Desmayarse Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
desmayarse means "to faint" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows desmayarse in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of desmayarse, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.
Example sentences with desmayarse
Everyday use
Desmayarse means to faint. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.
- Yo me desmayo en la calle — "I faint in the street"
- Él se desmaya de repente — "He faints suddenly"
- Yo me desmayé por el calor — "I fainted because of the heat"
- Yo me desmayaba en la calle — "I used to faint in the street"
- Yo me desmayaré de repente — "I will faint suddenly"
- Yo me he desmayado por el calor — "I have fainted because of the heat"
In the past and the future
The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.
- Él se desmayó por el calor — "He fainted because of the heat"
- Él se desmayaba en la calle — "He used to faint in the street"
- Tú te desmayarás de repente — "You will faint suddenly"
- Yo me desmayaría por el calor — "I would faint because of the heat"
- Yo me había desmayado en la calle — "I had fainted in the street"
- Nosotros nos desmayamos de repente — "We faint suddenly"
Desmayarse in conversation
The two dialogues below show desmayarse in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú te desmayas en la calle? — "Do you faint in the street?"
- Sí, yo me desmayo en la calle cada día. — "Yes, I faint in the street every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú te desmayaste de repente? — "And yesterday? Did you faint suddenly?"
- Sí, yo me desmayé de repente. — "Yes, I fainted suddenly."
- Mañana, yo me desmayaré por el calor también. — "Tomorrow, I will faint because of the heat too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros os desmayáis en la calle? — "Do you faint in the street?"
- Sí, nosotros nos desmayamos en la calle los fines de semana. — "Yes, We faint in the street at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos se desmayan de repente? — "And them? Do they faint suddenly?"
- Sí, ellos se desmayan de repente también. — "Yes, They faint suddenly too."
- Mañana nosotros nos desmayaremos de repente otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will faint suddenly again."
Useful phrases with desmayarse
Four patterns you can use with desmayarse in any conversation. The reflexive pronoun attaches to the end of the infinitive: desmayarme. Only the first verb changes.
- Voy a desmayarme en la calle. — "I am going to faint in the street."
- Quiero desmayarme de repente. — "I want to faint suddenly."
- Me gusta desmayarme por el calor. — "I like to faint because of the heat."
- Acabo de desmayarme en la calle. — "I have just fainted in the street."
Common mistakes with desmayarse in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo desmayo en la calle.
- Right: Yo me desmayo en la calle.
- Why: Desmayarse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it, desmayo means something else, or nothing at all.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Todos los días, yo me desmayé.
- Right: Todos los días, yo me desmayo.
- Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Yo soy desmayado de repente.
- Right: Yo me he desmayado de repente.
- Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he desmayado, has desmayado, ha desmayado.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me desmayo.
- Right: Ayer, yo me desmayé.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (desmayé). The present (desmayo) is for habits and for now.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Espero que él desmaya en la calle.
- Right: Espero que él se desmaye en la calle.
- Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: desmaye. The indicative form would be wrong here.
Quiz: desmayarse in use
Ten questions on desmayarse across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the I form of desmayarse in the present tense?
- (a) desmayaré
- (b) desmayes
- (c) habréis desmayado
- (d) desmayo
Answer: (d) desmayo. The I form in the present is desmayo.
2. What is the he / she form of desmayarse in the present tense?
- (a) desmayarían
- (b) desmayaremos
- (c) desmayaban
- (d) desmaya
Answer: (d) desmaya. The he / she form in the present is desmaya.
3. What is the he / she form of desmayarse in the preterite tense?
- (a) desmayó
- (b) desmayarán
- (c) desmayaras
- (d) desmayasteis
Answer: (a) desmayó. The he / she form in the preterite is desmayó.
4. What is the I form of desmayarse in the imperfect tense?
- (a) habrá desmayado
- (b) desmayaba
- (c) desmayaban
- (d) desmayaremos
Answer: (b) desmayaba. The I form in the imperfect is desmayaba.
5. What is the I form of desmayarse in the future tense?
- (a) habíais desmayado
- (b) desmayaré
- (c) ha desmayado
- (d) desmayaríamos
Answer: (b) desmayaré. The I form in the future is desmayaré.
6. What is the I form of desmayarse in the present perfect tense?
- (a) desmayabais
- (b) he desmayado
- (c) desmayaríamos
- (d) desmayabas
Answer: (b) he desmayado. The I form in the present perfect is he desmayado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ en la calle.
- (a) desmaye
- (b) desmayemos
- (c) desmayéis
- (d) desmayes
Answer: (a) desmaye. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is desmaye.
8. What is the we form of desmayarse in the present tense?
- (a) habrían desmayado
- (b) desmayaste
- (c) desmayamos
- (d) desmayaba
Answer: (c) desmayamos. The we form in the present is desmayamos.
9. What is the I form of desmayarse in the preterite tense?
- (a) habíais desmayado
- (b) desmayabas
- (c) habíamos desmayado
- (d) desmayé
Answer: (d) desmayé. The I form in the preterite is desmayé.
10. What is the they form of desmayarse in the present tense?
- (a) desmayemos
- (b) desmayan
- (c) desmayarán
- (d) han desmayado
Answer: (b) desmayan. The they form in the present is desmayan.
Frequently asked questions about desmayarse
Is desmayarse reflexive?
Yes. The pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se go with the verb in every tense: me desmayo, te desmayas, se desmaya. The tables show the verb forms; add the pronoun in front.
What is the past participle of desmayarse?
The past participle is desmayado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he desmayado. The gerund is desmayando, used with estar: estoy desmayando.
How do I say “I faint” in the past?
For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo me desmayé de repente. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me desmayaba por el calor.
How can I practise desmayarse?
Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.