Desvestirse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb desvestirse means to get undressed, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Desvestirse means to get undressed, and it is used for taking off your clothes at night, before a shower or before bed. It is the opposite of vestirse, and it is a stem-changing verb, e to i, with changes in the preterite and the gerund as well. Like every Spanish verb, desvestirse 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 desvisto antes de ducharse, and in the preterite you say me desvestí con cuidado sin hacer ruido. 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: desvestirse
  • English: to get undressed
  • Verb type: irregular verb, reflexive, stem-changing (e → i)
  • Ending: -ir
  • Gerund: desvistiendo
  • Past participle: desvestido
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + desvestido)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.
  • Stem change: e → i in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for desvestirse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Desvestirse changes e to i: me desvisto, se desvistió, desvistiéndose. The gerund is desvistiendo, not desvestiendo.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for desvestirse. 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 desvisto
tú te desvistes
él/ella/Ud. se desviste
nosotros/as nos desvestimos
vosotros/as os desvestís
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desvisten

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me desvestí
tú te desvestiste
él/ella/Ud. se desvistió
nosotros/as nos desvestimos
vosotros/as os desvestisteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desvistieron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me desvestía
tú te desvestías
él/ella/Ud. se desvestía
nosotros/as nos desvestíamos
vosotros/as os desvestíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desvestían

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me desvestiré
tú te desvestirás
él/ella/Ud. se desvestirá
nosotros/as nos desvestiremos
vosotros/as os desvestiréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desvestirán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me desvestiría
tú te desvestirías
él/ella/Ud. se desvestiría
nosotros/as nos desvestiríamos
vosotros/as os desvestiríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desvestirían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me desvista
tú te desvistas
él/ella/Ud. se desvista
nosotros/as nos desvistamos
vosotros/as os desvistáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desvistan

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me desvistiera
tú te desvistieras
él/ella/Ud. se desvistiera
nosotros/as nos desvistiéramos
vosotros/as os desvistierais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desvistieran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te desviste
él/ella/Ud. se desvista
nosotros/as nos desvistamos
vosotros/as os desvestid
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desvistan

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te desvistas
él/ella/Ud. se desvista
nosotros/as nos desvistamos
vosotros/as os desvistáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se desvistan

Gerund and past participle

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

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → i in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For desvestirse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me desvisto antes de ducharse. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem vowel changes in the third-person forms, as in desvistió, and in the gerund (desvistiendo). Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For desvestirse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me desvestí en el dormitorio por la noche. 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 desvestirse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me desvestía con cuidado sin hacer ruido. 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 desvestirse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me desvestiré para ponerse el pijama. 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 desvestirse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me desvestiría antes de ducharse 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 desvestirse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he desvestido en el dormitorio por la noche. 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 desvestirse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había desvestido con cuidado sin hacer ruido 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 desvestirse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré desvestido para ponerse el pijama. 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 desvestirse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría desvestido antes de ducharse 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → i in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For desvestirse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se desvista en el dormitorio por la noche. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem vowel changes in the third-person forms, as in desvistiera, and in the gerund (desvistiendo). Learn the forms in the table rather than applying the regular endings. For desvestirse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se desvistiera con cuidado sin hacer ruido, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → i in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For desvestirse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se desvista para ponerse el pijama. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → i in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For desvestirse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te desvistas antes de ducharse. 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 desvestirse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me desvisto antes de ducharse. — I get undressed before having a shower.
  2. Se desviste en el dormitorio por la noche. — He/she gets undressed in the bedroom at night.
  3. Ayer, me desvestí con cuidado sin hacer ruido. — Yesterday, I got undressed carefully without making a noise.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos desvestíamos para ponerse el pijama. — Before, we used to get undressed to put on my pyjamas.
  5. Mañana, tú te desvestirás antes de ducharse. — Tomorrow, you will get undressed before having a shower.
  6. Yo me desvestiría en el dormitorio por la noche si tuviera más tiempo. — I would get undressed in the bedroom at night if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha desvestido con cuidado sin hacer ruido. — He has got undressed carefully without making a noise.
  8. Espero que él se desvista para ponerse el pijama. — I hope he gets undressed to put on my pyjamas.
  9. Yo ya me había desvestido antes de ducharse antes de salir. — I had already got undressed before having a shower before leaving.
  10. Ellos se desvestían en el dormitorio por la noche cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to get undressed in the bedroom at night when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo desvisto antes de ducharse. — Right: Yo me desvisto antes de ducharse. — Desvestirse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Yo desvesto en el dormitorio por la noche. — Right: Yo desvisto en el dormitorio por la noche. — Desvestirse is a stem-changing verb (e → i), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural. The nosotros form keeps the original stem.
  3. Wrong: Treating desvestirse and vestirse as identical in every context. — Right: Desvestirse means to get undressed, while vestirse means to get dressed. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: desvestirse fits sentences such as Me desvisto antes de ducharse, while vestirse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy desvestido en el dormitorio por la noche. — Right: Yo he desvestido en el dormitorio por la noche. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he desvestido, has desvestido, ha desvestido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo desvestí con cuidado sin hacer ruido todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo desvestía con cuidado sin hacer ruido todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (desvestía), not the preterite. The preterite (desvestí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ antes de ducharse. (present tense) A. me desvisto B. te desvistes C. se desviste D. nos desvestimos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en el dormitorio por la noche. (preterite) A. me desvestí B. te desvestiste C. se desvistieron D. se desvistió

