Cortarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb cortarse means to cut oneself, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Cortarse means to cut yourself, and it is used for cutting your finger while cooking, cutting yourself shaving and cutting your hair. It is the reflexive partner of cortar, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, cortarse 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 corto el dedo con el cuchillo, and in the preterite you say me corté el pelo en la peluquería. 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: cortarse
  • English: to cut oneself
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: cortando
  • Past participle: cortado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + cortado)
  • 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 cortarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Cortarse is reflexive: me corto el dedo. Cortar without the pronoun means cutting something else.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for cortarse. 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 corto
tú te cortas
él/ella/Ud. se corta
nosotros/as nos cortamos
vosotros/as os cortáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cortan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me corté
tú te cortaste
él/ella/Ud. se cortó
nosotros/as nos cortamos
vosotros/as os cortasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cortaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cortaba
tú te cortabas
él/ella/Ud. se cortaba
nosotros/as nos cortábamos
vosotros/as os cortabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cortaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cortaré
tú te cortarás
él/ella/Ud. se cortará
nosotros/as nos cortaremos
vosotros/as os cortaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cortarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cortaría
tú te cortarías
él/ella/Ud. se cortaría
nosotros/as nos cortaríamos
vosotros/as os cortaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cortarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me corte
tú te cortes
él/ella/Ud. se corte
nosotros/as nos cortemos
vosotros/as os cortéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se corten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me cortara
tú te cortaras
él/ella/Ud. se cortara
nosotros/as nos cortáramos
vosotros/as os cortarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se cortaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te corta
él/ella/Ud. se corte
nosotros/as nos cortemos
vosotros/as os cortad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se corten

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te cortes
él/ella/Ud. se corte
nosotros/as nos cortemos
vosotros/as os cortéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se corten

Gerund and past participle

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

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 cortarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me corto el dedo con el cuchillo. 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 cortarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me corté al afeitarse por la mañana. 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 cortarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me cortaba el pelo en la peluquería. 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 cortarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me cortaré con el papel en la oficina. 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 cortarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me cortaría el dedo con el cuchillo 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 cortarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he cortado al afeitarse por la mañana. 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 cortarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había cortado el pelo en la peluquería 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 cortarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré cortado con el papel en la oficina. 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 cortarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría cortado el dedo con el cuchillo 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 cortarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se corte al afeitarse por la mañana. 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 cortarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se cortara el pelo en la peluquería, 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 cortarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se corte con el papel en la oficina. 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 cortarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te cortes el dedo con el cuchillo. 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 cortarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me corto el dedo con el cuchillo. — I cut myself my finger with the knife.
  2. Se corta al afeitarse por la mañana. — He/she cuts himself while shaving in the morning.
  3. Ayer, me corté el pelo en la peluquería. — Yesterday, I cut myself my hair at the hairdresser's.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos cortábamos con el papel en la oficina. — Before, we used to cut ourselves with the paper in the office.
  5. Mañana, tú te cortarás el dedo con el cuchillo. — Tomorrow, you will cut yourself my finger with the knife.
  6. Yo me cortaría al afeitarse por la mañana si tuviera más tiempo. — I would cut myself while shaving in the morning if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha cortado el pelo en la peluquería. — He has cut himself my hair at the hairdresser's.
  8. Espero que él se corte con el papel en la oficina. — I hope he cuts himself with the paper in the office.
  9. Yo ya me había cortado el dedo con el cuchillo antes de salir. — I had already cut myself my finger with the knife before leaving.
  10. Ellos se cortaban al afeitarse por la mañana cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to cut themselves while shaving in the morning when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo corto el dedo con el cuchillo. — Right: Yo me corto el dedo con el cuchillo. — Cortarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo corto al afeitarse por la mañana. — Right: Ayer yo corté al afeitarse por la mañana. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: corto is happening now, while corté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating cortarse and herirse as identical in every context. — Right: Cortarse means to cut oneself, while herirse means to hurt oneself. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: cortarse fits sentences such as Me corto el dedo con el cuchillo, while herirse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy cortado al afeitarse por la mañana. — Right: Yo he cortado al afeitarse por la mañana. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he cortado, has cortado, ha cortado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo corté el pelo en la peluquería todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo cortaba el pelo en la peluquería todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (cortaba), not the preterite. The preterite (corté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el dedo con el cuchillo. (present tense) A. me corto B. te cortas C. se corta D. nos cortamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ al afeitarse por la mañana. (preterite) A. me corté B. te cortaste C. se cortaron D. se cortó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el pelo en la peluquería. (imperfect) A. te cortabas B. se cortaban C. nos cortábamos D. me cortaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ con el papel en la oficina. (future) A. nos cortaremos B. te cortarás C. me cortaré D. se cortará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el dedo con el cuchillo si pudiera. (conditional) A. me cortaría B. te cortarías C. se cortaría D. se cortarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ al afeitarse por la mañana. (present subjunctive) A. me corte B. te cortes C. nos cortemos D. se corte

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el pelo en la peluquería, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se cortara B. nos cortáramos C. me cortara D. te cortaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ con el papel en la oficina. (present perfect) A. se han cortado B. nos hemos cortado C. me he cortado D. te has cortado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ el dedo con el cuchillo. (negative imperative, tú) A. te cortes B. se corte C. nos cortemos D. os cortéis

  10. Which is the gerund of cortarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. cortado B. corto C. corté D. cortando

Answer key

  1. me corto — The first-person present of cortarse is me corto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se cortó — The third-person preterite of cortarse is se cortó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos cortábamos — The nosotros imperfect of cortarse is nos cortábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te cortarás — The second-person future of cortarse is te cortarás.
  5. me cortaría — The first-person conditional of cortarse is me cortaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se corte — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of cortarse is se corte.
  7. me cortara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of cortarse is me cortara.
  8. nos hemos cortado — The nosotros present perfect of cortarse is nos hemos cortado: hemos + cortado.
  9. te cortes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te cortes.
  10. cortando — The gerund of cortarse is cortando: estoy cortando. The participle cortado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does cortarse mean in English?

Cortarse means to cut oneself. It is used in everyday situations such as Me corto el dedo con el cuchillo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is cortarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Cortarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me corto el dedo con el cuchillo and él se corta al afeitarse por la mañana. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between cortarse and herirse?

Cortarse means to cut oneself, while herirse means to hurt oneself. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use cortarse when you mean to cut oneself, as in Me corto el dedo con el cuchillo, and use herirse for to hurt oneself. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I cut oneself” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me corté al afeitarse por la mañana. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me cortaba el pelo en la peluquería. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he cortado al afeitarse por la mañana.

How do I practise cortarse?

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

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