utilice

Utilice is a verbal form in Spanish that serves two related roles. It is the present subjunctive form of the verb utilizar (to use) for the third-person singular, and it is also the formal imperative form directed to the pronoun usted. In practice, it appears in both subordinate clauses and formal commands.

Conjugation. In the present subjunctive, the paradigm is: yo utilice, tú utilices, él/ella/usted utilice, nosotros/utilicemos, vosotros/utilicéis, ellos/ellas/ustedes utilicen. The form utilice therefore functions as the usted form of the subjunctive and is identical to the third-person singular subjunctive. As a formal imperative, usted uses the same spelling, as in “Utilice este producto con cuidado.”

Usage notes. Utilice is common in formal writing, official guidelines, manuals, and polite speech. It appears in subordinate clauses after verbs or expressions that express necessity, doubt, desire, or recommendation, e.g., “Es esencial que usted utilice las herramientas adecuadas.” It also functions as a direct command to a single form of address: “Utilice este programa para completar la tarea.” Negative commands follow the same subjunctive pattern: “No utilice esa información sin autorización.”

Distinction. Utilice should not be confused with utiliza (indicative present for él/ella) or with utilicé (preterite). It is contrasted with other forms of the verb utilized in different tenses or with different subject pronouns.

See also. Utilizar, usar, imperativo formal, subjuntivo español.