Prepararse Conjugation in Spanish (2024)

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Prepararse Conjugation, Usage, and Examples

Spanish

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Pronunciation
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Jocelly Meiners

Professor of Hispanic Linguistics

Preparar vs. Prepararse

The verb prepararse can also be used non-reflexively as preparar, which is always accompanied by a direct object. Preparar can be used to talk about preparing things like food or materials, or to talk about preparing people, as in training them for a job or sport competition.

When talking about getting ready to go out, like getting dressed, etc., a more common verb is alistarse.

Present Indicative

When conjugating a reflexive verb, the reflexive pronoun should be included before each conjugated verb.

Yo	me preparo	Yo me preparo para mis exámenes.	I prepare for my exams.
Tú	te preparas	Tú te preparas para la carrera.	You prepare for the race.
Usted/él/ella	se prepara	Ella se prepara para su nuevo trabajo.	She prepares for her new job.
Nosotros	nos preparamos	Nosotros nos preparamos para dar un discurso en la conferencia.	We get ready to give a speech at the conference.
Vosotros	os preparáis	Vosotros os preparáis para hacer un largo viaje.	You get ready to make a long trip.
Ustedes/ellos/ellas	se preparan	Ellos se preparan para recibir a los invitados.	They prepare to receive the guests.

Preterite Indicative

Use the preterite tense when you want to describe completed actions in the past.

Yo	me preparé	Yo me preparé para mis exámenes.	I prepared for my exams.
Tú	te preparaste	Tú te preparaste para la carrera.	You preparedfor the race.
Usted/él/ella	se preparó	Ella se preparó para su nuevo trabajo.	She preparedfor her new job.
Nosotros	nos preparamos	Nosotros nos preparamos para dar un discurso en la conferencia.	We got ready to give a speech at the conference.
Vosotros	os preparasteis	Vosotros os preparasteis para hacer un largo viaje.	You got ready to make a long trip.
Ustedes/ellos/ellas	se prepararon	Ellos se prepararon para recibir a los invitados.	They preparedto receive the guests.

Imperfect Indicative

Use the imperfect tense when you want to describe actions in the past that were ongoing or repeated. You can translate the imperfect as "was getting ready" or "used to get ready."

Yo	me preparaba	Yo me preparaba para mis exámenes.	I was preparing for my exams.
Tú	te preparabas	Tú te preparabas para la carrera.	You were preparingfor the race.
Usted/él/ella	se preparaba	Ella se preparaba para su nuevo trabajo.	She was preparingfor her new job.
Nosotros	nos preparábamos	Nosotros nos preparábamos para dar un discurso en la conferencia.	We were getting ready to give a speech at the conference.
Vosotros	os preparabais	Vosotros os preparabais para hacer un largo viaje.	You were getting ready to make a long trip.
Ustedes/ellos/ellas	se preparaban	Ellos se preparaban para recibir a los invitados.	They were preparingto receive the guests.

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Future Indicative

There are two forms of the future tense. The simple future is conjugated with the infinitive form and the future tense endings (é, ás, á, emos, éis, án).

Yo	me prepararé	Yo me prepararé para mis exámenes.	I will prepare for my exams.
Tú	te prepararás	Tú te prepararás para la carrera.	You will preparefor the race.
Usted/él/ella	se preparará	Ella se prepararápara su nuevo trabajo.	She will preparefor her new job.
Nosotros	nos prepararemos	Nosotros nos prepararemos para dar un discurso en la conferencia.	We will getreadyto give a speech at the conference.
Vosotros	os prepararéis	Vosotros os prepararéis para hacer un largo viaje.	You will getready to make a long trip.
Ustedes/ellos/ellas	se prepararán	Ellos se prepararán para recibir a los invitados.	They will prepareto receive the guests.

PeriphrasticFuture Indicative

The other form of the future tense is the periphrastic future, which is conjugated with three components, the verb ir (to go), the preposition a, and the infinitive preparar. Remember to place the reflexive pronoun before the conjugated verb ir (to go).

Yo	me voy a preparar	Yo me voya preparar para mis exámenes.	I am going to prepare for my exams.
Tú	te vasa preparar	Tú te vasa preparar para la carrera.	You aregoing to preparefor the race.
Usted/él/ella	se vaa preparar	Ella se vaa preparar para su nuevo trabajo.	She isgoing to preparefor her new job.
Nosotros	nos vamosa preparar	Nosotros nos vamosa preparar para dar un discurso en la conferencia.	We aregoing to get readyto give a speech at the conference.
Vosotros	os vais a preparar	Vosotros os vaisa preparar para hacer un largo viaje.	You aregoing to get ready to make a long trip.
Ustedes/ellos/ellas	se vana preparar	Ellos se vana preparar para recibir a los invitados.	They aregoing to prepareto receive the guests.

Present Progressive/Gerund Form

In Spanish, the gerund or present participle is often used as an adverb or to form progressive tenses like the present progressive. When conjugating progressive tenses there are two options for placement of the reflexive pronoun: it can go before the conjugated auxiliary verb estar, or attached to the end of the present participle.

Present Progressive ofPrepararse

se está preparando / está preparándose

Ella se está preparando para su nuevo trabajo.

She is preparing for her new job.

Past Participle

Similarly to English, in Spanish the past participle is used in perfect tenses like the present perfect. In perfect tenses the reflexive pronoun must be placed before the conjugated auxiliary verb haber.

Conditional Indicative

If you want to talk about possibilities, you can use the conditional tense.

