Calificarse Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of calificarse — “to qualify” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for calificarse with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. 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. Calificarse is a reflexive spelling-changing verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Me califico para la final del torneo.
Present tense conjugation table: calificarse
Every person of calificarse in the present tense, with the reflexive pronoun. The gerund is calificándose with the pronoun attached, and the past participle is calificado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me califico |
| tú | te calificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se califica |
| nosotros/as | nos calificamos |
| vosotros/as | os calificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se califican |
How the present of calificarse is formed
The present of calificarse is built from the stem calific- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending and the reflexive -se, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | me califico |
| tú | -as | te calificas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | se califica |
| nosotros/as | -amos | nos calificamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | os calificáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | se califican |
For calificarse there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem calific- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
Because calificarse is reflexive, the pronoun goes before the verb in every form: me, te, se, nos, os, se. In the gerund the pronoun attaches to the end: calificándose.
When to use the present tense with calificarse
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo me califico para la final del torneo. — I qualify for the tournament final.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella se califica para el mundial de fútbol. — He qualifies for the football World Cup.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as nos calificamos entre los diez mejores. — Right now, We qualify among the ten best.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú te calificas para la siguiente ronda. — Tomorrow, You qualify for the next round.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella se califica para la final del torneo. — He qualifies for the tournament final.
The present vs the preterite
The present and the preterite answer different questions: the present says what happens regularly or right now, while the preterite says what happened once and finished. Compare the same idea in both tenses with calificarse.
- Yo me califico para la final del torneo. — I qualify for the tournament final. / Ayer, Yo me califiqué para la final del torneo. — Yesterday, I qualified for the tournament final.
- Yo me califico para el mundial de fútbol. — I qualify for the football World Cup. / Ayer, Yo me califiqué para el mundial de fútbol. — Yesterday, I qualified for the football World Cup.
- Yo me califico entre los diez mejores. — I qualify among the ten best. / Ayer, Yo me califiqué entre los diez mejores. — Yesterday, I qualified among the ten best.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with calificarse in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo me califico para la final del torneo. — I qualify for the tournament final.
- Tú te calificas para el mundial de fútbol. — You qualify for the football World Cup.
- Él/Ella se califica entre los diez mejores. — He qualifies among the ten best.
- Nosotros/as nos calificamos para la siguiente ronda. — We qualify for the next round.
- Vosotros/as os calificáis para la final del torneo. — You qualify for the tournament final.
- Ellos/as se califican para el mundial de fútbol. — They qualify for the football World Cup.
- Yo me califico entre los diez mejores. — I qualify among the ten best.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo califica para la final del torneo. — Right: Yo califico para la final del torneo. — The person matters: califica is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is califico.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo califico para el mundial de fútbol. — Right: Ayer, yo califiqué para el mundial de fútbol. — With ayer, use the preterite (califiqué), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- 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 in the present tense too.
- Wrong: Espero que él califica para el mundial de fútbol. — Right: Espero que él califique para el mundial de fútbol. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: califique, not the present indicative califica.
Quiz: the present tense of calificarse
Eight questions on the present tense of calificarse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ para la final del torneo. (present tense, yo) A. me califico B. te calificas C. se califica D. nos calificamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ para el mundial de fútbol. (present tense, tú) A. me califico B. se califica C. nos calificamos D. te calificas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ entre los diez mejores. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. te calificas B. nos calificamos C. se califica D. me califico
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ para la siguiente ronda. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. se califica B. nos calificamos C. me califico D. te calificas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ para la final del torneo. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. os calificáis B. me califico C. te calificas D. se califica
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ para el mundial de fútbol. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. me califico B. te calificas C. se califica D. se califican
Which is the gerund of calificarse? A. califico B. califiqué C. calificando D. calificado
Which is the past participle of calificarse, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. califiqué B. calificado C. calificando D. califico
Answer key
- me califico — The yo present form of calificarse is me califico.
- te calificas — The tú present form of calificarse is te calificas.
- se califica — The él/ella/Ud. present form of calificarse is se califica.
- nos calificamos — The nosotros/as present form of calificarse is nos calificamos.
- os calificáis — The vosotros/as present form of calificarse is os calificáis.
- se califican — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of calificarse is se califican.
- calificando — The gerund of calificarse is calificando: estoy calificando.
- calificado — The past participle of calificarse is calificado: he calificado, has calificado, ha calificado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of calificarse formed?
Take the infinitive calificarse, drop the -ar ending and the reflexive -se to get the stem calific-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of calificarse is fully regular: the stem calific- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of calificarse?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Me califico para la final del torneo.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of calificarse?
The present (califico) and the preterite (califiqué) answer different questions: the present is for habits and for right now, while the preterite is for one finished action. Compare them in the contrast section above.
How do I practise the present of calificarse?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of calificarse to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the calificarse examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Calificarse conjugation — the full conjugation tables for calificarse.
- Calificarse examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for calificarse.
- Spanish present tense guide — when and how to use the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Reflexive Verb Conjugator — practise reflexive verbs with the right pronoun for every person.
- Present-Tense Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in the present tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.