Abstenerse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb abstenerse means to abstain, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Abstenerse means to abstain, and it is the reflexive verb for deliberately not doing something: abstaining from voting, from drinking, from commenting. It always takes de for the thing avoided, as in abstenerse de votar, and it is a formal verb, common in politics, law and medicine. Like every Spanish verb, abstenerse 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 abstengo de votar en las elecciones, and in the preterite you say me abstuve de opinar sobre el tema. 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: abstenerse
  • English: to abstain
  • Verb type: reflexive irregular verb
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: absteniendo
  • Past participle: abstenido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + abstenido)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.
  • Stem change: e → ie in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for abstenerse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Abstenerse is irregular like tener: the preterite is abstuve and the future is abstendré — never abstení or absteneré.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for abstenerse. 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 abstengo
tú te abstienes
él/ella/Ud. se abstiene
nosotros/as nos abstenemos
vosotros/as os abstenéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abstienen

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abstuve
tú te abstuviste
él/ella/Ud. se abstuvo
nosotros/as nos abstuvimos
vosotros/as os abstuvisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abstuvieron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abstenía
tú te abstenías
él/ella/Ud. se abstenía
nosotros/as nos absteníamos
vosotros/as os absteníais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abstenían

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abstendré
tú te abstendrás
él/ella/Ud. se abstendrá
nosotros/as nos abstendremos
vosotros/as os abstendréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abstendrán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abstendría
tú te abstendrías
él/ella/Ud. se abstendría
nosotros/as nos abstendríamos
vosotros/as os abstendríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abstendrían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abstenga
tú te abstengas
él/ella/Ud. se abstenga
nosotros/as nos abstengamos
vosotros/as os abstengáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abstengan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me abstuviera
tú te abstuvieras
él/ella/Ud. se abstuviera
nosotros/as nos abstuviéramos
vosotros/as os abstuvierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abstuvieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te abstén
él/ella/Ud. se abstenga
nosotros/as nos abstengamos
vosotros/as os abstened
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abstengan

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te abstengas
él/ella/Ud. se abstenga
nosotros/as nos abstengamos
vosotros/as os abstengáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se abstengan

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund absteniendo with estar for the progressive: estoy absteniendo (with the pronoun attached: absteniéndose)
Past participle abstenido with haber for the perfect tenses: he abstenido

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For abstenerse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me abstengo de votar en las elecciones. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For abstenerse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me abstuve de beber alcohol durante un mes. 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 abstenerse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me abstenía de opinar sobre el tema. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For abstenerse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me abstendré de fumar durante el embarazo. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For abstenerse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me abstendría de votar en las elecciones 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 abstenerse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he abstenido de beber alcohol durante un mes. 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 abstenerse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había abstenido de opinar sobre el tema 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 abstenerse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré abstenido de fumar durante el embarazo. 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 abstenerse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría abstenido de votar en las elecciones 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For abstenerse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se abstenga de beber alcohol durante un mes. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For abstenerse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se abstuviera de opinar sobre el tema, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For abstenerse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se abstenga de fumar durante el embarazo. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For abstenerse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te abstengas de votar en las elecciones. 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 abstenerse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me abstengo de votar en las elecciones. — I abstain from voting in the elections.
  2. Se abstiene de beber alcohol durante un mes. — He/she abstains from drinking alcohol for a month.
  3. Ayer, me abstuve de opinar sobre el tema. — Yesterday, I abstained from giving an opinion on the topic.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos absteníamos de fumar durante el embarazo. — Before, we used to abstain from smoking during pregnancy.
  5. Mañana, tú te abstendrás de votar en las elecciones. — Tomorrow, you will abstain from voting in the elections.
  6. Yo me abstendría de beber alcohol durante un mes si tuviera más tiempo. — I would abstain from drinking alcohol for a month if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha abstenido de opinar sobre el tema. — He has abstained from giving an opinion on the topic.
  8. Espero que él se abstenga de fumar durante el embarazo. — I hope he abstains from smoking during pregnancy.
  9. Yo ya me había abstenido de votar en las elecciones antes de salir. — I had already abstained from voting in the elections before leaving.
  10. Ellos se abstenían de beber alcohol durante un mes cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to abstain from drinking alcohol for a month when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo abstengo de votar en las elecciones. — Right: Yo me abstengo de votar en las elecciones. — Abstenerse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Yo absteno de beber alcohol durante un mes. — Right: Yo abstengo de beber alcohol durante un mes. — Abstenerse adds a g in the first person present, like tener (tengo): the form is abstengo, never absteno. The e to ie stem change applies in the tú, él/ella and ellos/ellas forms instead.
  3. Wrong: Ayer, yo abstení de opinar sobre el tema. — Right: Ayer, yo me abstuve de opinar sobre el tema. — Abstenerse is irregular like tener: the preterite is abstuve, never abstení. The future is abstendré.
  4. Wrong: Treating abstenerse and evitar as identical in every context. — Right: Abstenerse means to abstain, while evitar means to avoid something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: abstenerse fits sentences such as Me abstengo de votar en las elecciones, while evitar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  5. Wrong: Yo soy abstenido de beber alcohol durante un mes. — Right: Yo he abstenido de beber alcohol durante un mes. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he abstenido, has abstenido, ha abstenido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de votar en las elecciones. (present tense) A. me abstengo B. te abstienes C. se abstiene D. nos abstenemos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ de beber alcohol durante un mes. (preterite) A. me abstuve B. te abstuviste C. se abstuvieron D. se abstuvo

