Complacerse Conjugation in Spanish
complacerse means "to be pleased" in English, and it comes up when people talk about his son's gift, helping other people, his mother's visit and the afternoon music. This page gives you the complete conjugation of complacerse in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the spelling changes. complacerse is a Reflexive spelling-changing (c → zc before o and a) -er verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: Cada día, yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo. — "Every day, I be pleased in his son's gift." Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: complacerse
- English: to be pleased
- Verb type: Reflexive spelling-changing (c → zc before o and a) -er verb
- Gerund: complaciendo
- Past participle: complacido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + complacido)
- Reflexive: yes — always use it with the reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se.
- Spelling change: spelling-changing (c → zc before o and a).
Full conjugation table
Every tense of complacerse with all six persons. The gerund is complaciendo and the past participle is complacido.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | complazco |
| tú | complaces |
| él/ella/Ud. | complace |
| nosotros/as | complacemos |
| vosotros/as | complacéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | complacen |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | complací |
| tú | complaciste |
| él/ella/Ud. | complació |
| nosotros/as | complacimos |
| vosotros/as | complacisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | complacieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | complacía |
| tú | complacías |
| él/ella/Ud. | complacía |
| nosotros/as | complacíamos |
| vosotros/as | complacíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | complacían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | complaceré |
| tú | complacerás |
| él/ella/Ud. | complacerá |
| nosotros/as | complaceremos |
| vosotros/as | complaceréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | complacerán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | complacería |
| tú | complacerías |
| él/ella/Ud. | complacería |
| nosotros/as | complaceríamos |
| vosotros/as | complaceríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | complacerían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he complacido |
| tú | has complacido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha complacido |
| nosotros/as | hemos complacido |
| vosotros/as | habéis complacido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han complacido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había complacido |
| tú | habías complacido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había complacido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos complacido |
| vosotros/as | habíais complacido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían complacido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré complacido |
| tú | habrás complacido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá complacido |
| nosotros/as | habremos complacido |
| vosotros/as | habréis complacido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán complacido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría complacido |
| tú | habrías complacido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría complacido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos complacido |
| vosotros/as | habríais complacido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían complacido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | complazca |
| tú | complazcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | complazca |
| nosotros/as | complazcamos |
| vosotros/as | complacáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | complazcan |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | complaciera |
| tú | complacieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | complaciera |
| nosotros/as | complaciéramos |
| vosotros/as | complacierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | complacieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | complace |
| él/ella/Ud. | complazca |
| nosotros/as | complazcamos |
| vosotros/as | complaced |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | complazcan |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | complazcas |
| él/ella/Ud. | complazca |
| nosotros/as | complazcamos |
| vosotros/as | complacáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | complazcan |
Notes on each tense
A short note for every tense: when it is used, one example, and anything irregular about complacerse in that tense.
Present indicative
The present indicative of complacerse is used for routines, habits, general truths and things happening right now. Cada día, yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo. — "Every day, I be pleased in his son's gift." Watch the spelling: the c becomes zc before o and a, so the yo form is complazco and the subjunctive forms start with zc, for example complazca. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Preterite (past)
The preterite (past) of complacerse is used for one action that started and finished in the past. Ayer, yo me complací en ayudar a los demás. — "Yesterday, I was pleased in helping other people." For complacerse this tense follows the regular -er pattern: the stem complac- plus the usual endings. Say each form aloud with the complement after it, so the person and the ending stay linked in your memory.
Imperfect
The imperfect of complacerse is used for an ongoing or repeated action in the past, background description and habits that no longer happen. Antes, yo me complacía con la visita de su madre. — "In the past, I used to be pleased in his mother's visit." For complacerse this tense follows the regular -er pattern: the stem complac- plus the usual endings. Compare the forms with the present tense as you learn them, and the pattern will stay clear.
Future
The future of complacerse is used for what will happen, plans and predictions. Mañana, nosotros nos complaceremos en la música de la tarde. — "Tomorrow, we will be pleased in the afternoon music." For complacerse this tense follows the regular -er pattern: the stem complac- plus the usual endings. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Conditional
The conditional of complacerse is used for what would happen, hypothetical situations and polite requests. Si pudieras, tú te complacerías con el regalo de su hijo. — "If you could, you would be pleased in his son's gift." For complacerse this tense follows the regular -er pattern: the stem complac- plus the usual endings. Say each form aloud with the complement after it, so the person and the ending stay linked in your memory.
