Comprometerse in the Present Tense

Comprometerse means “to get engaged, to commit”, and this page covers exactly one thing: comprometerse in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about routines, facts and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for comprometerse, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about comprometerse in the present. For example: “Yo me comprometo con su novia en la playa.” — I commit to his girlfriend on the beach. Everything on this page uses the forms of comprometerse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Comprometerse in the Present Tense — full table

Person Pronoun Form
yo me comprometo
tú te comprometes
él/ella/Ud. se compromete
nosotros/as nos comprometemos
vosotros/as os comprometéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometen

Gerund: comprometiendo · Past participle: comprometido

The gerund is comprometiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy comprometiendo” means the action of comprometerse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is comprometido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he comprometido” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how comprometerse is used.

How the present of comprometerse is formed

Comprometerse is regular in the present tense. Take the stem compromet and add the present endings for -er verbs: -o, -es, -e, -emos, -éis, -en, giving comprometo, comprometes, compromete, comprometemos, comprometéis, comprometen. Watch the accents: the yo form is comprometo and the él/ella/Ud. form is compromete. Because comprometerse is reflexive, put the pronoun before each form: me comprometo, te comprometes, se compromete, nos comprometemos, os comprometéis, se comprometen.

When to use the present of comprometerse

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use comprometerse in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present tense is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens every day, every week or every morning, the present is the right choice, and comprometerse is no exception. Example: “Yo me comprometo con su novia en la playa todos los días.” — I commit to his girlfriend on the beach every day.

2. Facts and general truths

The present states facts that are true in general, not just right now. Use it to say what comprometerse means in practice and how it works in the world. Example: “Se compromete a terminar el proyecto.” — He/she commits to finish the project.

3. What is happening right now

The present also describes actions in progress at this very moment. When something is happening as you speak, the present tense says so directly. Example: “Yo me comprometo con el equipo de trabajo ahora.” — I commit to the work team now.

4. Scheduled events in the near future

Spanish often uses the present for things that are already arranged, such as plans for tomorrow or next week. The present sounds more certain than the future in these cases. Example: “Nosotros nos comprometemos a ayudar a su familia.” — We commit to help his family.

5. Instructions and everyday speech

In everyday speech the present gives instructions, makes offers and states what someone does. It is the tense you will hear most often in conversation. Example: “Tú te comprometes con su novia en la playa.” — You commit to his girlfriend on the beach.

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present describes routines, facts and what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo me comprometo con su novia en la playa todos los días.” — I commit to his girlfriend on the beach every day.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, yo me comprometí con su novia en la playa.” — Yesterday, I committed to his girlfriend on the beach.

  • The present sentence describes a habit; the preterite sentence reports one finished action. Todos los días points to the present, ayer points to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Él se compromete a terminar el proyecto cada semana.” — He/she commits to finish the project every week.

  • Preterite: “La semana pasada, él se comprometió a terminar el proyecto.” — Last week, he committed to finish the project.

  • Cada semana describes a routine, so the present is right; la semana pasada names one finished week, so the preterite is right.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros nos comprometemos con el equipo de trabajo a menudo.” — We commit to the work team often.

  • Preterite: “Ayer, nosotros nos comprometimos con el equipo de trabajo.” — Yesterday, we committed to the work team.

  • The present sentence counts no single event; the preterite sentence counts one finished action. That difference — habit versus finished event — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: comprometerse in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Me comprometo con su novia en la playa.” — I commit to his girlfriend on the beach.

  2. “Te comprometes a terminar el proyecto.” — You commit to finish the project.

  3. “Se compromete con el equipo de trabajo.” — He/she commits to the work team.

  4. “Nos comprometemos a ayudar a su familia.” — We commit to help his family.

  5. “Os comprometéis con su novia en la playa.” — You commit to his girlfriend on the beach.

  6. “Se comprometen a terminar el proyecto.” — They commit to finish the project.

  7. “Me comprometo con el equipo de trabajo.” — I commit to the work team.

  8. “Se compromete a ayudar a su familia.” — He/she commits to help his family.

Common mistakes with comprometerse in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Yo comprometo con su novia en la playa.” Right: “Yo me comprometo con su novia en la playa.” Why: Comprometerse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required before every form. Without it the sentence is incomplete.