Yo	me prepararía	Yo me prepararía para mis exámenes si tuviera tiempo.	I would prepare for my exams if I had time.
Tú	te prepararías	Tú te prepararías para la carrera si estuvieras motivado.	You would preparefor the race if you were motivated.
Usted/él/ella	se prepararía	Ella se prepararíapara su nuevo trabajo, pero ella conoce bien el material.	She would preparefor her new job, but she knows the material well.
Nosotros	nos prepararíamos	Nosotros nos prepararíamos para dar un discurso en la conferencia, pero no tenemos tiempo.	We would getreadyto give a speech at the conference, but we don't have time.
Vosotros	os prepararíais	Vosotros os prepararíais para hacer un largo viaje si tuvierais más dinero.	You would getready to make a long trip if you had more money.
Ustedes/ellos/ellas	se prepararían	Ellos se prepararían para recibir a los invitados si decidieran venir.	They would prepareto receive the guests if they decided to come.

Present Subjunctive

*Que yo*	me prepare	La maestra espera que yo me prepare para mis exámenes.	The teacher hopes that I prepare for my exams.
*Que tú*	te prepares	El entrenador sugiere que tú te prepares para la carrera.	The coach suggests that you prepare for the race.
*Que usted/él/ella*	seprepare	El jefe espera que ella se prepare para su nuevo trabajo.	The boss hopes that she prepares for her new job.
*Que nosotros*	nos preparemos	El profesor recomienda que nosotros nos preparemos para dar un discurso en la conferencia.	The professor recommends that we get ready to give a speech at the conference.
*Que vosotros*	os preparéis	Carlos pide que vosotros os preparéis para hacer un largo viaje.	Carlos asks that you get ready to make a long trip.
*Que ustedes/ellos/ellas*	sepreparen	Marta pide que ellos se preparen para recibir a los invitados.	Marta asks that they prepare to receive the guests.

Imperfect Subjunctive

There are two possible ways of conjugating the imperfect subjunctive:

Option 1

*Que yo*	me preparara	La maestra esperaba que yo me preparara para mis exámenes.	The teacher hoped that I prepare for my exams.
*Que tú*	te prepararas	El entrenador sugería que tú te prepararas para la carrera.	The coach suggested that you prepare for the race.
*Que usted/él/ella*	sepreparara	El jefe esperaba que ella se preparara para su nuevo trabajo.	The boss hoped that she prepared for her new job.
*Que nosotros*	nos preparáramos	El profesor recomendaba que nosotros nos preparáramospara dar un discurso en la conferencia.	The professor recommended that we get ready to give a speech at the conference.
*Que vosotros*	os prepararais	Carlos pedía que vosotros os prepararais para hacer un largo viaje.	Carlos asked that you get ready to make a long trip.
*Que ustedes/ellos/ellas*	seprepararan	Marta pedía que ellos se prepararan para recibir a los invitados.	Marta asked that they prepare to receive the guests.

Option 2

*Que yo*	me preparase	La maestra esperaba que yo me preparase para mis exámenes.	The teacher hoped that I get ready for my exams.
*Que tú*	te preparases	El entrenador sugería que tú te preparases para la carrera.	The coach suggested that you get ready for the race.
*Que usted/él/ella*	sepreparase	El jefe esperaba que ella se preparase para su nuevo trabajo.	The boss hoped that she get ready for her new job.
*Que nosotros*	nos preparásemos	El profesor recomendaba que nosotros nos preparásemospara dar un discurso en la conferencia.	The professor recommended that we get ready to give a speech at the conference.
*Que vosotros*	os preparaseis	Carlos pedía que vosotros os preparaseis para hacer un largo viaje.	Carlos asked that you get ready to make a long trip.
*Que ustedes/ellos/ellas*	sepreparasen	Marta pedía que ellos se preparasen para recibir a los invitados.	Marta asked that they get ready to receive the guests.

Imperative

If you want to give an order or command you need the imperative mood. When conjugating a reflexive verb, note that in positive commands, the reflexive pronoun goes after the verb, while in negative commands, the reflexive pronoun goes before the verb.

Positive Commands

Tú	prepárate	¡Prepárate para la carrera!	Get ready for the race!
Usted	prepárese	¡Prepárese para su nuevo trabajo!	Get ready for your new job!
Nosotros	preparémonos	¡Preparémonos para dar un discurso en la conferencia!	Let's get ready to give a speech at the conference!
Vosotros	preparaos	¡Preparaos para hacer un largo viaje!	Get ready to make a long trip!
Ustedes	prepárense	¡Prepárense para recibir a los invitados!	Get ready to receive the guests!

Negative Commands

Tú	no te prepares	¡No te prepares para la carrera!	Don't get ready for the race!
Usted	no se prepare	¡No se prepare para su nuevo trabajo!	Don't get ready for your new job!
Nosotros	no nos preparemos	¡No nos preparemos para dar un discurso en la conferencia!	Let's not get ready to give a speech at the conference!
Vosotros	no os preparéis	¡No os preparéis para hacer un largo viaje!	Don't get ready to make a long trip!
Ustedes	no se preparen	¡No se preparen para recibir a los invitados!	Don't get ready to receive the guests!

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Your Citation

Meiners, Jocelly. "Spanish Verb Prepararse Conjugation." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/prepararse-conjugation-in-spanish-4590192.Meiners, Jocelly. (2023, April 5). Spanish Verb Prepararse Conjugation. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/prepararse-conjugation-in-spanish-4590192Meiners, Jocelly. "Spanish Verb Prepararse Conjugation." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/prepararse-conjugation-in-spanish-4590192 (accessed May 28, 2024).

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