Abrazarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb abrazarse means to hug each other, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Abrazarse means to hug each other, and it is the verb for the warm greeting between friends and family, the hug at the airport and the hug after good news. It is reflexive because the action goes both ways, and it often appears with con or a, as in abrazarse con los amigos or abrazarse a un hermano. Like every Spanish verb, abrazarse changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say me abrazo con los amigos en la fiesta, and in the preterite you say me abracé con fuerza al reencontrarse. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: abrazarse
  • English: to hug each other
  • Verb type: irregular verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: abrazando
  • Past participle: abrazado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + abrazado)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for abrazarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Abrazarse is reflexive and reciprocal: nos abrazamos means we hug each other, while abrazar a alguien means hugging one person.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for abrazarse. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Present indicative

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abrazo
tú te abrazas
él/ella/Ud. se abraza
nosotros/as nos abrazamos
vosotros/as os abrazáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abrazan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abracé
tú te abrazaste
él/ella/Ud. se abrazó
nosotros/as nos abrazamos
vosotros/as os abrazasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abrazaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abrazaba
tú te abrazabas
él/ella/Ud. se abrazaba
nosotros/as nos abrazábamos
vosotros/as os abrazabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abrazaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abrazaré
tú te abrazarás
él/ella/Ud. se abrazará
nosotros/as nos abrazaremos
vosotros/as os abrazaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abrazarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abrazaría
tú te abrazarías
él/ella/Ud. se abrazaría
nosotros/as nos abrazaríamos
vosotros/as os abrazaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abrazarían

Present perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me he abrazado
tú te has abrazado
él/ella/Ud. se ha abrazado
nosotros/as nos hemos abrazado
vosotros/as os habéis abrazado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se han abrazado

Pluperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me había abrazado
tú te habías abrazado
él/ella/Ud. se había abrazado
nosotros/as nos habíamos abrazado
vosotros/as os habíais abrazado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habían abrazado

Future perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habré abrazado
tú te habrás abrazado
él/ella/Ud. se habrá abrazado
nosotros/as nos habremos abrazado
vosotros/as os habréis abrazado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrán abrazado

Conditional perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habría abrazado
tú te habrías abrazado
él/ella/Ud. se habría abrazado
nosotros/as nos habríamos abrazado
vosotros/as os habríais abrazado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrían abrazado