  • Wrong: “Yo comprometo a terminar el proyecto ayer.” Right: “Ayer yo comprometí a terminar el proyecto.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to comprometí.

  • Wrong: “Nosotros comprometes con el equipo de trabajo.” Right: “Nosotros nos comprometemos con el equipo de trabajo.” Why: Nosotros needs nos comprometemos. The tú form comprometes belongs with tú.

  • Wrong: “Ellos comprometo a ayudar a su familia todos los días.” Right: “Ellos se comprometen a ayudar a su familia todos los días.” Why: The verb must agree with its subject. Ellos needs the ellos form se comprometen, not the yo form comprometo. This is the most common agreement slip in the present tense, and it happens because learners memorise the yo form first and then reuse it for every person.

Quiz: comprometerse in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ______ con su novia en la playa.” (To his girlfriend on the beach.)

  • (a) me comprometo
  • (b) te comprometes
  • (c) se compromete

Answer: me comprometo — The yo form of comprometerse in the present is me comprometo. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

2. Complete the sentence: “¿Tú ______ a terminar el proyecto?” (To finish the project.)

  • (a) me comprometo
  • (b) se compromete
  • (c) te comprometes

Answer: te comprometes — The tú form of comprometerse in the present is te comprometes. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ______ con el equipo de trabajo.” (To the work team.)

  • (a) te comprometes
  • (b) se compromete
  • (c) me comprometo

Answer: se compromete — The él/ella/Ud. form of comprometerse in the present is se compromete. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ______ a ayudar a su familia.” (To help his family.)

  • (a) nos comprometemos
  • (b) me comprometo
  • (c) te comprometes

Answer: nos comprometemos — The nosotros/as form of comprometerse in the present is nos comprometemos. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

5. What is the vosotros/as form of comprometerse in the present?

  • (a) me comprometo
  • (b) te comprometes
  • (c) os comprometéis

Answer: os comprometéis — From the table above: vosotros/as takes os comprometéis. Say it with the example sentence “Vosotros os comprometéis con su novia en la playa.” to fix it in your memory.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ a terminar el proyecto.” (To finish the project.)

  • (a) te comprometes
  • (b) se comprometen
  • (c) me comprometo

Answer: se comprometen — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of comprometerse in the present is se comprometen. The other options are the forms for different persons, so they do not agree with the subject.

7. Which is the correct yo form of comprometerse in the present?

  • (a) me comprometo
  • (b) te comprometes
  • (c) se compromete

Answer: me comprometo — The yo form is me comprometo. The other two options are the forms for other persons.

8. Which sentence describes a habit in the present?

  • (a) Yo me comprometí con su novia en la playa todos los días.
  • (b) Nosotros nos comprometeremos con su novia en la playa mañana.
  • (c) Yo me comprometo con su novia en la playa todos los días.

Answer: Yo me comprometo con su novia en la playa todos los días. — “Yo me comprometo con su novia en la playa todos los días.” describes a habit, so it takes the present. The second option reports a finished action in the past, and the third looks to the future.

Frequently asked questions

Is comprometerse regular in the present?

Yes. Comprometerse is regular in the present: comprometo, comprometes, compromete, comprometemos, comprometéis, comprometen. Watch the accents on the yo and él forms, and remember that only context tells the nosotros form apart from the present-tense nosotros form when they are identical.

What is the past participle of comprometerse?

The past participle is comprometido: 'He comprometido' means 'I have committed'. It is used with haber in every perfect tense. The gerund is comprometiendo.

Does comprometerse take a preposition?

It depends on the meaning. Comprometerse takes a before an infinitive (me comprometo a ayudar) and con before a person or project (me comprometo con el equipo). In the examples on this page, comprometerse appears with complements such as con su novia en la playa and a terminar el proyecto, so copy those patterns when you write your own sentences.

How do I remember the present forms of comprometerse?

Say the six forms out loud in order, three times, with a real sentence for each one: yo me comprometo, tú te comprometes, él/ella/Ud. se compromete, nosotros/as nos comprometemos, vosotros/as os comprometéis, ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometen. Then write three of your own sentences with comprometerse in the present, using the examples on this page as models.

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