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ con cuidado sin hacer ruido. (imperfect) A. te desvestías B. se desvestían C. nos desvestíamos D. me desvestía

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ para ponerse el pijama. (future) A. nos desvestiremos B. te desvestirás C. me desvestiré D. se desvestirá

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ antes de ducharse si pudiera. (conditional) A. me desvestiría B. te desvestirías C. se desvestiría D. se desvestirían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en el dormitorio por la noche. (present subjunctive) A. me desvista B. te desvistas C. nos desvistamos D. se desvista

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ con cuidado sin hacer ruido, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se desvistiera B. nos desvistiéramos C. me desvistiera D. te desvistieras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ para ponerse el pijama. (present perfect) A. se han desvestido B. nos hemos desvestido C. me he desvestido D. te has desvestido

  9. Complete the command: No ___ antes de ducharse. (negative imperative, tú) A. te desvistas B. se desvista C. nos desvistamos D. os desvistáis

  10. Which is the gerund of desvestirse, used with estar for the progressive? A. desvestido B. desvisto C. desvestí D. desvistiendo

Answer key

  1. me desvisto — The first-person present of desvestirse is me desvisto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se desvistió — The third-person preterite of desvestirse is se desvistió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos desvestíamos — The nosotros imperfect of desvestirse is nos desvestíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te desvestirás — The second-person future of desvestirse is te desvestirás.
  5. me desvestiría — The first-person conditional of desvestirse is me desvestiría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se desvista — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of desvestirse is se desvista.
  7. me desvistiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of desvestirse is me desvistiera.
  8. nos hemos desvestido — The nosotros present perfect of desvestirse is nos hemos desvestido: hemos + desvestido.
  9. te desvistas — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te desvistas.
  10. desvistiendo — The gerund of desvestirse is desvistiendo: estoy desvistiendo. The participle desvestido is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does desvestirse mean in English?

Desvestirse means to get undressed. It is used in everyday situations such as Me desvisto antes de ducharse. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is desvestirse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Desvestirse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me desvisto antes de ducharse and él se desviste en el dormitorio por la noche. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between desvestirse and vestirse?

Desvestirse means to get undressed, while vestirse means to get dressed. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use desvestirse when you mean to get undressed, as in Me desvisto antes de ducharse, and use vestirse for to get dressed. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

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

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me desvestí en el dormitorio por la noche. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me desvestía con cuidado sin hacer ruido. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he desvestido en el dormitorio por la noche.

How do I practise desvestirse?

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

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