Introduction
convertirse means “to become, to turn into”, and this page covers exactly one thing: convertirse in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for convertirse, 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 convertirse in the present. For example: “Yo me convierto en médico todos los días.” — “I become a doctor.” Everything on this page uses the forms of convertirse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
convertirse in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | convierto |
| tú | conviertes |
| él/ella/Ud. | convierte |
| nosotros/as | convertimos |
| vosotros/as | convertís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | convierten |
Gerund: convirtiendo · Past participle: convertido
The gerund is convirtiendo, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy convirtiendo” means the action of convertirse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is convertido, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he convertido” 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 convertirse is used.
How the present of convertirse is formed
convertirse is a -ir verb. Take the stem convert and add the present endings for -ir verbs: -o, -es, -e, -imos, -ís, -en, giving convierto, conviertes, convierte, convertimos, convertís and convierten. But convertirse is not fully regular here: it changes its stem (e → ie), so the stem in the table is not the infinitive stem in several persons. Learn the six forms as a set rather than building them from the infinitive each time.
The present of convertirse rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form convierto is the form you will use most when you talk about yourself, so say it out loud until it comes without thinking. Second, the nosotros form convertimos and the ellos form convierten are the ones learners confuse most often, because they are the forms used for groups. Practise the six forms in order — yo, tú, él, nosotros, vosotros, ellos — and the pattern will settle.
When to use the present of convertirse
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use convertirse in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A habit or routine
convertirse in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about a doctor is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo me convierto en médico cada día.” — “I become a doctor.”
2. A fact or general truth
General truths about a doctor also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él se convierte en médico siempre.” — “He becomes a doctor.”
3. Something happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. It is the simplest way to describe an action in progress when you do not need the gerund. Example: “Nosotros nos convertimos en médico ahora mismo.” — “We become a doctor.”
4. A scheduled near-future event
Spanish often uses the present for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense. Example: “Ellos se convierten en médico mañana.” — “They become a doctor.”
5. Instructions and explanations
When you explain how something works — how to talk about a doctor — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú te conviertes en médico normalmente.” — “you become a doctor.”
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the hardest decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or 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 the tense. Time words help: cada día and siempre point to the present, while ayer points to the preterite.
Present Tense: “Yo me convierto en médico cada día.” — “I become a doctor.”
Preterite: “Yo me convertí en médico ayer.” — “I becomed a doctor.”
The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.
Present Tense: “Él se convierte en médico siempre.” — “He becomes a doctor.”
Preterite: “Él se convirtió en médico ayer.” — “He becomed a doctor.”
The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.
Present Tense: “Nosotros nos convertimos en médico todos los días.” — “We become a doctor.”
Preterite: “Nosotros nos convertimos en médico ayer.” — “We becomed a doctor.”
The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.
Example sentences: convertirse 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.
- “Yo me convierto en médico cada día.” — “I become a doctor.”
- “Tú te conviertes en médico cada día.” — “you become a doctor.”
- “Él se convierte en médico siempre.” — “He becomes a doctor.”
- “Nosotros nos convertimos en médico todos los días.” — “We become a doctor.”
- “Vosotros os convertís en médico cada semana.” — “You become a doctor.”
- “Ellos se convierten en médico normalmente.” — “They become a doctor.”
- “Yo me convierto en médico ahora mismo.” — “I become a doctor.”
- “Él se convierte en médico cada día.” — “He becomes a doctor.”
Common mistakes
Using the unchanged stem
Learners often write converto for the yo form, keeping the infinitive stem unchanged. The correct form is convierto. Because convertirse changes its stem vowel, the change appears in the stressed syllables of the present: say the correct form out loud a few times — yo convierto en médico — until the changed stem feels natural.
Dropping the reflexive pronoun
Because convertirse is reflexive, it always needs its pronoun: yo me convierto en médico, not yo convierto en médico. Without me, the sentence either means something else or means nothing at all. The pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os, se — learn them with the verb, not as an afterthought.
Confusing convertirse with conservar
convertirse and conservar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of convertirse — become — the sentence needs convertirse; if it needs the meaning of conservar, use that verb instead.
Using the indicative after "espero que"
After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo convierta en médico. Using the indicative — Espero que yo convierto — is one of the most frequent learner errors with convertirse. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.
Using the wrong tense for convertirse
The most general mistake is choosing the wrong tense altogether: using the present where Spanish needs the preterite, or the other way round. Check the time words first — ayer and la semana pasada point to the past, cada día and siempre point to the present — and then check whether the action is finished or ongoing. If you can answer those two questions, the tense usually chooses itself.
Quiz
Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the yo form of convertirse in the present tense?
- A. conviertes
- B. convierte
- C. convertimos
- D. convierto
2. What is the tu form of convertirse in the present tense?
- A. conviertes
- B. convierto
- C. convierte
- D. convertimos
3. What is the el form of convertirse in the present tense?
- A. convertimos
- B. convierte
- C. convierto
- D. conviertes
4. What is the nosotros form of convertirse in the present tense?
- A. conviertes
- B. convierte
- C. convertimos
- D. convierto
5. What is the vosotros form of convertirse in the present tense?
- A. convierto
- B. conviertes
- C. convierte
- D. convertís
6. What is the ellos form of convertirse in the present tense?
- A. convierten
- B. convierto
- C. conviertes
- D. convierte
7. What is the yo form of convertirse in the present tense?
- A. convertimos
- B. convierto
- C. conviertes
- D. convierte
8. What is the el form of convertirse in the present tense?
- A. conviertes
- B. convertimos
- C. convierte
- D. convierto
Answer key
- convierto — The present table gives yo = convierto.
- conviertes — The present table gives tu = conviertes.
- convierte — The present table gives el = convierte.
- convertimos — The present table gives nosotros = convertimos.
- convertís — The present table gives vosotros = convertís.
- convierten — The present table gives ellos = convierten.
- convierto — The present table gives yo = convierto.
- convierte — The present table gives el = convierte.
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the present of convertirse?
Take the stem convert and add the present endings for -ir verbs. The six forms are convierto, conviertes, convierte, convertimos, convertís and convierten. Remember the stem change (e → ie) where it applies. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.
When should I use the present of convertirse?
Use it for habits, facts and things happening now. The five rules in the section above cover the situations you will meet most often. If the action is a routine or a present fact, the present is the right choice.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of convertirse?
The present form for yo is convierto and the preterite form is convertí — different forms for different meanings. The present reports what happens regularly or now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The contrasted pairs above show the same situation in both tenses, so compare them side by side.
Is convertirse regular in the present?
No — convertirse is irregular in the present, so learn the six forms in the table as a set. The full conjugation of convertirse is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.
Related links
- convertirse conjugation — the full conjugation of convertirse in every tense.
- convertirse examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a second quiz.
- Spanish present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub with every verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present tense.
- Verb quiz — practise conjugations with timed questions.