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abrace
tú te abraces
él/ella/Ud. se abrace
nosotros/as nos abracemos
vosotros/as os abracéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abracen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abrazara
tú te abrazaras
él/ella/Ud. se abrazara
nosotros/as nos abrazáramos
vosotros/as os abrazarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abrazaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te abraza
él/ella/Ud. se abrace
nosotros/as nos abracemos
vosotros/as os abrazad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abracen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te abraces
él/ella/Ud. se abrace
nosotros/as nos abracemos
vosotros/as os abracéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abracen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund abrazando with estar for the progressive: estoy abrazando (or me estoy abrazando for this reflexive verb)
Past participle abrazado with haber for the perfect tenses: he abrazado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me abrazo con los amigos en la fiesta. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me abracé a su hermano en la estación. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me abrazaba con fuerza al reencontrarse. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me abrazaré en la puerta de casa. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me abrazaría con los amigos en la fiesta si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he abrazado a su hermano en la estación. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había abrazado con fuerza al reencontrarse antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré abrazado en la puerta de casa. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría abrazado con los amigos en la fiesta con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. Note the spelling change here: the final consonant of the stem changes before e to keep the same sound, so learn these forms from the table rather than copying the infinitive stem. For abrazarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se abrace a su hermano en la estación. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For abrazarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se abrazara con fuerza al reencontrarse, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. Note the spelling change here: the final consonant of the stem changes before e to keep the same sound, so learn these forms from the table rather than copying the infinitive stem. For abrazarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se abrace en la puerta de casa. Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. Note the spelling change here: the final consonant of the stem changes before e to keep the same sound, so learn these forms from the table rather than copying the infinitive stem. For abrazarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te abraces con los amigos en la fiesta. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with abrazarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me abrazo con los amigos en la fiesta. — I hug each other with friends at the party.
  2. Se abraza a su hermano en la estación. — He/she hugs each other his brother at the station.
  3. Ayer, me abracé con fuerza al reencontrarse. — Yesterday, I hugged each other tightly when they meet again.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos abrazábamos en la puerta de casa. — Before, we used to hug each other in the doorway of the house.
  5. Mañana, tú te abrazarás con los amigos en la fiesta. — Tomorrow, you will hug each other with friends at the party.
  6. Yo me abrazaría a su hermano en la estación si tuviera más tiempo. — I would hug each other his brother at the station if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha abrazado con fuerza al reencontrarse. — He has hugged each other tightly when they meet again.
  8. Espero que él se abrace en la puerta de casa. — I hope he hugs each other in the doorway of the house.
  9. Yo ya me había abrazado con los amigos en la fiesta antes de salir. — I had already hugged each other with friends at the party before leaving.
  10. Ellos se abrazaban a su hermano en la estación cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to hug each other his brother at the station when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo abrazo con los amigos en la fiesta. — Right: Yo me abrazo con los amigos en la fiesta. — Abrazarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo abrazé a su hermano en la estación. — Right: Ayer yo abracé a su hermano en la estación. — Abrazarse has an irregular preterite: the correct first-person form is abracé, not the regular abrazé. Learn the preterite forms in the table as a set.
  3. Wrong: Treating abrazarse and besarse as identical in every context. — Right: Abrazarse means to hug each other, while besarse means to kiss each other. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: abrazarse fits sentences such as Me abrazo con los amigos en la fiesta, while besarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy abrazado a su hermano en la estación. — Right: Yo he abrazado a su hermano en la estación. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he abrazado, has abrazado, ha abrazado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo abracé con fuerza al reencontrarse todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo abrazaba con fuerza al reencontrarse todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (abrazaba), not the preterite. The preterite (abracé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on abrazarse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con los amigos en la fiesta. (present tense) A. me abrazo B. te abrazas C. se abraza D. nos abrazamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a su hermano en la estación. (preterite) A. me abracé B. te abrazaste C. se abrazaron D. se abrazó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ con fuerza al reencontrarse. (imperfect) A. te abrazabas B. se abrazaban C. nos abrazábamos D. me abrazaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en la puerta de casa. (future) A. nos abrazaremos B. te abrazarás C. me abrazaré D. se abrazará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con los amigos en la fiesta si pudiera. (conditional) A. me abrazaría B. te abrazarías C. se abrazaría D. se abrazarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a su hermano en la estación. (present subjunctive) A. me abrace B. te abraces C. nos abracemos D. se abrace

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ con fuerza al reencontrarse, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se abrazara B. nos abrazáramos C. me abrazara D. te abrazaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en la puerta de casa. (present perfect) A. se han abrazado B. nos hemos abrazado C. me he abrazado D. te has abrazado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ con los amigos en la fiesta. (negative imperative, tú) A. te abraces B. se abrace C. nos abracemos D. os abracéis

  10. Which is the gerund of abrazarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. abrazado B. abrazo C. abracé D. abrazando

Answer key

  1. me abrazo — The first-person present of abrazarse is me abrazo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se abrazó — The third-person preterite of abrazarse is se abrazó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos abrazábamos — The nosotros imperfect of abrazarse is nos abrazábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te abrazarás — The second-person future of abrazarse is te abrazarás.
  5. me abrazaría — The first-person conditional of abrazarse is me abrazaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se abrace — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of abrazarse is se abrace.
  7. me abrazara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of abrazarse is me abrazara.
  8. nos hemos abrazado — The nosotros present perfect of abrazarse is nos hemos abrazado: hemos + abrazado.
  9. te abraces — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te abraces.
  10. abrazando — The gerund of abrazarse is abrazando: estoy abrazando. The participle abrazado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does abrazarse mean in English?

Abrazarse means to hug each other. It is used in everyday situations such as Me abrazo con los amigos en la fiesta. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is abrazarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Abrazarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me abrazo con los amigos en la fiesta and él se abraza a su hermano en la estación. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between abrazarse and besarse?

Abrazarse means to hug each other, while besarse means to kiss each other. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use abrazarse when you mean to hug each other, as in Me abrazo con los amigos en la fiesta, and use besarse for to kiss each other. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I hug each other” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me abracé a su hermano en la estación. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me abrazaba con fuerza al reencontrarse. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he abrazado a su hermano en la estación.

How do I practise abrazarse?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the abrazarse examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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