Afeitarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb afeitarse means to shave, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Afeitarse means to shave, and it is used for shaving your own face or legs. It is reflexive because the action falls back on the person doing it, and it appears in morning routines next to ducharse and vestirse. The non-reflexive afeitar means to shave someone else, as a barber does. Like every Spanish verb, afeitarse 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 afeito cada mañana antes del trabajo, and in the preterite you say me afeité antes de la reunión. 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: afeitarse
  • English: to shave
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: afeitando
  • Past participle: afeitado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + afeitado)
  • 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 afeitarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Afeitarse is reflexive: me afeito. Saying yo afeito suggests you shave other people for a living.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for afeitarse. 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 afeito
tú te afeitas
él/ella/Ud. se afeita
nosotros/as nos afeitamos
vosotros/as os afeitáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se afeitan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me afeité
tú te afeitaste
él/ella/Ud. se afeitó
nosotros/as nos afeitamos
vosotros/as os afeitasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se afeitaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me afeitaba
tú te afeitabas
él/ella/Ud. se afeitaba
nosotros/as nos afeitábamos
vosotros/as os afeitabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se afeitaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me afeitaré
tú te afeitarás
él/ella/Ud. se afeitará
nosotros/as nos afeitaremos
vosotros/as os afeitaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se afeitarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me afeitaría
tú te afeitarías
él/ella/Ud. se afeitaría
nosotros/as nos afeitaríamos
vosotros/as os afeitaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se afeitarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me afeite
tú te afeites
él/ella/Ud. se afeite
nosotros/as nos afeitemos
vosotros/as os afeitéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se afeiten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me afeitara
tú te afeitaras
él/ella/Ud. se afeitara
nosotros/as nos afeitáramos
vosotros/as os afeitarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se afeitaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te afeita
él/ella/Ud. se afeite
nosotros/as nos afeitemos
vosotros/as os afeitad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se afeiten

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te afeites
él/ella/Ud. se afeite
nosotros/as nos afeitemos
vosotros/as os afeitéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se afeiten

Gerund and past participle

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

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 afeitarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me afeito cada mañana antes del trabajo. 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 afeitarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me afeité con cuidado delante del espejo. 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 afeitarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me afeitaba antes de la reunión. 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 afeitarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me afeitaré con maquinilla eléctrica. 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 afeitarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me afeitaría cada mañana antes del trabajo 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 afeitarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he afeitado con cuidado delante del espejo. 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 afeitarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había afeitado antes de la reunión 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 afeitarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré afeitado con maquinilla eléctrica. 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 afeitarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría afeitado cada mañana antes del trabajo 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For afeitarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se afeite con cuidado delante del espejo. 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 afeitarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se afeitara antes de la reunión, 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For afeitarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se afeite con maquinilla eléctrica. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For afeitarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te afeites cada mañana antes del trabajo. 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 afeitarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me afeito cada mañana antes del trabajo. — I shave every morning before work.
  2. Se afeita con cuidado delante del espejo. — He/she shaves carefully in front of the mirror.
  3. Ayer, me afeité antes de la reunión. — Yesterday, I shaved before the meeting.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos afeitábamos con maquinilla eléctrica. — Before, we used to shave with an electric razor.
  5. Mañana, tú te afeitarás cada mañana antes del trabajo. — Tomorrow, you will shave every morning before work.
  6. Yo me afeitaría con cuidado delante del espejo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would shave carefully in front of the mirror if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha afeitado antes de la reunión. — He has shaved before the meeting.
  8. Espero que él se afeite con maquinilla eléctrica. — I hope he shaves with an electric razor.
  9. Yo ya me había afeitado cada mañana antes del trabajo antes de salir. — I had already shaved every morning before work before leaving.
  10. Ellos se afeitaban con cuidado delante del espejo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to shave carefully in front of the mirror when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo afeito cada mañana antes del trabajo. — Right: Yo me afeito cada mañana antes del trabajo. — Afeitarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo afeito con cuidado delante del espejo. — Right: Ayer yo afeité con cuidado delante del espejo. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: afeito is happening now, while afeité is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating afeitarse and afeitar as identical in every context. — Right: Afeitarse means to shave, while afeitar means to shave someone else. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: afeitarse fits sentences such as Me afeito cada mañana antes del trabajo, while afeitar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy afeitado con cuidado delante del espejo. — Right: Yo he afeitado con cuidado delante del espejo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he afeitado, has afeitado, ha afeitado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo afeité antes de la reunión todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo afeitaba antes de la reunión todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (afeitaba), not the preterite. The preterite (afeité) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ cada mañana antes del trabajo. (present tense) A. me afeito B. te afeitas C. se afeita D. nos afeitamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ con cuidado delante del espejo. (preterite) A. me afeité B. te afeitaste C. se afeitaron D. se afeitó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ antes de la reunión. (imperfect) A. te afeitabas B. se afeitaban C. nos afeitábamos D. me afeitaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con maquinilla eléctrica. (future) A. nos afeitaremos B. te afeitarás C. me afeitaré D. se afeitará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ cada mañana antes del trabajo si pudiera. (conditional) A. me afeitaría B. te afeitarías C. se afeitaría D. se afeitarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con cuidado delante del espejo. (present subjunctive) A. me afeite B. te afeites C. nos afeitemos D. se afeite

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ antes de la reunión, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se afeitara B. nos afeitáramos C. me afeitara D. te afeitaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con maquinilla eléctrica. (present perfect) A. se han afeitado B. nos hemos afeitado C. me he afeitado D. te has afeitado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ cada mañana antes del trabajo. (negative imperative, tú) A. te afeites B. se afeite C. nos afeitemos D. os afeitéis

  10. Which is the gerund of afeitarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. afeitado B. afeito C. afeité D. afeitando

Answer key

  1. me afeito — The first-person present of afeitarse is me afeito. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se afeitó — The third-person preterite of afeitarse is se afeitó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos afeitábamos — The nosotros imperfect of afeitarse is nos afeitábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te afeitarás — The second-person future of afeitarse is te afeitarás.
  5. me afeitaría — The first-person conditional of afeitarse is me afeitaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se afeite — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of afeitarse is se afeite.
  7. me afeitara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of afeitarse is me afeitara.
  8. nos hemos afeitado — The nosotros present perfect of afeitarse is nos hemos afeitado: hemos + afeitado.
  9. te afeites — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te afeites.
  10. afeitando — The gerund of afeitarse is afeitando: estoy afeitando. The participle afeitado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does afeitarse mean in English?

Afeitarse means to shave. It is used in everyday situations such as Me afeito cada mañana antes del trabajo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is afeitarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Afeitarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me afeito cada mañana antes del trabajo and él se afeita con cuidado delante del espejo. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between afeitarse and afeitar?

Afeitarse means to shave, while afeitar means to shave someone else. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use afeitarse when you mean to shave, as in Me afeito cada mañana antes del trabajo, and use afeitar for to shave someone else. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I shave” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me afeité con cuidado delante del espejo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me afeitaba antes de la reunión. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he afeitado con cuidado delante del espejo.

How do I practise afeitarse?

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

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