The present tense of nacer is used to talk about being born or things that are happening right now. For example, Mi hermana nace hoy. (My sister is being born today.)

Nacer is a spelling-changing verb that follows the -cer to -zca pattern in certain conjugations. This means the c changes to zc before the vowels a and o.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Nacer (to be born) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):

Nacer generally means to be born, but has several different meanings in the Present Tense, some of which might surprise you.

To be born: This is the most common meaning, referring to the act of coming into existence from the mother’s womb, for example, El bebé nace a las 3 de la mañana. (The baby is born at 3 in the morning.)

To originate or spring from: Used figuratively to indicate the source or origin of something, for example, De esta idea nace un nuevo proyecto. (From this idea, a new project is born.)

To emerge or appear: Referring to something coming into existence or becoming visible, for example, Nacen nuevas tendencias cada año. (New trends emerge every year.)

To sprout or grow: Used for plants or natural elements that start to grow or develop, for example, Las flores nacen en primavera. (Flowers are born in spring.)

Slang: To be a natural at something: In colloquial usage, it can mean having an innate talent or ability for something, for example, Ella nace para el baile. (She is a natural at dancing.)

Examples

Examples of Nacer in the Present Tense

Cada primavera, las flores nacen de nuevo. (Every spring, the flowers are born again.)

Los bebés nacen en el hospital. (Babies are born in the hospital.)

¿Dónde naces tú? (Where were you born?)

Nosotros nacemos en este mundo sin elección. (We are born into this world without a choice.)

Las estrellas nacen en las galaxias lejanas. (Stars are born in distant galaxies.)

Cuando nacen los niños, lloran. (When babies are born, they cry.)

Ustedes nacen con ciertos talentos. (You are born with certain talents.)

Cada idea nace de una chispa de inspiración. (Every idea is born from a spark of inspiration.)

Yo nazco en una familia amorosa. (I was born into a loving family.)

Las nuevas empresas nacen con ideas innovadoras. (New businesses are born with innovative ideas.)

Tú naces con un propósito en la vida. (You are born with a purpose in life.)

Ellos nacen con discapacidades, pero eso no los define. (They are born with disabilities, but that doesn’t define them.)

Nosotros nacemos desnudos, pero morimos vestidos. (We are born naked, but die clothed.)

Ustedes nacen con alas, pero no saben volar. (You are born with wings, but you don’t know how to fly.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Nacer (to be born) in the Present Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Present tense is also known as the Simple Present, Present Simple, Present Tense, or Present Indicative in English, and as Presente de Indicativo, Presente Simple, Tiempo Presente, or Indicativo Presente in Spanish.