Equivocan

Equivocan is the present indicative form of the Spanish verb equivocar, used with the third-person plural subjects ellos or ellas (or with ustedes). In English, it translates roughly as “they mistake” or “they are mistaken.” The verb equivocar is transitive and means to mistake, to err in judgment, or to mislead, depending on context. It can also convey that someone is wrong about something.

Usage notes: Equivocar requires a direct object to indicate what is being mistaken, such as a fact, a calculation, or a direction. It can also take a prepositional phrase to specify the area of error, for example, equivocan en la cuenta or equivocan la dirección. The reflexive form, equivocarse, is used when the subject is mistaken themselves, e.g., se equivocan en la pregunta or se equivocan al elegir.

Conjugation context: In addition to equivocan, other present forms include yo equivoco, tú equivocas, él/ella/Ud. equivoca, nosotros equivocamos, vosotros equivocáis. The verb has related forms such as equivocación (a mistake) and equivocarse (to make a mistake or to be mistaken oneself).

Examples:

- Ellos equivocan la respuesta en el examen. (They get the answer wrong on the exam.)

- Ellos se equivocan en la ruta y terminan tardando. (They are mistaken in the route and end up late.)

- Nosotros equivocamos la cuenta, así que hay que recalcular. (We miscalc the total, so we must recalculate.)

Equivocan is thus a common, versatile form used to describe errors of fact, judgment, or direction in everyday Spanish.