Comprometerse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb comprometerse means to get engaged, to commit, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Comprometerse means to get engaged or to commit, and it covers getting engaged to marry, committing to a project and committing yourself to a promise. It is always used with a or con, as in comprometerse a ayudar or comprometerse con el proyecto, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, comprometerse 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 comprometo con su novia en la playa, and in the preterite you say me comprometí con el equipo de trabajo. 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: comprometerse
  • English: to get engaged, to commit
  • Verb type: regular -er verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -er
  • Gerund: comprometiendo
  • Past participle: comprometido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + comprometido)
  • 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 comprometerse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Comprometerse takes a before an infinitive (me comprometo a ayudar) and con before a person or project (me comprometo con el equipo).

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for comprometerse. 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 comprometo
tú te comprometes
él/ella/Ud. se compromete
nosotros/as nos comprometemos
vosotros/as os comprometéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometen

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me comprometí
tú te comprometiste
él/ella/Ud. se comprometió
nosotros/as nos comprometimos
vosotros/as os comprometisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometieron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me comprometía
tú te comprometías
él/ella/Ud. se comprometía
nosotros/as nos comprometíamos
vosotros/as os comprometíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometían

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me comprometeré
tú te comprometerás
él/ella/Ud. se comprometerá
nosotros/as nos comprometeremos
vosotros/as os comprometeréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometerán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me comprometería
tú te comprometerías
él/ella/Ud. se comprometería
nosotros/as nos comprometeríamos
vosotros/as os comprometeríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometerían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me comprometa
tú te comprometas
él/ella/Ud. se comprometa
nosotros/as nos comprometamos
vosotros/as os comprometáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me comprometiera
tú te comprometieras
él/ella/Ud. se comprometiera
nosotros/as nos comprometiéramos
vosotros/as os comprometierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te compromete
él/ella/Ud. se comprometa
nosotros/as nos comprometamos
vosotros/as os comprometed
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometan

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te comprometas
él/ella/Ud. se comprometa
nosotros/as nos comprometamos
vosotros/as os comprometáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se comprometan

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund comprometiendo with estar for the progressive: estoy comprometiendo (or me estoy comprometiendo for this reflexive verb)
Past participle comprometido with haber for the perfect tenses: he comprometido

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 comprometerse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me comprometo con su novia en la playa. 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 comprometerse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me comprometí a terminar el proyecto. 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 comprometerse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me comprometía con el equipo de trabajo. 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 comprometerse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me comprometeré a ayudar a su familia. 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 comprometerse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me comprometería con su novia en la playa 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 comprometerse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he comprometido a terminar el proyecto. 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 comprometerse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había comprometido con el equipo de trabajo 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 comprometerse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré comprometido a ayudar a su familia. 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 comprometerse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría comprometido con su novia en la playa 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 comprometerse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se comprometa a terminar el proyecto. 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 comprometerse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se comprometiera con el equipo de trabajo, 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 comprometerse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se comprometa a ayudar a su familia. 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 comprometerse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te comprometas con su novia en la playa. 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 comprometerse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me comprometo con su novia en la playa. — I commit to his girlfriend on the beach.
  2. Se compromete a terminar el proyecto. — He/she commits to finish the project.
  3. Ayer, me comprometí con el equipo de trabajo. — Yesterday, I committed to the work team.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos comprometíamos a ayudar a su familia. — Before, we used to commit to help his family.
  5. Mañana, tú te comprometerás con su novia en la playa. — Tomorrow, you will commit to his girlfriend on the beach.
  6. Yo me comprometería a terminar el proyecto si tuviera más tiempo. — I would commit to finish the project if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha comprometido con el equipo de trabajo. — He has committed to the work team.
  8. Espero que él se comprometa a ayudar a su familia. — I hope he commits to help his family.
  9. Yo ya me había comprometido con su novia en la playa antes de salir. — I had already committed to his girlfriend on the beach before leaving.
  10. Ellos se comprometían a terminar el proyecto cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to commit to finish the project when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo comprometo con su novia en la playa. — Right: Yo me comprometo con su novia en la playa. — Comprometerse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo comprometo a terminar el proyecto. — Right: Ayer yo comprometí a terminar el proyecto. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: comprometo is happening now, while comprometí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating comprometerse and casarse as identical in every context. — Right: Comprometerse means to get engaged, to commit, while casarse means to get married. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: comprometerse fits sentences such as Me comprometo con su novia en la playa, while casarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy comprometido a terminar el proyecto. — Right: Yo he comprometido a terminar el proyecto. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he comprometido, has comprometido, ha comprometido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo comprometí con el equipo de trabajo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo comprometía con el equipo de trabajo todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (comprometía), not the preterite. The preterite (comprometí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con su novia en la playa. (present tense) A. me comprometo B. te comprometes C. se compromete D. nos comprometemos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a terminar el proyecto. (preterite) A. me comprometí B. te comprometiste C. se comprometieron D. se comprometió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ con el equipo de trabajo. (imperfect) A. te comprometías B. se comprometían C. nos comprometíamos D. me comprometía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a ayudar a su familia. (future) A. nos comprometeremos B. te comprometerás C. me comprometeré D. se comprometerá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ con su novia en la playa si pudiera. (conditional) A. me comprometería B. te comprometerías C. se comprometería D. se comprometerían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a terminar el proyecto. (present subjunctive) A. me comprometa B. te comprometas C. nos comprometamos D. se comprometa

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ con el equipo de trabajo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se comprometiera B. nos comprometiéramos C. me comprometiera D. te comprometieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a ayudar a su familia. (present perfect) A. se han comprometido B. nos hemos comprometido C. me he comprometido D. te has comprometido

  9. Complete the command: No ___ con su novia en la playa. (negative imperative, tú) A. te comprometas B. se comprometa C. nos comprometamos D. os comprometáis

  10. Which is the gerund of comprometerse, used with estar for the progressive? A. comprometido B. comprometo C. comprometí D. comprometiendo

Answer key

  1. me comprometo — The first-person present of comprometerse is me comprometo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se comprometió — The third-person preterite of comprometerse is se comprometió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos comprometíamos — The nosotros imperfect of comprometerse is nos comprometíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te comprometerás — The second-person future of comprometerse is te comprometerás.
  5. me comprometería — The first-person conditional of comprometerse is me comprometería, the form for what would happen.
  6. se comprometa — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of comprometerse is se comprometa.
  7. me comprometiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of comprometerse is me comprometiera.
  8. nos hemos comprometido — The nosotros present perfect of comprometerse is nos hemos comprometido: hemos + comprometido.
  9. te comprometas — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te comprometas.
  10. comprometiendo — The gerund of comprometerse is comprometiendo: estoy comprometiendo. The participle comprometido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does comprometerse mean in English?

Comprometerse means to get engaged, to commit. It is used in everyday situations such as Me comprometo con su novia en la playa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is comprometerse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Comprometerse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me comprometo con su novia en la playa and él se compromete a terminar el proyecto. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between comprometerse and casarse?

Comprometerse means to get engaged, to commit, while casarse means to get married. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use comprometerse when you mean to get engaged, to commit, as in Me comprometo con su novia en la playa, and use casarse for to get married. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I get engaged” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me comprometí a terminar el proyecto. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me comprometía con el equipo de trabajo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he comprometido a terminar el proyecto.

How do I practise comprometerse?

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

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