Ahogarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb ahogarse means to drown, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Ahogarse means to drown, and it is the reflexive partner of ahogar: a person drowns by accident, in the sea, in a pool or in a river. It is used in news, warnings and safety advice, and it always describes the person drowning rather than someone drowning them. Like every Spanish verb, ahogarse 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 ahogo en el mar durante la tormenta, and in the preterite you say me ahogué en el río de niño. 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: ahogarse
  • English: to drown
  • Verb type: reflexive spelling-changing verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: ahogando
  • Past participle: ahogado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + ahogado)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.
  • Spelling change: the stem spelling changes in some forms so the pronunciation stays the same — see the notes under each tense.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ahogarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Ahogarse is reflexive: me ahogo, te ahogas. The spelling change g to gu applies too: me ahogué in the preterite.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for ahogarse. 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 ahogo
tú te ahogas
él/ella/Ud. se ahoga
nosotros/as nos ahogamos
vosotros/as os ahogáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ahogan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ahogué
tú te ahogaste
él/ella/Ud. se ahogó
nosotros/as nos ahogamos
vosotros/as os ahogasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ahogaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ahogaba
tú te ahogabas
él/ella/Ud. se ahogaba
nosotros/as nos ahogábamos
vosotros/as os ahogabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ahogaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ahogaré
tú te ahogarás
él/ella/Ud. se ahogará
nosotros/as nos ahogaremos
vosotros/as os ahogaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ahogarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ahogaría
tú te ahogarías
él/ella/Ud. se ahogaría
nosotros/as nos ahogaríamos
vosotros/as os ahogaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ahogarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ahogue
tú te ahogues
él/ella/Ud. se ahogue
nosotros/as nos ahoguemos
vosotros/as os ahoguéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ahoguen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ahogara
tú te ahogaras
él/ella/Ud. se ahogara
nosotros/as nos ahogáramos
vosotros/as os ahogarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ahogaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te ahoga
él/ella/Ud. se ahogue
nosotros/as nos ahoguemos
vosotros/as os ahogad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ahoguen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te ahogues
él/ella/Ud. se ahogue
nosotros/as nos ahoguemos
vosotros/as os ahoguéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ahoguen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund ahogando with estar for the progressive: estoy ahogando (with the pronoun attached: ahogándose)
Past participle ahogado with haber for the perfect tenses: he ahogado

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 ahogarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me ahogo en el mar durante la tormenta. 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. Note the spelling change here: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite is me ahogué, never me ahogé. For ahogarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me ahogué en la piscina sin saber nadar. 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 ahogarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me ahogaba en el río de niño. 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 ahogarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me ahogaré con el agua hasta el cuello. 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 ahogarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me ahogaría en el mar durante la tormenta 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 ahogarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he ahogado en la piscina sin saber nadar. 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 ahogarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había ahogado en el río de niño 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 ahogarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré ahogado con el agua hasta el cuello. 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 ahogarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría ahogado en el mar durante la tormenta 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 ahogarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se ahogue en la piscina sin saber nadar. 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 ahogarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se ahogara en el río de niño, 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 ahogarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se ahogue con el agua hasta el cuello. 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 ahogarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te ahogues en el mar durante la tormenta. 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 ahogarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me ahogo en el mar durante la tormenta. — I drown in the sea during the storm.
  2. Se ahoga en la piscina sin saber nadar. — He/she drowns in the pool without knowing how to swim.
  3. Ayer, me ahogué en el río de niño. — Yesterday, I drowned in the river as a child.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos ahogábamos con el agua hasta el cuello. — Before, we used to drown with the water up to my neck.
  5. Mañana, tú te ahogarás en el mar durante la tormenta. — Tomorrow, you will drown in the sea during the storm.
  6. Yo me ahogaría en la piscina sin saber nadar si tuviera más tiempo. — I would drown in the pool without knowing how to swim if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha ahogado en el río de niño. — He has drowned in the river as a child.
  8. Espero que él se ahogue con el agua hasta el cuello. — I hope he drowns with the water up to my neck.
  9. Yo ya me había ahogado en el mar durante la tormenta antes de salir. — I had already drowned in the sea during the storm before leaving.
  10. Ellos se ahogaban en la piscina sin saber nadar cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to drown in the pool without knowing how to swim when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo ahogo en el mar durante la tormenta. — Right: Yo me ahogo en el mar durante la tormenta. — Ahogarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo me ahogé en el río de niño. — Right: Ayer, yo me ahogué en el río de niño. — Spelling change: g becomes gu before e, so the preterite is me ahogué, never me ahogé.
  3. Wrong: Treating ahogarse and hundirse as identical in every context. — Right: Ahogarse means to drown, while hundirse means to sink under water. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: ahogarse fits sentences such as Me ahogo en el mar durante la tormenta, while hundirse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy ahogado en la piscina sin saber nadar. — Right: Yo he ahogado en la piscina sin saber nadar. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he ahogado, has ahogado, ha ahogado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo ahogué en el río de niño todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo ahogaba en el río de niño todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (ahogaba), not the preterite. The preterite (ahogué) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en el mar durante la tormenta. (present tense) A. me ahogo B. te ahogas C. se ahoga D. nos ahogamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en la piscina sin saber nadar. (preterite) A. me ahogué B. te ahogaste C. se ahogaron D. se ahogó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en el río de niño. (imperfect) A. te ahogabas B. se ahogaban C. nos ahogábamos D. me ahogaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con el agua hasta el cuello. (future) A. nos ahogaremos B. te ahogarás C. me ahogaré D. se ahogará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en el mar durante la tormenta si pudiera. (conditional) A. me ahogaría B. te ahogarías C. se ahogaría D. se ahogarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en la piscina sin saber nadar. (present subjunctive) A. me ahogue B. te ahogues C. nos ahoguemos D. se ahogue

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en el río de niño, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se ahogara B. nos ahogáramos C. me ahogara D. te ahogaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con el agua hasta el cuello. (present perfect) A. se han ahogado B. nos hemos ahogado C. me he ahogado D. te has ahogado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ en el mar durante la tormenta. (negative imperative, tú) A. te ahogues B. se ahogue C. nos ahoguemos D. os ahoguéis

  10. Which is the gerund of ahogarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. ahogado B. ahogo C. ahogué D. ahogando

Answer key

  1. me ahogo — The first-person present of ahogarse is me ahogo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se ahogó — The third-person preterite of ahogarse is se ahogó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos ahogábamos — The nosotros imperfect of ahogarse is nos ahogábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te ahogarás — The second-person future of ahogarse is te ahogarás.
  5. me ahogaría — The first-person conditional of ahogarse is me ahogaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se ahogue — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of ahogarse is se ahogue.
  7. me ahogara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of ahogarse is me ahogara.
  8. nos hemos ahogado — The nosotros present perfect of ahogarse is nos hemos ahogado: hemos + ahogado.
  9. te ahogues — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te ahogues.
  10. ahogando — The gerund of ahogarse is ahogando: estoy ahogando. The participle ahogado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does ahogarse mean in English?

Ahogarse means to drown. It is used in everyday situations such as Me ahogo en el mar durante la tormenta. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is ahogarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Ahogarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me ahogo en el mar durante la tormenta and él se ahoga en la piscina sin saber nadar. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between ahogarse and hundirse?

Ahogarse means to drown, while hundirse means to sink under water. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use ahogarse when you mean to drown, as in Me ahogo en el mar durante la tormenta, and use hundirse for to sink under water. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I drown” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me ahogué en la piscina sin saber nadar. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me ahogaba en el río de niño. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he ahogado en la piscina sin saber nadar.

How do I practise ahogarse?

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

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