Atrasarse Present Tense in Spanish
atrasarse means "to fall behind" 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 atrasarse, 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 atraso en el trabajo por el tráfico. — "Every day, I fall behind at work because of the traffic." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of atrasarse: full table
Every person of atrasarse in the present tense. The gerund is atrasándose and the past participle is atrasado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me atraso |
| tú | te atrasas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se atrasa |
| nosotros/as | nos atrasamos |
| vosotros/as | os atrasáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se atrasan |
The gerund of atrasarse is atrasándose and the past participle is atrasado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy atrasándose), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (me he atrasado). Because atrasarse is reflexive, every present-tense form carries its pronoun in front of it: me, te, se, nos, os, se.
How the present tense of atrasarse is formed
The present tense of atrasarse is built from the stem atras- 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 atraso, tú te atrasas, él se atrasa, nosotros nos atrasamos, vosotros os atrasáis and ellos se atrasan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | me atraso |
| tú | -as | te atrasas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | se atrasa |
| nosotros/as | -amos | nos atrasamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | os atrasáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | se atrasan |
atrasarse 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 atrasáis.
atrasarse 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 atrasándose, with the pronoun attached to the end, and the past participle is atrasado.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is atrasándose, used for the progressive with estar: estoy atrasándose. The past participle is atrasado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: me he atrasado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with atrasarse
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo me atraso en el trabajo por el tráfico. — "Every day, I fall behind at work because of the traffic." The complement in this sentence is about work because of the traffic, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear atrasarse in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú te atrasas en los estudios por la enfermedad. — "Now, you fall behind in his studies because of the illness." The complement in this sentence is about his studies because of the illness, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear atrasarse 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 atrasa en el pago del alquiler. — "Normally, he/she falls behind with the rent payment." The complement in this sentence is about the rent payment, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear atrasarse 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 atrasamos en la entrega del proyecto. — "Tomorrow, we fall behind with the project delivery." The complement in this sentence is about the project delivery, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear atrasarse 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 atrasan en el trabajo por el tráfico. — "Always, they fall behind at work because of the traffic." The complement in this sentence is about work because of the traffic, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear atrasarse in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: atrasarse
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 atrasarse.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo me atraso en el trabajo por el tráfico. — "Every day, I fall behind at work because of the traffic."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo me atrasé en el trabajo por el tráfico. — "Yesterday, I fell behind at work because of the traffic."
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 atrasas en los estudios por la enfermedad. — "Every day, you fall behind in his studies because of the illness."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú te atrasaste en los estudios por la enfermedad. — "Yesterday, you fell behind in his studies because of the illness."
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 atrasa en el pago del alquiler. — "Every day, he/she falls behind with the rent payment."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él se atrasó en el pago del alquiler. — "Yesterday, he/she fell behind with the rent payment."
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: atrasarse in the present tense
These eight sentences show atrasarse 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 atraso en el trabajo por el tráfico. — "I fall behind at work because of the traffic."
- Tú te atrasas en los estudios por la enfermedad. — "you fall behind in his studies because of the illness."
- Él se atrasa en el pago del alquiler. — "he/she falls behind with the rent payment."
- Nosotros nos atrasamos en la entrega del proyecto. — "we fall behind with the project delivery."
- Vosotros os atrasáis en el trabajo por el tráfico. — "you (plural) fall behind at work because of the traffic."
- Ellos se atrasan en los estudios por la enfermedad. — "they fall behind in his studies because of the illness."
- Yo me atraso en el pago del alquiler. — "I fall behind with the rent payment."
- Tú te atrasas en la entrega del proyecto. — "you fall behind with the project delivery."
Common mistakes with atrasarse in the present tense
Mistake 1: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
- Wrong: Yo atraso en el trabajo por el tráfico.
- Right: Yo me atraso en el trabajo por el tráfico.
- Why: atrasarse is reflexive, so the pronoun is part of the verb: Yo me atraso en el trabajo por el tráfico.. Without me the sentence is incomplete.
Mistake 2: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros os atrasais en el trabajo por el tráfico.
- Right: Vosotros os atrasáis en el trabajo por el tráfico.
- Why: The vosotros form atrasáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me atraso en los estudios por la enfermedad.
- Right: Ayer, yo me atrasé en los estudios por la enfermedad.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo me atrasé en los estudios por la enfermedad. — "Yesterday, I fell behind in his studies because of the illness." 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 atraso en el pago del alquiler.
- Right: Antes, yo me atrasaba en el pago del alquiler.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo me atrasaba en el pago del alquiler. — "In the past, I used to fall behind with the rent payment." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros nos atrasa en el trabajo por el tráfico.
- Right: Nosotros nos atrasamos en el trabajo por el tráfico.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes atrasamos, while atrasa belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of atrasarse
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of atrasarse. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of atrasarse in the present tense?
- (a) atrasa
- (b) atrasamos
- (c) atraso
- (d) atrasas
Answer: (c) atraso. The yo form is atraso. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of atrasarse in the present tense?
- (a) atrasamos
- (b) atrasas
- (c) atraso
- (d) atrasa
Answer: (b) atrasas. The tú form is atrasas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of atrasarse in the present tense?
- (a) atrasa
- (b) atraso
- (c) atrasas
- (d) atrasamos
Answer: (a) atrasa. The él/ella form is atrasa. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of atrasarse in the present tense?
- (a) atraso
- (b) atrasas
- (c) atrasa
- (d) atrasamos
Answer: (d) atrasamos. The nosotros form is atrasamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of atrasarse in the present tense?
- (a) atrasas
- (b) atrasa
- (c) atrasan
- (d) atraso
Answer: (c) atrasan. The ellos/ellas form is atrasan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ en el trabajo por el tráfico.
- (a) atrasamos
- (b) atraso
- (c) atrasas
- (d) atrasa
Answer: (b) atraso. The sentence needs the yo form atraso (Every day, I fall behind at work because of the traffic.)
7. What is the gerund of atrasarse?
- (a) atrasarse
- (b) atrasando
- (c) atrasado
- (d) atraso
Answer: (b) atrasando. The gerund is atrasando, used for the progressive: me estoy atrasando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo me atraso en los estudios por la enfermedad.
- (b) Antes, yo me atrasaba en los estudios por la enfermedad.
- (c) Ayer, yo me atrasé en los estudios por la enfermedad.
- (d) Mañana, yo me atrasaré en los estudios por la enfermedad.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo me atraso en los estudios por la enfermedad.. Cada día, yo me atraso en los estudios por la enfermedad. (Every day, I fall behind in his studies because of the illness.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo me atrasé en los estudios por la enfermedad. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo me atrasaré en los estudios por la enfermedad. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of atrasarse
Is atrasarse regular in the present tense?
Yes. atrasarse is a regular -ar verb: atraso, atrasas, atrasa, atrasamos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
How do you say 'fall behind' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo me atraso en el trabajo por el tráfico. — "Every day, I fall behind at work because of the traffic." 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 atrasarse?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo me atraso en los estudios por la enfermedad. — "Every day, I fall behind in his studies because of the illness." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo me atrasé en los estudios por la enfermedad. — "Yesterday, I fell behind in his studies because of the illness." 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 atrasarse?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros nos atrasamos en la entrega del proyecto. — "Tomorrow, we fall behind with the project delivery." 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.