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ de opinar sobre el tema. (imperfect) A. te abstenías B. se abstenían C. nos absteníamos D. me abstenía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de fumar durante el embarazo. (future) A. nos abstendremos B. te abstendrás C. me abstendré D. se abstendrá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de votar en las elecciones si pudiera. (conditional) A. me abstendría B. te abstendrías C. se abstendría D. se abstendrían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de beber alcohol durante un mes. (present subjunctive) A. me abstenga B. te abstengas C. nos abstengamos D. se abstenga

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de opinar sobre el tema, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se abstuviera B. nos abstuviéramos C. me abstuviera D. te abstuvieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de fumar durante el embarazo. (present perfect) A. se han abstenido B. nos hemos abstenido C. me he abstenido D. te has abstenido

  9. Complete the command: No ___ de votar en las elecciones. (negative imperative, tú) A. te abstengas B. se abstenga C. nos abstengamos D. os abstengáis

  10. Which is the gerund of abstenerse, used with estar for the progressive? A. abstenido B. abstengo C. abstuve D. absteniendo

Answer key

  1. me abstengo — The first-person present of abstenerse is me abstengo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se abstuvo — The third-person preterite of abstenerse is se abstuvo, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos absteníamos — The nosotros imperfect of abstenerse is nos absteníamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te abstendrás — The second-person future of abstenerse is te abstendrás.
  5. me abstendría — The first-person conditional of abstenerse is me abstendría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se abstenga — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of abstenerse is se abstenga.
  7. me abstuviera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of abstenerse is me abstuviera.
  8. nos hemos abstenido — The nosotros present perfect of abstenerse is nos hemos abstenido: hemos + abstenido.
  9. te abstengas — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te abstengas.
  10. absteniendo — The gerund of abstenerse is absteniendo: estoy absteniendo. The participle abstenido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does abstenerse mean in English?

Abstenerse means to abstain. It is used in everyday situations such as Me abstengo de votar en las elecciones. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is abstenerse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Abstenerse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me abstengo de votar en las elecciones and él se abstiene de beber alcohol durante un mes. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between abstenerse and evitar?

Abstenerse means to abstain, while evitar means to avoid something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use abstenerse when you mean to abstain, as in Me abstengo de votar en las elecciones, and use evitar for to avoid something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I abstain” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me abstuve de beber alcohol durante un mes. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me abstenía de opinar sobre el tema. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he abstenido de beber alcohol durante un mes.

How do I practise abstenerse?

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

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