Cambiarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb cambiarse means to change (clothes), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Cambiarse means to change, and it is the reflexive verb for changing your clothes, your shoes, your hairstyle or your house: you change before going out, you change your shoes at the door, you move house in June. It takes de for the thing changed, as in cambiarse de ropa. Like every Spanish verb, cambiarse 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 cambio de ropa antes de salir, and in the preterite you say me cambié de casa en junio. 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: cambiarse
  • English: to change (clothes)
  • Verb type: reflexive regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: cambiando
  • Past participle: cambiado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cambiado)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for cambiarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Cambiarse is reflexive: me cambio, te cambias. Without the pronoun, cambiar means to change something else.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for cambiarse. 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 cambio
tú te cambias
él/ella/Ud. se cambia
nosotros/as nos cambiamos
vosotros/as os cambiáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cambian

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cambié
tú te cambiaste
él/ella/Ud. se cambió
nosotros/as nos cambiamos
vosotros/as os cambiasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cambiaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cambiaba
tú te cambiabas
él/ella/Ud. se cambiaba
nosotros/as nos cambiábamos
vosotros/as os cambiabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cambiaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cambiaré
tú te cambiarás
él/ella/Ud. se cambiará
nosotros/as nos cambiaremos
vosotros/as os cambiaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cambiarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cambiaría
tú te cambiarías
él/ella/Ud. se cambiaría
nosotros/as nos cambiaríamos
vosotros/as os cambiaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cambiarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cambie
tú te cambies
él/ella/Ud. se cambie
nosotros/as nos cambiemos
vosotros/as os cambiéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cambien

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cambiara
tú te cambiaras
él/ella/Ud. se cambiara
nosotros/as nos cambiáramos
vosotros/as os cambiarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cambiaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te cambia
él/ella/Ud. se cambie
nosotros/as nos cambiemos
vosotros/as os cambiad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cambien

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te cambies
él/ella/Ud. se cambie
nosotros/as nos cambiemos
vosotros/as os cambiéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cambien

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund cambiando with estar for the progressive: estoy cambiando (with the pronoun attached: cambiándose)
Past participle cambiado with haber for the perfect tenses: he cambiado

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 cambiarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me cambio de ropa antes de salir. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For cambiarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me cambié de zapatos en el portal. 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 cambiarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me cambiaba de casa en junio. 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 cambiarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me cambiaré el peinado para la boda. 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 cambiarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me cambiaría de ropa antes de salir 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 cambiarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he cambiado de zapatos en el portal. 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 cambiarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había cambiado de casa en junio 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 cambiarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré cambiado el peinado para la boda. 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 cambiarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría cambiado de ropa antes de salir 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 cambiarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se cambie de zapatos en el portal. 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 cambiarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se cambiara de casa en junio, 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 cambiarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se cambie el peinado para la boda. 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 cambiarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te cambies de ropa antes de salir. 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 cambiarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me cambio de ropa antes de salir. — I change clothes before going out.
  2. Se cambia de zapatos en el portal. — He/she changes shoes in the doorway.
  3. Ayer, me cambié de casa en junio. — Yesterday, I changed house in June.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos cambiábamos el peinado para la boda. — Before, we used to change my hairstyle for the wedding.
  5. Mañana, tú te cambiarás de ropa antes de salir. — Tomorrow, you will change clothes before going out.
  6. Yo me cambiaría de zapatos en el portal si tuviera más tiempo. — I would change shoes in the doorway if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha cambiado de casa en junio. — He has changed house in June.
  8. Espero que él se cambie el peinado para la boda. — I hope he changes my hairstyle for the wedding.
  9. Yo ya me había cambiado de ropa antes de salir antes de salir. — I had already changed clothes before going out before leaving.
  10. Ellos se cambiaban de zapatos en el portal cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to change shoes in the doorway when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo cambio de ropa antes de salir. — Right: Yo me cambio de ropa antes de salir. — Cambiarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Treating cambiarse and cambiar as identical in every context. — Right: Cambiarse means to change (clothes), while cambiar means to change something else. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cambiarse fits sentences such as Me cambio de ropa antes de salir, while cambiar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy cambiado de zapatos en el portal. — Right: Yo he cambiado de zapatos en el portal. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cambiado, has cambiado, ha cambiado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo cambié de casa en junio todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cambiaba de casa en junio todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cambiaba), not the preterite. The preterite (cambié) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de ropa antes de salir. (present tense) A. me cambio B. te cambias C. se cambia D. nos cambiamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ de zapatos en el portal. (preterite) A. me cambié B. te cambiaste C. se cambiaron D. se cambió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ de casa en junio. (imperfect) A. te cambiabas B. se cambiaban C. nos cambiábamos D. me cambiaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el peinado para la boda. (future) A. nos cambiaremos B. te cambiarás C. me cambiaré D. se cambiará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de ropa antes de salir si pudiera. (conditional) A. me cambiaría B. te cambiarías C. se cambiaría D. se cambiarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ de zapatos en el portal. (present subjunctive) A. me cambie B. te cambies C. nos cambiemos D. se cambie

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de casa en junio, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se cambiara B. nos cambiáramos C. me cambiara D. te cambiaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el peinado para la boda. (present perfect) A. se han cambiado B. nos hemos cambiado C. me he cambiado D. te has cambiado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ de ropa antes de salir. (negative imperative, tú) A. te cambies B. se cambie C. nos cambiemos D. os cambiéis

  10. Which is the gerund of cambiarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. cambiado B. cambio C. cambié D. cambiando

Answer key

  1. me cambio — The first-person present of cambiarse is me cambio. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se cambió — The third-person preterite of cambiarse is se cambió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos cambiábamos — The nosotros imperfect of cambiarse is nos cambiábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te cambiarás — The second-person future of cambiarse is te cambiarás.
  5. me cambiaría — The first-person conditional of cambiarse is me cambiaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se cambie — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of cambiarse is se cambie.
  7. me cambiara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of cambiarse is me cambiara.
  8. nos hemos cambiado — The nosotros present perfect of cambiarse is nos hemos cambiado: hemos + cambiado.
  9. te cambies — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te cambies.
  10. cambiando — The gerund of cambiarse is cambiando: estoy cambiando. The participle cambiado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does cambiarse mean in English?

Cambiarse means to change (clothes). It is used in everyday situations such as Me cambio de ropa antes de salir. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is cambiarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Cambiarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me cambio de ropa antes de salir and él se cambia de zapatos en el portal. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between cambiarse and cambiar?

Cambiarse means to change (clothes), while cambiar means to change something else. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use cambiarse when you mean to change (clothes), as in Me cambio de ropa antes de salir, and use cambiar for to change something else. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I change (clothes)” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me cambié de zapatos en el portal. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me cambiaba de casa en junio. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he cambiado de zapatos en el portal.

How do I practise cambiarse?

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

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