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 (Latin American 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, Yo nazco en un hospital. (I am born in a hospital.)

To originate or spring from: This meaning extends beyond birth and refers to the origin or source of something. For example, El río nace en las montañas. (The river originates in the mountains.)

To emerge or appear: In a figurative sense, it can mean for something to come into being or become visible. For example, Una nueva idea nace en mi mente. (A new idea emerges in my mind.)

To sprout or grow: When referring to plants, it means for a new shoot or leaf to emerge from the ground or stem. For example, Las flores nacen en primavera. (The flowers sprout in spring.)

To be born with a talent or ability (colloquial): In informal speech, it can refer to having a natural talent or ability from birth. For example, Ella nace para cantar. (She is born to sing.)

Examples

Examples of Nacer in the Present Tense

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

Cuando naces, no sabes nada del mundo. (When you are born, you don’t know anything about the world.)

El bebé nace llorando. (The baby is born crying.)

Los seres humanos nacemos desnudos y sin dientes. (Human beings are born naked and toothless.)

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

Cuando nace un niño, toda la familia se alegra. (When a child is born, the whole family rejoices.)

Nacemos con ciertos talentos e inclinaciones. (We are born with certain talents and inclinations.)

Las ideas nacen de la necesidad. (Ideas are born out of necessity.)

Algunos animales nacen con la capacidad de caminar inmediatamente. (Some animals are born with the ability to walk immediately.)

Cuando nace un niño, es un milagro de la vida. (When a child is born, it’s a miracle of life.)

Los seres humanos nacemos con un instinto de supervivencia. (Human beings are born with a survival instinct.)

Las nuevas empresas nacen de ideas innovadoras. (New businesses are born from innovative ideas.)

Cuando naces, no eliges tu familia. (When you are born, you don’t choose your family.)

El amor nace del corazón. (Love is born from the heart.)

Conjugations with English Translations

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

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian 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.