Learn Spanish (Latin America): Yo autoricé la tarjeta de crédito ayer.

Yo autoricé la tarjeta de crédito ayer.

I authorized the credit card yesterday.

Breakdown of Yo autoricé la tarjeta de crédito ayer.

Questions & Answers about Yo autoricé la tarjeta de crédito ayer.

Why is it autoricé with a "c" instead of a "z"?

The verb is autorizar (to authorize). When we conjugate it for yo (I) in the past tense, the normal ending is -é. But in Spanish spelling, a "z" changes to a "c" whenever it comes right before an "e". So, it becomes autoricé instead of autorizé.

Does the pronunciation change when the "z" becomes a "c" in autoricé?

In Latin American Spanish, no. Both "z" and "c" (when before an "e" or "i") make the exact same "s" sound. The spelling changes strictly to follow Spanish writing rules, but the spoken sound remains consistent with the rest of the verb.

Why does the sentence use tarjeta de crédito instead of just putting the words together like in English?

In English, we can stick two nouns together so one acts like an adjective (like "credit card"). Spanish doesn't usually do this. Instead, you connect the two nouns with de (of), making it literally "card of credit".

Do I have to include yo at the beginning of the sentence?

No, you could just say autoricé la tarjeta de crédito ayer. Since autoricé is uniquely the yo form in the past tense, it is already clear who did the authorizing. Including yo here just adds a bit of emphasis or clarity.