hayas alcanzado | you have reached |
| Ella / Él / Usted | haya alcanzado | s/he has reached |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hayamos alcanzado | we have reached |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hayáis alcanzado | you (plural) have reached |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hayan alcanzado | they have reached |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive present (haya, hayas, haya, hayamos, hayáis, hayan) plus the past participle alcanzado.
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Alcanzar in the Subjunctive Past Perfect
The Subjunctive Past Perfect is used to speak about hypothetical situations, and actions/events that occurred before other actions/events in the past. For example, “hubiera alcanzado”, meaning “I had reached”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Past Perfect is known as "El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiera alcanzado | I had reached |
| Tú | hubieras alcanzado | you had reached |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiera alcanzado | s/he had reached |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéramos alcanzado | we had reached |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubierais alcanzado | you (plural) had reached |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieran alcanzado | they had reached |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive imperfect (hubiera, hubieras, hubiera, hubiéramos, hubierais, hubieran) plus the past participle alcanzado.
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Alcanzar in the Subjunctive Future Perfect
The Subjunctive Future Perfect is used to speak about something that will have happened if a hypothetical situations occurs in the future. For example, “hubiere alcanzado”, meaning “I will have reached”.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future Perfect is known as "El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | hubiere alcanzado | I will have reached |
| Tú | hubieres alcanzado | you will have reached |
| Ella / Él / Usted | hubiere alcanzado | s/he will have reached |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | hubiéremos alcanzado | we will have reached |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | hubiereis alcanzado | you (plural) will have reached |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | hubieren alcanzado | they will have reached |
How it’s built: Haber in the subjunctive future (hubiere, hubieres, hubiere, hubiéremos, hubiereis, hubieren) plus the past participle alcanzado.
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Imperative tenses of Alcanzar
Alcanzar in the Imperative Affirmative
The Imperative Affirmative is used to give orders and commands, to tell someone to do something. For example, “alcance”, meaning “(to you formal) reach!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Affirmative is known as "El Imperativo Afirmativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | alcanza | (to you) reach! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | alcance | (to you formal) reach! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | alcancemos | let's reach! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | alcanzad | (to you plural) reach! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | alcancen | (to you plural formal) reach! |
How it’s built: Tú takes the ella/él present (alcanza); usted, nosotros and ustedes take the subjunctive present (alcance, alcancemos, alcancen); vosotros swaps the final r of the infinitive for a d (alcanzad).
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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Alcanzar in the Imperative Negative
The Imperative Negative is used to give orders and commands, telling someone not to do something. For example, “no alcance”, meaning “(to you formal) don't reach!”.
In Spanish, the Imperative Negative is known as "El Imperativo Negativo".
| Pronoun | Spanish | English |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | - | - |
| Tú | no alcances | (to you) don't reach! |
| Ella / Él / Usted | no alcance | (to you formal) don't reach! |
| Nosotras / Nosotros | no alcancemos | let's not reach! |
| Vosotras / Vosotros | no alcancéis | (to you plural) don't reach! |
| Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no alcancen | (to you plural formal) don't reach! |
How it’s built: No plus the subjunctive present: no alcances, no alcance, no alcancemos, no alcancéis, no alcancen.
Letters in red show where a form differs from the regular pattern.
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Example sentences and usage
- Hambrientos y sedientos, finalmente alcanzamos la posada. Hungry and thirsty, we at last reached the inn.
- Si te das prisa, le alcanzarás. If you hurry, you'll catch up with him.
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Frequently asked questions about Alcanzar
Is alcanzar a regular or irregular verb?
Alcanzar is an irregular Spanish verb. Its irregularities include: Change z to c for yo in the indicative preterite and for all pronouns in the subjunctive present (and therefore the imperatives).
How do you conjugate alcanzar in the present tense (presente)?
In the present tense (presente), alcanzar is conjugated as: yo alcanzo, tú alcanzas, él/ella/usted alcanza, nosotros alcanzamos, vosotros alcanzáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes alcanzan. The present tense is used To talk about situations, events or thoughts that are happening now or in the near future. It is also used to talk about facts and truths.
How do you conjugate alcanzar in the preterite (pretérito indefinido)?
In the preterite (pretérito indefinido), alcanzar is conjugated as: yo alcancé, tú alcanzaste, él/ella/usted alcanzó, nosotros alcanzamos, vosotros alcanzasteis, ellos/ellas/ustedes alcanzaron. The preterite is used To talk about actions completed in the past, at a specific point in time.
How do you conjugate alcanzar in the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto)?
In the imperfect (pretérito imperfecto), alcanzar is conjugated as: yo alcanzaba, tú alcanzabas, él/ella/usted alcanzaba, nosotros alcanzábamos, vosotros alcanzabais, ellos/ellas/ustedes alcanzaban. The imperfect is used To describe regular and repeated actions that happened in the past and descriptions of things you used to do.
How do you conjugate alcanzar in the future tense (futuro simple)?
In the future tense (futuro simple), alcanzar is conjugated as: yo alcanzaré, tú alcanzarás, él/ella/usted alcanzará, nosotros alcanzaremos, vosotros alcanzaréis, ellos/ellas/ustedes alcanzarán. The future tense is used To talk about something that will happen in the future.
How do you conjugate alcanzar in the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente)?
In the present subjunctive (subjuntivo presente), alcanzar is conjugated as: yo alcance, tú alcances, él/ella/usted alcance, nosotros alcancemos, vosotros alcancéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes alcancen. The present subjunctive is used To talk about situations of uncertainty, or emotions such as wishes, desires and hopes. It differs from the indicative mood due to the uncertainty of the events which are being spoken about.
What are some common example sentences using alcanzar?
Here are everyday sentences using alcanzar: Hambrientos y sedientos, finalmente alcanzamos la posada. (Hungry and thirsty, we at last reached the inn.) Si te das prisa, le alcanzarás. (If you hurry, you'll catch up with him.)
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Downloadable cheat sheets
Download and print a cheat sheet of Alcanzar Spanish conjugation tables in image or PDF format:
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Practise Alcanzar conjugations (free mobile & web app)
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Want to explore other verb conjugations?
Why not check out Alegrar – to be happy, to be glad or see the complete list of verbs here.
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