Alejarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb alejarse means to move away, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Alejarse means to move away, and it is used for stepping back from a place, a person or a situation, literally and figuratively. It is always used with de, as in alejarse de la ciudad or alejarse del peligro, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, alejarse 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 alejo de la ciudad poco a poco, and in the preterite you say me alejé de la ventana para no ver. 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: alejarse
  • English: to move away
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: alejando
  • Past participle: alejado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + alejado)
  • 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 alejarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Alejarse takes de for what you move away from: me alejo de la ciudad. Acercarse, its opposite, takes a.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for alejarse. 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 alejo
tú te alejas
él/ella/Ud. se aleja
nosotros/as nos alejamos
vosotros/as os alejáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alejan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alejé
tú te alejaste
él/ella/Ud. se alejó
nosotros/as nos alejamos
vosotros/as os alejasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alejaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alejaba
tú te alejabas
él/ella/Ud. se alejaba
nosotros/as nos alejábamos
vosotros/as os alejabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alejaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alejaré
tú te alejarás
él/ella/Ud. se alejará
nosotros/as nos alejaremos
vosotros/as os alejaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alejarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alejaría
tú te alejarías
él/ella/Ud. se alejaría
nosotros/as nos alejaríamos
vosotros/as os alejaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alejarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me aleje
tú te alejes
él/ella/Ud. se aleje
nosotros/as nos alejemos
vosotros/as os alejéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alejen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alejara
tú te alejaras
él/ella/Ud. se alejara
nosotros/as nos alejáramos
vosotros/as os alejarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alejaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te aleja
él/ella/Ud. se aleje
nosotros/as nos alejemos
vosotros/as os alejad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alejen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te alejes
él/ella/Ud. se aleje
nosotros/as nos alejemos
vosotros/as os alejéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alejen

Gerund and past participle

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

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 alejarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me alejo de la ciudad poco a poco. 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 alejarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me alejé del peligro sin hacer ruido. 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 alejarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me alejaba de la ventana para no ver. 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 alejarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me alejaré de sus amigos tras la pelea. 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 alejarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me alejaría de la ciudad poco a poco 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 alejarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he alejado del peligro sin hacer ruido. 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 alejarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había alejado de la ventana para no ver 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 alejarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré alejado de sus amigos tras la pelea. 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 alejarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría alejado de la ciudad poco a poco 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 alejarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se aleje del peligro sin hacer ruido. 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 alejarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se alejara de la ventana para no ver, 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 alejarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se aleje de sus amigos tras la pelea. 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 alejarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te alejes de la ciudad poco a poco. 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 alejarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me alejo de la ciudad poco a poco. — I move away from the city little by little.
  2. Se aleja del peligro sin hacer ruido. — He/she moves away from danger without making a noise.
  3. Ayer, me alejé de la ventana para no ver. — Yesterday, I moved away from the window so as not to see.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos alejábamos de sus amigos tras la pelea. — Before, we used to move away from his friends after the argument.
  5. Mañana, tú te alejarás de la ciudad poco a poco. — Tomorrow, you will move away from the city little by little.
  6. Yo me alejaría del peligro sin hacer ruido si tuviera más tiempo. — I would move away from danger without making a noise if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha alejado de la ventana para no ver. — He has moved away from the window so as not to see.
  8. Espero que él se aleje de sus amigos tras la pelea. — I hope he moves away from his friends after the argument.
  9. Yo ya me había alejado de la ciudad poco a poco antes de salir. — I had already moved away from the city little by little before leaving.
  10. Ellos se alejaban del peligro sin hacer ruido cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to move away from danger without making a noise when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo alejo de la ciudad poco a poco. — Right: Yo me alejo de la ciudad poco a poco. — Alejarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo alejo del peligro sin hacer ruido. — Right: Ayer yo alejé del peligro sin hacer ruido. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: alejo is happening now, while alejé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating alejarse and acercarse as identical in every context. — Right: Alejarse means to move away, while acercarse means to approach. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: alejarse fits sentences such as Me alejo de la ciudad poco a poco, while acercarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy alejado del peligro sin hacer ruido. — Right: Yo he alejado del peligro sin hacer ruido. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he alejado, has alejado, ha alejado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo alejé de la ventana para no ver todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo alejaba de la ventana para no ver todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (alejaba), not the preterite. The preterite (alejé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de la ciudad poco a poco. (present tense) A. me alejo B. te alejas C. se aleja D. nos alejamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ del peligro sin hacer ruido. (preterite) A. me alejé B. te alejaste C. se alejaron D. se alejó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ de la ventana para no ver. (imperfect) A. te alejabas B. se alejaban C. nos alejábamos D. me alejaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de sus amigos tras la pelea. (future) A. nos alejaremos B. te alejarás C. me alejaré D. se alejará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de la ciudad poco a poco si pudiera. (conditional) A. me alejaría B. te alejarías C. se alejaría D. se alejarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ del peligro sin hacer ruido. (present subjunctive) A. me aleje B. te alejes C. nos alejemos D. se aleje

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de la ventana para no ver, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se alejara B. nos alejáramos C. me alejara D. te alejaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de sus amigos tras la pelea. (present perfect) A. se han alejado B. nos hemos alejado C. me he alejado D. te has alejado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ de la ciudad poco a poco. (negative imperative, tú) A. te alejes B. se aleje C. nos alejemos D. os alejéis

  10. Which is the gerund of alejarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. alejado B. alejo C. alejé D. alejando

Answer key

  1. me alejo — The first-person present of alejarse is me alejo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se alejó — The third-person preterite of alejarse is se alejó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos alejábamos — The nosotros imperfect of alejarse is nos alejábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te alejarás — The second-person future of alejarse is te alejarás.
  5. me alejaría — The first-person conditional of alejarse is me alejaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se aleje — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of alejarse is se aleje.
  7. me alejara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of alejarse is me alejara.
  8. nos hemos alejado — The nosotros present perfect of alejarse is nos hemos alejado: hemos + alejado.
  9. te alejes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te alejes.
  10. alejando — The gerund of alejarse is alejando: estoy alejando. The participle alejado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does alejarse mean in English?

Alejarse means to move away. It is used in everyday situations such as Me alejo de la ciudad poco a poco. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is alejarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Alejarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me alejo de la ciudad poco a poco and él se aleja del peligro sin hacer ruido. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between alejarse and acercarse?

Alejarse means to move away, while acercarse means to approach. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use alejarse when you mean to move away, as in Me alejo de la ciudad poco a poco, and use acercarse for to approach. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I move away” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me alejé del peligro sin hacer ruido. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me alejaba de la ventana para no ver. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he alejado del peligro sin hacer ruido.

How do I practise alejarse?

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

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