Aplicarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb aplicarse means to apply oneself, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Aplicarse means to apply oneself, and it is the reflexive verb for working hard at something: you apply yourself to your studies, to your work, to learning a language. It takes a or en for the task, as in aplicarse a los estudios, and it is a classic school and work verb. Like every Spanish verb, aplicarse 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 aplico a los estudios este trimestre, and in the preterite you say me apliqué a aprender español. 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: aplicarse
  • English: to apply oneself
  • Verb type: reflexive spelling-changing verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: aplicando
  • Past participle: aplicado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + aplicado)
  • 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 aplicarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Aplicarse is reflexive: me aplico, te aplicas. The spelling change c to qu applies: me apliqué in the preterite.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for aplicarse. 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 aplico
tú te aplicas
él/ella/Ud. se aplica
nosotros/as nos aplicamos
vosotros/as os aplicáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se aplican

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me apliqué
tú te aplicaste
él/ella/Ud. se aplicó
nosotros/as nos aplicamos
vosotros/as os aplicasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se aplicaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me aplicaba
tú te aplicabas
él/ella/Ud. se aplicaba
nosotros/as nos aplicábamos
vosotros/as os aplicabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se aplicaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me aplicaré
tú te aplicarás
él/ella/Ud. se aplicará
nosotros/as nos aplicaremos
vosotros/as os aplicaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se aplicarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me aplicaría
tú te aplicarías
él/ella/Ud. se aplicaría
nosotros/as nos aplicaríamos
vosotros/as os aplicaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se aplicarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me aplique
tú te apliques
él/ella/Ud. se aplique
nosotros/as nos apliquemos
vosotros/as os apliquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se apliquen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me aplicara
tú te aplicaras
él/ella/Ud. se aplicara
nosotros/as nos aplicáramos
vosotros/as os aplicarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se aplicaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te aplica
él/ella/Ud. se aplique
nosotros/as nos apliquemos
vosotros/as os aplicad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se apliquen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te apliques
él/ella/Ud. se aplique
nosotros/as nos apliquemos
vosotros/as os apliquéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se apliquen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund aplicando with estar for the progressive: estoy aplicando (with the pronoun attached: aplicándose)
Past participle aplicado with haber for the perfect tenses: he aplicado

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 aplicarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me aplico a los estudios este trimestre. 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: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is me apliqué, never me aplicé. For aplicarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me apliqué en el trabajo con más ganas. 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 aplicarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me aplicaba a aprender español. 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 aplicarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me aplicaré en el proyecto desde el lunes. 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 aplicarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me aplicaría a los estudios este trimestre 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 aplicarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he aplicado en el trabajo con más ganas. 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 aplicarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había aplicado a aprender español 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 aplicarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré aplicado en el proyecto desde el lunes. 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 aplicarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría aplicado a los estudios este trimestre 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 aplicarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se aplique en el trabajo con más ganas. 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 aplicarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se aplicara a aprender español, 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 aplicarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se aplique en el proyecto desde el lunes. 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 aplicarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te apliques a los estudios este trimestre. 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 aplicarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me aplico a los estudios este trimestre. — I apply oneself to my studies this term.
  2. Se aplica en el trabajo con más ganas. — He/she applies oneself at work with more enthusiasm.
  3. Ayer, me apliqué a aprender español. — Yesterday, I applied oneself to learning Spanish.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos aplicábamos en el proyecto desde el lunes. — Before, we used to apply oneself to the project since Monday.
  5. Mañana, tú te aplicarás a los estudios este trimestre. — Tomorrow, you will apply oneself to my studies this term.
  6. Yo me aplicaría en el trabajo con más ganas si tuviera más tiempo. — I would apply oneself at work with more enthusiasm if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha aplicado a aprender español. — He has applied oneself to learning Spanish.
  8. Espero que él se aplique en el proyecto desde el lunes. — I hope he applies oneself to the project since Monday.
  9. Yo ya me había aplicado a los estudios este trimestre antes de salir. — I had already applied oneself to my studies this term before leaving.
  10. Ellos se aplicaban en el trabajo con más ganas cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to apply oneself at work with more enthusiasm when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo aplico a los estudios este trimestre. — Right: Yo me aplico a los estudios este trimestre. — Aplicarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo me aplicé a aprender español. — Right: Ayer, yo me apliqué a aprender español. — Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is me apliqué, never me aplicé.
  3. Wrong: Treating aplicarse and esforzarse as identical in every context. — Right: Aplicarse means to apply oneself, while esforzarse means to make an effort. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: aplicarse fits sentences such as Me aplico a los estudios este trimestre, while esforzarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy aplicado en el trabajo con más ganas. — Right: Yo he aplicado en el trabajo con más ganas. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he aplicado, has aplicado, ha aplicado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo apliqué a aprender español todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo aplicaba a aprender español todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (aplicaba), not the preterite. The preterite (apliqué) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los estudios este trimestre. (present tense) A. me aplico B. te aplicas C. se aplica D. nos aplicamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en el trabajo con más ganas. (preterite) A. me apliqué B. te aplicaste C. se aplicaron D. se aplicó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a aprender español. (imperfect) A. te aplicabas B. se aplicaban C. nos aplicábamos D. me aplicaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en el proyecto desde el lunes. (future) A. nos aplicaremos B. te aplicarás C. me aplicaré D. se aplicará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los estudios este trimestre si pudiera. (conditional) A. me aplicaría B. te aplicarías C. se aplicaría D. se aplicarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en el trabajo con más ganas. (present subjunctive) A. me aplique B. te apliques C. nos apliquemos D. se aplique

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a aprender español, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se aplicara B. nos aplicáramos C. me aplicara D. te aplicaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en el proyecto desde el lunes. (present perfect) A. se han aplicado B. nos hemos aplicado C. me he aplicado D. te has aplicado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ a los estudios este trimestre. (negative imperative, tú) A. te apliques B. se aplique C. nos apliquemos D. os apliquéis

  10. Which is the gerund of aplicarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. aplicado B. aplico C. apliqué D. aplicando

Answer key

  1. me aplico — The first-person present of aplicarse is me aplico. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se aplicó — The third-person preterite of aplicarse is se aplicó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos aplicábamos — The nosotros imperfect of aplicarse is nos aplicábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te aplicarás — The second-person future of aplicarse is te aplicarás.
  5. me aplicaría — The first-person conditional of aplicarse is me aplicaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se aplique — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of aplicarse is se aplique.
  7. me aplicara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of aplicarse is me aplicara.
  8. nos hemos aplicado — The nosotros present perfect of aplicarse is nos hemos aplicado: hemos + aplicado.
  9. te apliques — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te apliques.
  10. aplicando — The gerund of aplicarse is aplicando: estoy aplicando. The participle aplicado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does aplicarse mean in English?

Aplicarse means to apply oneself. It is used in everyday situations such as Me aplico a los estudios este trimestre. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is aplicarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Aplicarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me aplico a los estudios este trimestre and él se aplica en el trabajo con más ganas. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between aplicarse and esforzarse?

Aplicarse means to apply oneself, while esforzarse means to make an effort. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use aplicarse when you mean to apply oneself, as in Me aplico a los estudios este trimestre, and use esforzarse for to make an effort. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I apply oneself” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me apliqué en el trabajo con más ganas. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me aplicaba a aprender español. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he aplicado en el trabajo con más ganas.

How do I practise aplicarse?

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

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