Alimentarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb alimentarse means to eat, to nourish oneself, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Alimentarse means to eat or to nourish oneself, and it is used for how people eat — alimentarse bien, alimentarse de verduras — and for what animals live on. It is the reflexive partner of alimentar, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, alimentarse 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 alimento bien con fruta y verdura, and in the preterite you say me alimenté sano durante el embarazo. 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: alimentarse
  • English: to eat, to nourish oneself
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: alimentando
  • Past participle: alimentado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + alimentado)
  • 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 alimentarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Alimentarse is reflexive: me alimento bien. Alimentar without the pronoun means feeding someone else.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for alimentarse. 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 alimento
tú te alimentas
él/ella/Ud. se alimenta
nosotros/as nos alimentamos
vosotros/as os alimentáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alimentan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alimenté
tú te alimentaste
él/ella/Ud. se alimentó
nosotros/as nos alimentamos
vosotros/as os alimentasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alimentaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alimentaba
tú te alimentabas
él/ella/Ud. se alimentaba
nosotros/as nos alimentábamos
vosotros/as os alimentabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alimentaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alimentaré
tú te alimentarás
él/ella/Ud. se alimentará
nosotros/as nos alimentaremos
vosotros/as os alimentaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alimentarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alimentaría
tú te alimentarías
él/ella/Ud. se alimentaría
nosotros/as nos alimentaríamos
vosotros/as os alimentaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alimentarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alimente
tú te alimentes
él/ella/Ud. se alimente
nosotros/as nos alimentemos
vosotros/as os alimentéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alimenten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me alimentara
tú te alimentaras
él/ella/Ud. se alimentara
nosotros/as nos alimentáramos
vosotros/as os alimentarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alimentaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te alimenta
él/ella/Ud. se alimente
nosotros/as nos alimentemos
vosotros/as os alimentad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alimenten

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te alimentes
él/ella/Ud. se alimente
nosotros/as nos alimentemos
vosotros/as os alimentéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se alimenten

Gerund and past participle

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

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 alimentarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me alimento bien con fruta y verdura. 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 alimentarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me alimenté de arroz y pescado. 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 alimentarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me alimentaba sano durante el embarazo. 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 alimentarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me alimentaré con productos del mercado. 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 alimentarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me alimentaría bien con fruta y verdura 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 alimentarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he alimentado de arroz y pescado. 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 alimentarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había alimentado sano durante el embarazo 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 alimentarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré alimentado con productos del mercado. 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 alimentarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría alimentado bien con fruta y verdura 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 alimentarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se alimente de arroz y pescado. 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 alimentarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se alimentara sano durante el embarazo, 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 alimentarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se alimente con productos del mercado. 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 alimentarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te alimentes bien con fruta y verdura. 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 alimentarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me alimento bien con fruta y verdura. — I eat well, with fruit and vegetables.
  2. Se alimenta de arroz y pescado. — He/she eats on rice and fish.
  3. Ayer, me alimenté sano durante el embarazo. — Yesterday, I ate healthily during pregnancy.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos alimentábamos con productos del mercado. — Before, we used to eat on food from the market.
  5. Mañana, tú te alimentarás bien con fruta y verdura. — Tomorrow, you will eat well, with fruit and vegetables.
  6. Yo me alimentaría de arroz y pescado si tuviera más tiempo. — I would eat on rice and fish if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha alimentado sano durante el embarazo. — He has eaten healthily during pregnancy.
  8. Espero que él se alimente con productos del mercado. — I hope he eats on food from the market.
  9. Yo ya me había alimentado bien con fruta y verdura antes de salir. — I had already eaten well, with fruit and vegetables before leaving.
  10. Ellos se alimentaban de arroz y pescado cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to eat on rice and fish when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo alimento bien con fruta y verdura. — Right: Yo me alimento bien con fruta y verdura. — Alimentarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo alimento de arroz y pescado. — Right: Ayer yo alimenté de arroz y pescado. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: alimento is happening now, while alimenté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating alimentarse and alimentar as identical in every context. — Right: Alimentarse means to eat, to nourish oneself, while alimentar means to feed someone else. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: alimentarse fits sentences such as Me alimento bien con fruta y verdura, while alimentar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy alimentado de arroz y pescado. — Right: Yo he alimentado de arroz y pescado. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he alimentado, has alimentado, ha alimentado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo alimenté sano durante el embarazo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo alimentaba sano durante el embarazo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (alimentaba), not the preterite. The preterite (alimenté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ bien con fruta y verdura. (present tense) A. me alimento B. te alimentas C. se alimenta D. nos alimentamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ de arroz y pescado. (preterite) A. me alimenté B. te alimentaste C. se alimentaron D. se alimentó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ sano durante el embarazo. (imperfect) A. te alimentabas B. se alimentaban C. nos alimentábamos D. me alimentaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con productos del mercado. (future) A. nos alimentaremos B. te alimentarás C. me alimentaré D. se alimentará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ bien con fruta y verdura si pudiera. (conditional) A. me alimentaría B. te alimentarías C. se alimentaría D. se alimentarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de arroz y pescado. (present subjunctive) A. me alimente B. te alimentes C. nos alimentemos D. se alimente

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ sano durante el embarazo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se alimentara B. nos alimentáramos C. me alimentara D. te alimentaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con productos del mercado. (present perfect) A. se han alimentado B. nos hemos alimentado C. me he alimentado D. te has alimentado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ bien con fruta y verdura. (negative imperative, tú) A. te alimentes B. se alimente C. nos alimentemos D. os alimentéis

  10. Which is the gerund of alimentarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. alimentado B. alimento C. alimenté D. alimentando

Answer key

  1. me alimento — The first-person present of alimentarse is me alimento. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se alimentó — The third-person preterite of alimentarse is se alimentó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos alimentábamos — The nosotros imperfect of alimentarse is nos alimentábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te alimentarás — The second-person future of alimentarse is te alimentarás.
  5. me alimentaría — The first-person conditional of alimentarse is me alimentaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se alimente — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of alimentarse is se alimente.
  7. me alimentara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of alimentarse is me alimentara.
  8. nos hemos alimentado — The nosotros present perfect of alimentarse is nos hemos alimentado: hemos + alimentado.
  9. te alimentes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te alimentes.
  10. alimentando — The gerund of alimentarse is alimentando: estoy alimentando. The participle alimentado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does alimentarse mean in English?

Alimentarse means to eat, to nourish oneself. It is used in everyday situations such as Me alimento bien con fruta y verdura. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is alimentarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Alimentarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me alimento bien con fruta y verdura and él se alimenta de arroz y pescado. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between alimentarse and alimentar?

Alimentarse means to eat, to nourish oneself, while alimentar means to feed someone else. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use alimentarse when you mean to eat, to nourish oneself, as in Me alimento bien con fruta y verdura, and use alimentar for to feed someone else. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I eat” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me alimenté de arroz y pescado. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me alimentaba sano durante el embarazo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he alimentado de arroz y pescado.

How do I practise alimentarse?

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

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