Utilizar Conjugation: All Spanish Tenses

Utilizar (to use, to employ, to make use of something) is a very common Spanish verb and it is regular: it follows the -ar verb pattern. It only has the spelling change z→c before e (utilicé, utilice), which does not affect its regularity.

Indicative Tenses of Utilizar

Utilizar in the Present (Presente)

Habits, current facts and general truths: Utilizo el transporte público todos los días (I use public transport every day).

Present tense rules →

Utilizar in the Preterite (Pretérito indefinido)

Completed actions at a specific moment in the past: Ayer utilicé un mapa para llegar (Yesterday I used a map to get there).

Preterite rules →

Utilizar in the Present Perfect (Pretérito perfecto)

Past connected to the present: Hoy he utilizado el coche dos veces (Today I have used the car twice).

Present perfect rules →

Utilizar in the Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto)

Habitual or ongoing actions in the past: Antes utilizaba un diccionario de papel (I used to use a paper dictionary).

Imperfect rules →

Utilizar in the Past Perfect (Pluscuamperfecto)

An action before another past action: Cuando llegué, ya habían utilizado todo el material (When I arrived, they had already used all the material).

Past perfect rules →

Utilizar in the Future (Futuro simple)

Plans and predictions: Mañana utilizaré la nueva aplicación (Tomorrow I will use the new app).

Future tense rules →

Utilizar in the Future Perfect (Futuro perfecto)

An action that will be completed in the future: Para el viernes ya habremos utilizado todo el presupuesto (By Friday we will have used the whole budget).

Future perfect rules →

Utilizar in the Conditional (Condicional simple)

Advice and hypothetical situations: Yo en tu lugar utilizaría otro método (If I were you, I would use another method).

Conditional rules →

Utilizar in the Conditional Perfect (Condicional compuesto)

Hypotheses about the past: Habría utilizado tu consejo, pero ya era tarde (I would have used your advice, but it was already too late).

Conditional perfect rules →

Subjunctive Tenses of Utilizar

Present Subjunctive of Utilizar (Presente de subjuntivo)

Wishes, doubts and emotions: Quiero que utilices materiales reciclados (I want you to use recycled materials).

Present subjunctive rules →

Present Perfect Subjunctive of Utilizar (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo)

Evaluating a recent past action: Espero que hayas utilizado la versión correcta (I hope you have used the correct version).

Perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperfect Subjunctive of Utilizar (Pretérito imperfecto de subjuntivo)

Hypothetical conditions: Si utilizaras una contraseña más segura, evitarías problemas (If you used a more secure password, you would avoid problems).

Imperfect subjunctive rules →

Past Perfect Subjunctive of Utilizar (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo)

Unreal hypotheses about the past: Si hubieras utilizado el mapa, no te habrías perdido (If you had used the map, you would not have got lost).

Past perfect subjunctive rules →

Imperative of Utilizar

Affirmative Commands of Utilizar (Imperativo afirmativo)

Orders and requests: ¡Utiliza el casco siempre! (Always wear a helmet!)

Affirmative commands rules →

Negative Commands of Utilizar (Imperativo negativo)

Prohibitions and negative advice: No utilices el móvil al conducir (Don't use your phone while driving).

Negative commands rules →

Expressions with Utilizar

• Utilizar a alguien - to use someone for one's own benefit
• Utilizar los medios disponibles - to make use of all available resources
• Utilizar la cabeza - to use your head, to think sensibly
• Utilizar el sentido común - to use common sense