Parecer Conjugation: Master “To Seem” in Spanish + Opinion Expressions
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What is Parecer? Mastering “To Seem” and Opinions in Spanish
Mastering the Spanish verb parecer is key to describing how things appear and, most importantly, for sharing your opinions politely. It’s one of the most common ways to say “I think” in Spanish.
Key Takeaways:
- Primary Meaning: To seem, to look like, to appear.
- Key Use: Expressing opinions with
me parece que(it seems to me that) and similarities withparecerse a. - Must-Know Conjugation:
Me parece que...(It seems to me that…/I think that…). - Grammar Tip: It’s often used with indirect object pronouns (me, te, le).
- Reflexive Form:
Parecerse a(to look like/to resemble).
Complete Parecer Conjugation: The Essential Tenses
Present Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | parezco | Parezco más joven de lo que soy. (I look younger than I am.) |
| Tú | pareces | ¿Qué pareces? (What do you think?) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | parece | Ella parece cansada. (She seems tired.) |
| Nosotros | parecemos | Parecemos una familia feliz. (We look like a happy family.) |
| Vosotros | parecéis | Vosotros parecéis hermanos. (You all look like siblings.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | parecen | Ellos parecen contentos. (They seem happy.) |
Past Tenses: Preterite vs. Imperfect
Preterite Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | parecí | Parecí un tonto en la reunión. (I seemed like a fool at the meeting.) |
| Tú | pareciste | Pareciste muy seguro de ti mismo. (You seemed very sure of yourself.) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | pareció | La película pareció interminable. (The movie seemed endless.) |
| Nosotros | parecimos | Parecimos entenderlo todo. (We seemed to understand everything.) |
| Vosotros | parecisteis | Parecisteis aburriros. (You all seemed to get bored.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | parecieron | Las flores parecieron marchitarse de repente. (The flowers seemed to wilt suddenly.) |
Imperfect Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | parecía | Siempre parecía más joven. (I always looked younger.) |
| Tú | parecías | De niño, parecías un ángel. (As a child, you looked like an angel.) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | parecía | Parecía que iba a llover todo el día. (It looked like it was going to rain all day.) |
| Nosotros | parecíamos | Parecíamos felices, y lo éramos. (We seemed happy, and we were.) |
| Vosotros | parecíais | Parecíais gemelos cuando erais pequeños. (You all looked like twins when you were little.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | parecían | Parecían cansados después del viaje. (They seemed tired after the trip.) |
Future Tense Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | pareceré | Pareceré una profesional con este traje. (I will look like a professional with this suit.) |
| Tú | parecerás | Parecerás una reina en tu boda. (You will look like a queen on your wedding day.) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | parecerá | Todo parecerá más fácil con el tiempo. (Everything will seem easier with time.) |
| Nosotros | pareceremos | Pareceremos turistas con estas cámaras. (We will look like tourists with these cameras.) |
| Vosotros | pareceréis | Pareceréis expertos después del curso. (You all will look like experts after the course.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | parecerán | Parecerán diferentes con el nuevo peinado. (They will look different with the new hairstyle.) |
Present Subjunctive Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Yo | parezca | Es importante que yo parezca seguro. (It’s important that I seem confident.) |
| Tú | parezcas | Quiero que parezcas feliz en las fotos. (I want you to look happy in the photos.) |
| Él/Ella/Usted | parezca | Dudo que parezca tan fácil. (I doubt it seems that easy.) |
| Nosotros | parezcamos | Espero que parezcamos unidos. (I hope we seem united.) |
| Vosotros | parezcáis | Es bueno que parezcáis contentos. (It’s good that you all seem happy.) |
| Ellos/Ustedes | parezcan | No creo que parezcan tan jóvenes. (I don’t think they look that young.) |
Imperative (Command) Conjugation
| Pronoun | Conjugation (Affirmative) | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Tú | parece | ¡Parece más interesado! (Look more interested!) |
| Usted | parezca | ¡Parezca más natural, por favor! (Look more natural, please!) |
| Nosotros | parezcamos | ¡Parezcamos felices por ellos. (Let’s look happy for them.) |
| Vosotros | pareced | ¡Pareced más animados! (Look more lively!) |
| Ustedes | parezcan | ¡Parezcan atentos durante la conferencia. (Look attentive during the conference.) |
Verbals: Gerund & Infinitive
| Form | Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | pareciendo | Está pareciendo cada vez más difícil. (It is seeming more and more difficult.) |
| Infinitive | parecer | Puede parecer complicado al principio. (It can seem complicated at first.) |
[SEE THE FULL PARECER CONJUGATION IN ALL TENSES WITH OUR INTERACTIVE TOOL]
How to Use Parecer in Context
Expressing Opinions with Me parece que
- Me parece que es una mala idea. (It seems to me that it’s a bad idea.)
- ¿Qué te parece la nueva película? (What do you think about the new movie?)
- Nos parece bien que vengas. (It seems fine to us that you come.)
Describing Appearances and Similarities
- Pareces cansado. (You look tired.)
- Ella se parece mucho a su madre. (She looks a lot like her mother.)
- Esto parece ser la solución. (This appears to be the solution.)
Common Phrases and Idioms with Parecer
- Parecer que (to seem that)
- Parecerse a (to look like/to resemble)
- Me parece bien/mal (It seems good/bad to me)
- Al parecer (Apparently)
- Según parece (So it seems)
A Note on Culture & Common Mistakes
Cultural Insight: Using me parece to express an opinion is considered softer and more polite in Spanish than a direct yo creo or yo pienso. It shows consideration for other viewpoints.
Watch Out! Remember to use the reflexive form parecerse when talking about people looking like each other.
- ✅ Correct:
Él **se parece** a su padre.(He looks like his father.) - ❌ Incorrect:
Él *parece* a su padre.
[TAKE THE PARECER CONJUGATION QUIZ]
Continue Learning: Next, dive into the nuances of feeling with: [Sentir vs Sentirse: Complete Guide to Expressing Feelings in Spanish]
