Basarse Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

basarse means “to be based on” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Basarse means to be based on, and it is the reflexive partner of basar: a theory is based on experience, a decision is based on the facts, a film is based on a true story. It takes en for the foundation, as in basarse en hechos reales. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of basarse; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the basarse present tense page.

basarse in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

Four sentences with basarse in the present tense, for habits, facts and things happening right now.

  1. Yo me baso en los datos del informe. — I rely on on the data in the report.
  2. Él/Ella se basa en la experiencia de años. — He relies on on years of experience.
  3. Nosotros/as nos basamos en lo que dice el médico. — We rely on on what the doctor says.
  4. Ellos/as se basan en hechos reales. — They rely on on real facts.

In the past

Four sentences with basarse in the past: the preterite for finished actions and the imperfect for habits and background.

  1. Ayer, Yo me basé en lo que dice el médico. — Yesterday, I relied on on what the doctor says.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as nos basábamos en hechos reales. — Before, We used to rely on on real facts.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella se basó en los datos del informe. — Yesterday, He relied on on the data in the report.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as se basaban en la experiencia de años. — As children, They used to rely on on years of experience.

Plans, hopes and wishes

Four sentences with basarse in the future, the conditional, the subjunctive and the present perfect — for plans, hypotheticals and things that have just happened.

  1. Mañana, Tú te basarás en los datos del informe. — Tomorrow, You will rely on on the data in the report.
  2. Yo me basaría en la experiencia de años. — I would rely on on years of experience.
  3. Espero que él se base en lo que dice el médico. — I hope he relies on on what the doctor says.
  4. Él/Ella se ha basado en hechos reales. — He has relied on on real facts.

basarse in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú te basas en los datos del informe mañana? — Are you going to rely on on the data in the report tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo me baso en los datos del informe todos los días. — Yes, I rely on on the data in the report every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana te basarás en la experiencia de años? — And tomorrow, will you rely on on years of experience? Luis: Claro, mañana me basaré en la experiencia de años sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will rely on on years of experience without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo me basaré en lo que dice el médico también. — Perfect. I will rely on on what the doctor says too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer me basé en lo que dice el médico. — Yesterday, I relied on on what the doctor says. Ana: ¿Y antes te basabas en hechos reales? — And before, did you use to rely on on real facts? Luis: Sí, antes me basaba en hechos reales todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to rely on on real facts every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos se basaron en los datos del informe? — And did your brothers relied on on the data in the report? Luis: Sí, ellos se basaron en los datos del informe por la tarde. — Yes, they relied on on the data in the report in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo baso en los datos del informe. — Right: Yo me baso en los datos del informe. — Basarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Treating basarse and fundarse as identical in every context. — Right: Basarse means to be based on, while fundarse means to be founded on something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: basarse fits sentences such as Me baso en los datos del informe, while fundarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy basado en la experiencia de años. — Right: Yo he basado en la experiencia de años. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he basado, has basado, ha basado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo basé en lo que dice el médico todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo basaba en lo que dice el médico todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (basaba), not the preterite. The preterite (basé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on basarse in use. Choose the right answer, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ en hechos reales. (present tense) A. se basan B. me baso C. te basas D. se basa

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ en los datos del informe. (preterite tense) A. me basé B. te basaste C. se basó D. nos basamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ en la experiencia de años. (imperfect tense) A. se basaba B. nos basábamos C. te basabas D. me basaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ en lo que dice el médico. (future tense) A. nos basaremos B. se basará C. me basaré D. te basarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ en hechos reales. (conditional tense) A. nos basaríamos B. me basaría C. te basarías D. se basaría

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ en los datos del informe. (present-perfect tense) A. te has basado B. se ha basado C. nos hemos basado D. me he basado

  7. What does basarse mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to be based on D. to be founded on something

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo me basé en lo que dice el médico. B. Yo baso en los datos del informe. C. Yo me baso en los datos del informe. D. Él/Ella se basa en la experiencia de años.

  9. Which is the gerund of basarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. basando B. basado C. baso D. basé

  10. Which is the past participle of basarse, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. basando B. baso C. basé D. basado

Answer key

  1. se basan — The correct form here is se basan.
  2. nos basamos — The correct form here is nos basamos.
  3. te basabas — The correct form here is te basabas.
  4. se basará — The correct form here is se basará.
  5. nos basaríamos — The correct form here is nos basaríamos.
  6. me he basado — The correct form here is me he basado.
  7. to be based on — Basarse means to be based on. Fundarse means to be founded on something, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo baso en los datos del informe. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo me baso en los datos del informe.. Basarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  9. basando — The gerund of basarse is basando: estoy basando.
  10. basado — The past participle of basarse is basado: he basado, has basado, ha basado.

Frequently asked questions

What does basarse mean?

Basarse means to be based on. Basarse means to be based on, and it is the reflexive partner of basar: a theory is based on experience, a decision is based on the facts, a film is based on a true story. It takes en for the foundation, as in basarse en hechos reales.

When do people use basarse most?

People use basarse most in everyday situations such as Yo me baso en los datos del informe. and Ayer, Yo me basé en lo que dice el médico.. Learn the present tense first, then the preterite and the imperfect, since those are the forms you will hear most often.

What is the difference between basarse and fundarse?

Basarse means to be based on, while fundarse means to be founded on something. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable — check the meaning you want before you choose.

How can I remember the forms of basarse?

Practise the present tense table first, then add the preterite and the imperfect. Use the full conjugation of basarse as your reference, the basarse present tense page for one tense in depth, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself.

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