Introduction

Desmayarse means “to faint”, and this page covers exactly one thing: desmayarse 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 desmayarse, 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 desmayarse in the present. Desmayarse in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo me desmayo en la calle” — "I faint in the street". Everything on this page uses the forms of desmayarse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Desmayarse in the Present Tense — full table

Person Pronoun Form
yo me desmayo
tú te desmayas
él/ella/Ud. se desmaya
nosotros/as nos desmayamos
vosotros/as os desmayáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desmayan

Gerund: desmayando · Past participle: desmayado

The gerund is desmayando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Me estoy desmayando” means the action of desmayarse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is desmayado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “me he desmayado” 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 desmayarse is used.

How the present of desmayarse is formed

Desmayarse is a regular -ar, reflexive verb in the present. Take the stem desmay and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving desmayo, desmayas, desmaya, desmayamos, desmayáis, desmayan. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, desmayáis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. Because desmayarse is reflexive, every form takes the matching pronoun in front: me desmayo, te desmayas, se desmaya. The pronoun is part of the verb, not an optional extra. The present of desmayarse is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form desmayáis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form desmayo is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of desmayarse

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use desmayarse 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 is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, desmayarse goes in the present. Example: “Yo me desmayo de repente” — "I faint suddenly".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about desmayarse does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él se desmaya por el calor” — "He faints because of the heat".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so me desmayo can mean both "I faint" and "I am fainting". Example: “Yo me desmayo en la calle” — "I faint in the street".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Nosotros nos desmayamos de repente” — "We faint suddenly".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with desmayarse just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él se desmaya por el calor” — "He faints because of the heat".

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 reports what happens regularly or what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. 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 desmayo en la calle” — "I faint in the street".

  • Preterite: “Yo me desmayé en la calle” — "I fainted in the street".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él se desmaya de repente” — "He faints suddenly".

  • Preterite: “Él se desmayó de repente” — "He fainted suddenly".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros nos desmayamos por el calor” — "We faint because of the heat".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros nos desmayamos por el calor” — "We fainted because of the heat".

  • The two sentences look identical: nos desmayamos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: desmayarse 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. “Yo me desmayo de repente” — "I faint suddenly"

  2. “Tú te desmayas por el calor” — "You faint because of the heat"

  3. “Él se desmaya en la calle” — "He faints in the street"

  4. “Nosotros nos desmayamos de repente” — "We faint suddenly"

  5. “Vosotros os desmayáis por el calor” — "You faint because of the heat"

  6. “Ellos se desmayan en la calle” — "They faint in the street"

  7. “Yo me desmayo de repente” — "I faint suddenly"

  8. “Él se desmaya por el calor” — "He faints because of the heat"

Common mistakes with desmayarse 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: “Ellos desmaya en la calle” Right: “Ellos se desmayan en la calle” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form desmayan. The singular desmaya belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo me desmayé” Right: “Todos los días, yo me desmayo” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (desmayé) is for one finished action, not for routines.

  • Wrong: “Yo desmayo en la calle.” Right: “Yo me desmayo en la calle” Why: Desmayarse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it the sentence means something else, or nothing at all.

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo me desmayo” Right: “Ayer, yo me desmayé” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to desmayé.

Quiz: desmayarse 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 me ___ por el calor.” (yo form)

A. desmayáis B. desmayo C. desmaya D. desmayan

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú te ___ en la calle.” (tú form)

A. desmayas B. desmaya C. desmayo D. desmayan

3. Complete the sentence: “Él se ___ de repente.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. desmaya B. desmayáis C. desmayas D. desmayo

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros nos ___ por el calor.” (nosotros/as form)

A. desmayamos B. desmaya C. desmayan D. desmayáis

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros os ___ en la calle.” (vosotros/as form)

A. desmayáis B. desmaya C. desmayamos D. desmayas

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos se ___ de repente.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. desmaya B. desmayas C. desmayan D. desmayáis

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo me desmayo B. Todos los días, yo me desmayé

Answer key

  1. desmayo — The yo present of desmayarse is desmayo.
  2. desmayas — The tú present of desmayarse is desmayas.
  3. desmaya — The él/ella/Ud. present of desmayarse is desmaya.
  4. desmayamos — The nosotros/as present of desmayarse is desmayamos.
  5. desmayáis — The vosotros/as present of desmayarse is desmayáis.
  6. desmayan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of desmayarse is desmayan.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo me desmayo — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of desmayarse?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo me desmayo en la calle. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of desmayarse formed?

Take the stem desmay- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving desmayo, desmayas, desmaya, desmayamos, desmayáis, desmayan.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for desmayarse?

The present (desmayo) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (desmayé) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise desmayarse in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — desmayo, desmayas, desmaya, desmayamos, desmayáis, desmayan — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the desmayarse examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of desmayarse when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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