Present perfect
The present perfect of complacerse is used for an action completed in the recent past that still matters now, or life experience up to now. Yo me he complacido en ayudar a los demás. — "I have been pleased in helping other people." For complacerse this tense follows the regular -er pattern: the stem complac- plus the usual endings. Compare the forms with the present tense as you learn them, and the pattern will stay clear.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect of complacerse is used for an action that had already happened before another past action. Antes de la fiesta, yo me había complacido con la visita de su madre. — "Before the party, I had been pleased in his mother's visit." For complacerse this tense follows the regular -er pattern: the stem complac- plus the usual endings. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Future perfect
The future perfect of complacerse is used for an action that will be finished by a point in the future. Para mañana, yo me habré complacido en la música de la tarde. — "By tomorrow, I will have been pleased in the afternoon music." For complacerse this tense follows the regular -er pattern: the stem complac- plus the usual endings. Say each form aloud with the complement after it, so the person and the ending stay linked in your memory.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect of complacerse is used for what would have happened if things had been different. Si hubiera podido, yo me habría complacido con el regalo de su hijo. — "If I had been able to, I would have been pleased in his son's gift." For complacerse this tense follows the regular -er pattern: the stem complac- plus the usual endings. Compare the forms with the present tense as you learn them, and the pattern will stay clear.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive of complacerse is used for wishes, doubts, emotions and requests after expressions such as espero que. Espero que él se complazca en ayudar a los demás. — "I hope that he/she is pleased in helping other people." Watch the spelling: the c becomes zc before o and a, so the yo form is complazco and the subjunctive forms start with zc, for example complazca. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of complacerse is used for the same subjunctive meanings in the past, and in si clauses about unreal situations. Si él se complaciera con la visita de su madre, todo saldría mejor. — "If he/she was pleased in his mother's visit, everything would turn out better." For complacerse this tense follows the regular -er pattern: the stem complac- plus the usual endings. Say each form aloud with the complement after it, so the person and the ending stay linked in your memory.
Imperative (affirmative)
The imperative (affirmative) of complacerse is used for orders, instructions and invitations. ¡Que se complazca en la música de la tarde! — "Let him/her be pleased in the afternoon music!" Watch the spelling: the c becomes zc before o and a, so the yo form is complazco and the subjunctive forms start with zc, for example complazca. Compare the forms with the present tense as you learn them, and the pattern will stay clear.
Imperative (negative)
The imperative (negative) of complacerse is used for prohibitions and negative orders. No te complazcas con el regalo de su hijo. — "Do not be pleased in his son's gift." Watch the spelling: the c becomes zc before o and a, so the yo form is complazco and the subjunctive forms start with zc, for example complazca. Learn the six forms in the table above, and practise them with the complements in the examples section below.
Examples: complacerse in real sentences
Ten sentences with complacerse, one for each main tense, each with its English translation. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Cada día, yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo. — "Every day, I be pleased in his son's gift." This is the present tense, used for a habit.
- Ayer, yo me complací en ayudar a los demás. — "Yesterday, I was pleased in helping other people." This is the preterite, one finished action.
- Antes, yo me complacía con la visita de su madre. — "In the past, I used to be pleased in his mother's visit." This is the imperfect, a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros nos complaceremos en la música de la tarde. — "Tomorrow, we will be pleased in the afternoon music." This is the future tense, a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú te complacerías con el regalo de su hijo. — "If you could, you would be pleased in his son's gift." This is the conditional, something that would happen.
- Yo me he complacido en ayudar a los demás. — "I have been pleased in helping other people." This is the present perfect, an action with present relevance.
- Espero que él se complazca con la visita de su madre. — "I hope that he/she is pleased in his mother's visit." This is the present subjunctive, after espero que.
- Si él se complaciera en la música de la tarde, todo saldría mejor. — "If he/she was pleased in the afternoon music, everything would turn out better." This is the imperfect subjunctive, in a si clause.
- ¡No te complazcas con el regalo de su hijo! — "Do not be pleased in his son's gift!" This is the imperative, a direct order or request.
- Ahora, Yo me estoy complaciendo en ayudar a los demás. — "Now, I am being pleased in helping other people." This is the progressive, with estar and the gerund.
Common mistakes with complacerse
The errors learners actually make with complacerse, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
- Wrong: Yo complazco con el regalo de su hijo.
- Right: Yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo.
