Apasionarse Present Tense in Spanish
apasionarse means "to become passionate about" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for apasionarse, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo me apasiono por la historia en la escuela. — "Every day, I become passionate about by history at school." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of apasionarse: full table
Every person of apasionarse in the present tense. The gerund is apasionándose and the past participle is apasionado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me apasiono |
| tú | te apasionas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se apasiona |
| nosotros/as | nos apasionamos |
| vosotros/as | os apasionáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se apasionan |
The gerund of apasionarse is apasionándose and the past participle is apasionado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy apasionándose), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (me he apasionado). Because apasionarse is reflexive, every present-tense form carries its pronoun in front of it: me, te, se, nos, os, se.
How the present tense of apasionarse is formed
The present tense of apasionarse is built from the stem apasion- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo me apasiono, tú te apasionas, él se apasiona, nosotros nos apasionamos, vosotros os apasionáis and ellos se apasionan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | me apasiono |
| tú | -as | te apasionas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | se apasiona |
| nosotros/as | -amos | nos apasionamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | os apasionáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | se apasionan |
apasionarse is completely regular in the present tense: the stem never changes and every ending is the standard -ar ending. The only thing to watch is the accent on the vosotros form apasionáis.
apasionarse is a reflexive verb, so every form carries a reflexive pronoun in front of it: me, te, se, nos, os, se. The pronoun always goes before the conjugated verb in the present tense. The gerund is apasionándose, with the pronoun attached to the end, and the past participle is apasionado.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is apasionándose, used for the progressive with estar: estoy apasionándose. The past participle is apasionado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: me he apasionado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with apasionarse
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo me apasiono por la historia en la escuela. — "Every day, I become passionate about by history at school." The complement in this sentence is about history at school, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear apasionarse in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú te apasionas por el arte en el museo. — "Now, you become passionate about by art in the museum." The complement in this sentence is about art in the museum, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear apasionarse in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él se apasiona por la música de su país. — "Normally, he/she becomes passionate about by his country's music." The complement in this sentence is about his country's music, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear apasionarse in the present tense.
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example: Mañana, nosotros nos apasionamos por el deporte en el club. — "Tomorrow, we become passionate about by sport at the club." The complement in this sentence is about sport at the club, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear apasionarse in the present tense.
5. Frequent actions
With words such as siempre, a menudo and todos los días, the present tense shows how often something happens. For example: Siempre, ellos se apasionan por la historia en la escuela. — "Always, they become passionate about by history at school." The complement in this sentence is about history at school, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear apasionarse in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: apasionarse
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with apasionarse.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo me apasiono por la historia en la escuela. — "Every day, I become passionate about by history at school."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo me apasioné por la historia en la escuela. — "Yesterday, I became passionate about by history at school."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, tú te apasionas por el arte en el museo. — "Every day, you become passionate about by art in the museum."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú te apasionaste por el arte en el museo. — "Yesterday, you became passionate about by art in the museum."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, él se apasiona por la música de su país. — "Every day, he/she becomes passionate about by his country's music."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él se apasionó por la música de su país. — "Yesterday, he/she became passionate about by his country's music."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: apasionarse in the present tense
These eight sentences show apasionarse in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo me apasiono por la historia en la escuela. — "I become passionate about by history at school."
- Tú te apasionas por el arte en el museo. — "you become passionate about by art in the museum."
- Él se apasiona por la música de su país. — "he/she becomes passionate about by his country's music."
- Nosotros nos apasionamos por el deporte en el club. — "we become passionate about by sport at the club."
- Vosotros os apasionáis por la historia en la escuela. — "you (plural) become passionate about by history at school."
- Ellos se apasionan por el arte en el museo. — "they become passionate about by art in the museum."
- Yo me apasiono por la música de su país. — "I become passionate about by his country's music."
- Tú te apasionas por el deporte en el club. — "you become passionate about by sport at the club."
Common mistakes with apasionarse in the present tense
Mistake 1: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
- Wrong: Yo apasiono por la historia en la escuela.
- Right: Yo me apasiono por la historia en la escuela.
- Why: apasionarse is reflexive, so the pronoun is part of the verb: Yo me apasiono por la historia en la escuela.. Without me the sentence is incomplete.
Mistake 2: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros os apasionais por la historia en la escuela.
- Right: Vosotros os apasionáis por la historia en la escuela.
- Why: The vosotros form apasionáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me apasiono por el arte en el museo.
- Right: Ayer, yo me apasioné por el arte en el museo.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo me apasioné por el arte en el museo. — "Yesterday, I became passionate about by art in the museum." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo me apasiono por la música de su país.
- Right: Antes, yo me apasionaba por la música de su país.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo me apasionaba por la música de su país. — "In the past, I used to become passionate about by his country's music." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros nos apasiona por la historia en la escuela.
- Right: Nosotros nos apasionamos por la historia en la escuela.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes apasionamos, while apasiona belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of apasionarse
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of apasionarse. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of apasionarse in the present tense?
- (a) apasiona
- (b) apasionamos
- (c) apasiono
- (d) apasionas
Answer: (c) apasiono. The yo form is apasiono. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of apasionarse in the present tense?
- (a) apasionamos
- (b) apasionas
- (c) apasiono
- (d) apasiona
Answer: (b) apasionas. The tú form is apasionas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of apasionarse in the present tense?
- (a) apasiona
- (b) apasiono
- (c) apasionas
- (d) apasionamos
Answer: (a) apasiona. The él/ella form is apasiona. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of apasionarse in the present tense?
- (a) apasiono
- (b) apasionas
- (c) apasiona
- (d) apasionamos
Answer: (d) apasionamos. The nosotros form is apasionamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of apasionarse in the present tense?
- (a) apasionas
- (b) apasiona
- (c) apasionan
- (d) apasiono
Answer: (c) apasionan. The ellos/ellas form is apasionan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ por la historia en la escuela.
- (a) apasionamos
- (b) apasiono
- (c) apasionas
- (d) apasiona
Answer: (b) apasiono. The sentence needs the yo form apasiono (Every day, I become passionate about by history at school.)
7. What is the gerund of apasionarse?
- (a) apasionarse
- (b) apasionando
- (c) apasionado
- (d) apasiono
Answer: (b) apasionando. The gerund is apasionando, used for the progressive: me estoy apasionando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo me apasiono por el arte en el museo.
- (b) Antes, yo me apasionaba por el arte en el museo.
- (c) Ayer, yo me apasioné por el arte en el museo.
- (d) Mañana, yo me apasionaré por el arte en el museo.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo me apasiono por el arte en el museo.. Cada día, yo me apasiono por el arte en el museo. (Every day, I become passionate about by art in the museum.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo me apasioné por el arte en el museo. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo me apasionaré por el arte en el museo. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of apasionarse
Is apasionarse regular in the present tense?
Yes. apasionarse is a regular -ar verb: apasiono, apasionas, apasiona, apasionamos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
How do you say 'become passionate about' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo me apasiono por la historia en la escuela. — "Every day, I become passionate about by history at school." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with apasionarse?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo me apasiono por el arte en el museo. — "Every day, I become passionate about by art in the museum." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo me apasioné por el arte en el museo. — "Yesterday, I became passionate about by art in the museum." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.
Can I use the present tense for the future with apasionarse?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros nos apasionamos por el deporte en el club. — "Tomorrow, we become passionate about by sport at the club." Spanish often uses the present for a plan that feels certain, where English would use the future. Add a time word such as mañana so the listener knows you mean the future.