satisfacer

Satisfacer — "to satisfy, to meet (a need, a demand, a curiosity)" — is the only Spanish verb that conjugates exactly like hacer, because it is etymologically hacer with a Latin prefix (satis- "enough" + facere "to do/make"). Wherever hacer is irregular, satisfacer is irregular the same way, with the h- of hacer replaced by satisf-. Memorise the parallel and the whole paradigm falls into place at once.

Despite the clean parallel, satisfacer deserves a B2 page rather than an A1 one for three reasons. First, the verb itself is mid-frequency and lives mainly in semi-formal contexts: news, business, contracts, polite complaints. Second, its irregularities collide with register considerations — the strict yo-go form satisfago feels heavy in speech, and some Spaniards reflexively avoid it. Third, and most curiously, the tú imperative is one of the few cases where the RAE accepts two competing forms as standard: the regular satisface and the archaic short satisfaz. We will unpack each below.

Non-finite forms

The participle satisfecho is critical to memorise — every compound tense and the entire passive uses it. Satisfacido does not exist. Note that satisfecho also functions independently as an adjective: estar satisfecho (to be satisfied, full after a meal, content) is one of its most common everyday uses, often without any verbal sense at all.

The gerund satisfaciendo is regular: take the stem satisfac-, add -iendo. (Compare to hacer's gerund haciendo.)

Indicative — simple tenses

Presente

The yo form satisfago mirrors hago: the classic yo-go pattern. The remaining five forms attach regular -er endings to the stem satisfac-.

A register note: in spoken Spanish satisfago is uncommon and sounds heavy. Native speakers tend to rephrase: cumplir con, llenar, quedar satisfecho con. In writing — especially formal writing — satisfago is fully acceptable and even expected. Be prepared to recognise it, but feel free to lean on synonyms in conversation.

Pretérito perfecto simple

The preterite stem is satisfic- — exactly parallel to hac → hic. The "strong" (unstressed-ending) pattern is shared with hacer (hice), poder (pude), poner (puse), saber (supe), tener (tuve). Stress falls on the stem in yo and él, so satisfice and satisfizo are unaccented.

The critical spelling change mirrors hacer: in the él form satisfizo, the c must become z before o to preserve the /θ/ sound. Satisfico (with c) would be pronounced /satisˈfiko/ — completely wrong. Every other form keeps c (satisfice, satisficiste, satisficimos, satisficisteis, satisficieron) because the following vowel is -i- or -e-, both of which already produce /θ/ with c.

Pretérito imperfecto

The imperfect is regular for -er verbs, built on satisfac- with the standard endings. All forms carry the obligatory accent on í.

Futuro simple

The future stem is satisfar- — the -ce- of the infinitive drops, exactly as in hacer/haré. This dropped-vowel pattern is shared with decir/diré, poder/podré, querer/querré, saber/sabré. The endings -é, -ás, -á, -emos, -éis, -án are universal.

Condicional

Same satisfar- stem, with conditional endings.

Indicative — compound tenses

All compound tenses pair haber with the irregular participle satisfecho.

Pretérito perfecto compuesto

Pretérito pluscuamperfecto

Futuro compuesto

Condicional compuesto

Subjunctive — simple tenses

Presente de subjuntivo

Built on the yo-go stem satisfag-, just as hago → haga. The opposite-vowel -er endings apply throughout.

Imperfecto de subjuntivo (-ra / -se)

Both sets are built on the preterite stem satisfic- (with c, never z, because no o follows). The -ra forms dominate in spoken Spain; -se is more formal and bookish — though satisfacer itself is so bookish that the -se forms appear in writing more frequently here than with everyday verbs.

Subjunctive — compound tenses

Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo

Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo

Imperative — the famous double form

The tú imperative of satisfacer is one of the rare cases in Spanish where the RAE explicitly accepts two competing forms as fully standard:

• satisface — the regular form, built like any third-person present indicative
• satisfaz — the short irregular form, exactly parallel to hacer/haz

Both are correct, both appear in literary corpora, and both are accepted in formal writing. In contemporary usage satisface is somewhat more common, while satisfaz has a slightly older, more literary flavour. The DRAE (Diccionario de la Lengua Española) lists both without preference.

The vosotros affirmative is satisfaced, formed regularly (drop the infinitive -r, add -d). Note that this form is also rarely used in everyday speech — the verb itself is too formal for casual commands.

Semantic notes — what satisfacer actually means

The verb covers a wider semantic range than English satisfy. Worth knowing:

The financial sense — satisfacer una deuda — sounds odd to English speakers, but it is the standard formal verb in Spanish for paying off a debt or settling an obligation. You will see it in contracts, legal correspondence, and bank statements.

The participle adjective estar satisfecho is the everyday way to say to be content or to be full after a meal. No, gracias, estoy satisfecho is the polite way to decline a second helping — the literal "I'm full" estoy lleno is fine too but registers as slightly more direct.

Source-language comparison: not the same as English satisfy

English satisfy is a relatively neutral, mid-frequency verb you can use in casual speech. Spanish satisfacer is emphatically formal and is rarely the right choice in casual conversation. Where English says That movie really satisfied me, a native Spanish speaker is more likely to say Esa peli me ha encantado or me ha llenado, not me ha satisfecho (which would sound stilted).

Keep satisfacer for:

• Business and formal correspondence
• News writing and academic prose
• Legal and contractual contexts
• The fixed expression estar satisfecho (adjectival, fine in any register)
• Curiosity and intellectual desires (satisfacer la curiosidad is acceptable in any register)

For everyday emotional satisfaction, native speakers reach for: gustar (más), encantar, llenar, quedar contento con, cumplir con.

Common Mistakes

Key Takeaways

• Satisfacer conjugates exactly like hacer, with satisf- replacing h- throughout. Master hacer and you have satisfacer for free.
• The four irregular stems mirror hacer: satisfac- (default), satisfag- (yo present and entire present subjunctive), satisfic-/satisfiz- (preterite and imperfect subjunctive — z only before o), satisfar- (future and conditional).
• The participle satisfecho is irregular and obligatory in every compound tense — satisfacido does not exist. As an adjective, estar satisfecho is everyday spoken Spanish ("to be content / full").
• The tú imperative has two accepted forms: regular satisface (more common today) and short irregular satisfaz (more literary). Both are standard.
• Satisfacer is formal. For casual emotional satisfaction, use encantar, llenar, or gustar mucho instead.
• The verb's most useful formal senses: meeting requirements (satisfacer los requisitos), settling debts (satisfacer una deuda), addressing objections (satisfacer una objeción).