- Why: complacerse is reflexive, so the pronoun is part of the verb: Yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo.. Without me the sentence is incomplete, and it sounds as if the action happens to someone else.
Mistake 2: Forgetting the zc spelling change
- Wrong: Yo me complaco con el regalo de su hijo.
- Right: Yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo.
- Why: Verbs in -cer change c to zc before o and a. The yo form is complazco, never complaco, and the same change appears in the subjunctive (complazca).
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me complazco en ayudar a los demás.
- Right: Ayer, yo me complací en ayudar a los demás.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday: Ayer, yo me complací en ayudar a los demás. — "Yesterday, I was pleased in helping other people."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Me estoy complacido con la visita de su madre.
- Right: Me estoy complaciendo con la visita de su madre.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund complaciendo for the progressive. The participle complacido goes with haber in the perfect tenses (me he complacido), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros nos complace con el regalo de su hijo.
- Right: Nosotros nos complacemos con el regalo de su hijo.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes complacemos, while complace belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: complacerse conjugation
Test yourself with ten questions on complacerse. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of complacerse in the present tense?
- (a) complazco
- (b) complaces
- (c) complace
- (d) complacemos
Answer: (a) complazco. The yo form is complazco. Check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of complacerse in the present tense?
- (a) complazco
- (b) complace
- (c) complacemos
- (d) complaces
Answer: (d) complaces. The tú form is complaces. Check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of complacerse in the present tense?
- (a) complaces
- (b) complacemos
- (c) complace
- (d) complazco
Answer: (c) complace. The él/ella form is complace. Check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of complacerse in the present tense?
- (a) complace
- (b) complacemos
- (c) complazco
- (d) complaces
Answer: (b) complacemos. The nosotros form is complacemos. Check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of complacerse in the present tense?
- (a) complacen
- (b) complazco
- (c) complaces
- (d) complace
Answer: (a) complacen. The ellos/ellas form is complacen. Check the person before you answer.
6. What is the gerund of complacerse?
- (a) complaciendo
- (b) complacido
- (c) complazco
- (d) complacerse
Answer: (a) complaciendo. The gerund is complaciendo, used for the progressive: me estoy complaciendo.
7. What is the past participle of complacerse?
- (a) complaciendo
- (b) complací
- (c) complacerse
- (d) complacido
Answer: (d) complacido. The past participle is complacido, used with haber in all perfect tenses: me he complacido.
8. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ con el regalo de su hijo.
- (a) complace
- (b) complacemos
- (c) complazco
- (d) complaces
Answer: (c) complazco. The sentence needs the yo form complazco (Every day, I be pleased in his son's gift.)
9. What is the yo form of complacerse in the preterite?
- (a) complacimos
- (b) complací
- (c) complaciste
- (d) complació
Answer: (b) complací. The yo preterite is complací. The preterite describes one finished action.
10. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con la visita de su madre.
- (a) complazcas
- (b) complazcamos
- (c) complacáis
- (d) complazca
Answer: (d) complazca. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is complazca.
Frequently asked questions about complacerse
Is complacerse regular?
Almost. complacerse is a spelling-changing (c → zc before o and a) -er verb, so its endings are regular but its spelling changes in some forms: Watch the spelling: the c becomes zc before o and a, so the yo form is complazco and the subjunctive forms start with zc, for example complazca. The rest of the conjugation follows the regular pattern, and the tables above show every form exactly.
What does complacerse mean, and when do I use it?
complacerse means "to be pleased" in English. Use it when you talk about his son's gift, helping other people, his mother's visit and the afternoon music — for example: Yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo. — "I be pleased in his son's gift." It is a practical verb for everyday conversation, and it appears in all the tenses on this page.
How do you say it in a real sentence?
A natural sentence is: Yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo. — "I be pleased in his son's gift." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life: the verb stays the same, only the ending changes.
Is complacerse reflexive?
Yes. complacerse is reflexive, so it always travels with a pronoun: me, te, se, nos, os, se. Yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo. — "I be pleased in his son's gift." If you drop the pronoun, the sentence is incomplete. The pronoun goes before the conjugated verb, and it attaches to the end of the gerund and of affirmative imperatives.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with complacerse?
Use the present for habits and routines: Yo me complazco con el regalo de su hijo. — "I be pleased in his son's gift." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo me complací con el regalo de su hijo. — "Yesterday, I was pleased in his son's gift." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.