Calificarse Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

calificarse means “to qualify” 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. Calificarse means to qualify, and it is the reflexive verb for reaching a standard: you qualify for the final, for the World Cup, for the next round. It takes para for the competition, as in calificarse para la final, and it is a classic sports verb. 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 calificarse; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the calificarse present tense page.

calificarse in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

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

  1. Yo me califico para la final del torneo. — I qualify for the tournament final.
  2. Él/Ella se califica para el mundial de fútbol. — He qualifies for the football World Cup.
  3. Nosotros/as nos calificamos entre los diez mejores. — We qualify among the ten best.
  4. Ellos/as se califican para la siguiente ronda. — They qualify for the next round.

In the past

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

  1. Ayer, Yo me califiqué entre los diez mejores. — Yesterday, I qualified among the ten best.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as nos calificábamos para la siguiente ronda. — Before, We used to qualify for the next round.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella se calificó para la final del torneo. — Yesterday, He qualified for the tournament final.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as se calificaban para el mundial de fútbol. — As children, They used to qualify for the football World Cup.

Plans, hopes and wishes

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

  1. Mañana, Tú te calificarás para la final del torneo. — Tomorrow, You will qualify for the tournament final.
  2. Yo me calificaría para el mundial de fútbol. — I would qualify for the football World Cup.
  3. Espero que él se califique entre los diez mejores. — I hope he qualifies among the ten best.
  4. Él/Ella se ha calificado para la siguiente ronda. — He has qualified for the next round.

calificarse in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú te calificas para la final del torneo mañana? — Are you going to qualify for the tournament final tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo me califico para la final del torneo todos los días. — Yes, I qualify for the tournament final every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana te calificarás para el mundial de fútbol? — And tomorrow, will you qualify for the football World Cup? Luis: Claro, mañana me calificaré para el mundial de fútbol sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will qualify for the football World Cup without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo me calificaré entre los diez mejores también. — Perfect. I will qualify among the ten best 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 califiqué entre los diez mejores. — Yesterday, I qualified among the ten best. Ana: ¿Y antes te calificabas para la siguiente ronda? — And before, did you use to qualify for the next round? Luis: Sí, antes me calificaba para la siguiente ronda todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to qualify for the next round every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos se calificaron para la final del torneo? — And did your brothers qualified for the tournament final? Luis: Sí, ellos se calificaron para la final del torneo por la tarde. — Yes, they qualified for the tournament final in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo califico para la final del torneo. — Right: Yo me califico para la final del torneo. — Calificarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo me calificé entre los diez mejores. — Right: Ayer, yo me califiqué entre los diez mejores. — Spelling change: c becomes qu before e, so the preterite is me califiqué, never me calificé.
  3. Wrong: Treating calificarse and clasificarse as identical in every context. — Right: Calificarse means to qualify, while clasificarse means to qualify, the more common synonym. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: calificarse fits sentences such as Me califico para la final del torneo, while clasificarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy calificado para el mundial de fútbol. — Right: Yo he calificado para el mundial de fútbol. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he calificado, has calificado, ha calificado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo califiqué entre los diez mejores todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo calificaba entre los diez mejores todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (calificaba), not the preterite. The preterite (califiqué) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ para la siguiente ronda. (present tense) A. se califican B. me califico C. te calificas D. se califica

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ para la final del torneo. (preterite tense) A. me califiqué B. te calificaste C. se calificó D. nos calificamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ para el mundial de fútbol. (imperfect tense) A. se calificaba B. nos calificábamos C. te calificabas D. me calificaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ entre los diez mejores. (future tense) A. nos calificaremos B. se calificará C. me calificaré D. te calificarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ para la siguiente ronda. (conditional tense) A. nos calificaríamos B. me calificaría C. te calificarías D. se calificaría

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ para la final del torneo. (present-perfect tense) A. te has calificado B. se ha calificado C. nos hemos calificado D. me he calificado

  7. What does calificarse mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to qualify D. to qualify, the more common synonym

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo me califiqué entre los diez mejores. B. Yo califico para la final del torneo. C. Yo me califico para la final del torneo. D. Él/Ella se califica para el mundial de fútbol.

  9. Which is the gerund of calificarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. calificando B. calificado C. califico D. califiqué

  10. Which is the past participle of calificarse, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. calificando B. califico C. califiqué D. calificado

Answer key

  1. se califican — The correct form here is se califican.
  2. nos calificamos — The correct form here is nos calificamos.
  3. te calificabas — The correct form here is te calificabas.
  4. se calificará — The correct form here is se calificará.
  5. nos calificaríamos — The correct form here is nos calificaríamos.
  6. me he calificado — The correct form here is me he calificado.
  7. to qualify — Calificarse means to qualify. Clasificarse means to qualify, the more common synonym, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo califico para la final del torneo. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo me califico para la final del torneo.. Calificarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  9. calificando — The gerund of calificarse is calificando: estoy calificando.
  10. calificado — The past participle of calificarse is calificado: he calificado, has calificado, ha calificado.

Frequently asked questions

What does calificarse mean?

Calificarse means to qualify. Calificarse means to qualify, and it is the reflexive verb for reaching a standard: you qualify for the final, for the World Cup, for the next round. It takes para for the competition, as in calificarse para la final, and it is a classic sports verb.

When do people use calificarse most?

People use calificarse most in everyday situations such as Yo me califico para la final del torneo. and Ayer, Yo me califiqué entre los diez mejores.. 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 calificarse and clasificarse?

Calificarse means to qualify, while clasificarse means to qualify, the more common synonym. 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 calificarse?

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

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