Introduction

Doctorarse means “to get a doctorate”, and this page covers exactly one thing: doctorarse 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 doctorarse, 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 doctorarse in the present. Doctorarse in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo me doctoro en historia” — "I get a doctorate in history". Everything on this page uses the forms of doctorarse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Doctorarse in the Present Tense — full table

Person Pronoun Form
yo me doctoro
tú te doctoras
él/ella/Ud. se doctora
nosotros/as nos doctoramos
vosotros/as os doctoráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se doctoran

Gerund: doctorando · Past participle: doctorado

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

How the present of doctorarse is formed

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

When to use the present of doctorarse

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use doctorarse 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, doctorarse goes in the present. Example: “El año pasado, yo me doctoro” — "Last year, I get a doctorate".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about doctorarse does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él se doctora con una tesis” — "He gets a doctorate with a thesis".

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 doctoro can mean both "I get a doctorate" and "I am getting a doctorate". Example: “Yo me doctoro en historia” — "I get a doctorate in history".

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: “El año pasado, nosotros nos doctoramos” — "Last year, we get a doctorate".

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 doctorarse just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él se doctora con una tesis” — "He gets a doctorate with a thesis".

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 doctoro en historia” — "I get a doctorate in history".

  • Preterite: “Yo me doctoré en historia” — "I got a doctorate in history".

  • 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: “El año pasado, él se doctora” — "Last year, he gets a doctorate".

  • Preterite: “El año pasado, él se doctoró” — "Last year, he got a doctorate".

  • 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 doctoramos con una tesis” — "We get a doctorate with a thesis".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros nos doctoramos con una tesis” — "We got a doctorate with a thesis".

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

Example sentences: doctorarse 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. “El año pasado, yo me doctoro” — "Last year, I get a doctorate"

  2. “Tú te doctoras con una tesis” — "You get a doctorate with a thesis"

  3. “Él se doctora en historia” — "He gets a doctorate in history"

  4. “El año pasado, nosotros nos doctoramos” — "Last year, we get a doctorate"

  5. “Vosotros os doctoráis con una tesis” — "You get a doctorate with a thesis"

  6. “Ellos se doctoran en historia” — "They get a doctorate in history"

  7. “El año pasado, yo me doctoro” — "Last year, I get a doctorate"

  8. “Él se doctora con una tesis” — "He gets a doctorate with a thesis"

Common mistakes with doctorarse 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 doctora en historia” Right: “Ellos se doctoran en historia” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form doctoran. The singular doctora belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

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

  • Wrong: “Yo doctoro en historia.” Right: “Yo me doctoro en historia” Why: Doctorarse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it the sentence means something else, or nothing at all.

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

Quiz: doctorarse 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 ___ en historia.” (yo form)

A. doctoramos B. doctora C. doctoro D. doctoras

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú te ___ con una tesis.” (tú form)

A. doctoras B. doctoran C. doctora D. doctoro

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

A. doctora B. doctoráis C. doctoro D. doctoramos

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros nos ___ con una tesis.” (nosotros/as form)

A. doctoras B. doctoramos C. doctoran D. doctoro

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

A. doctoramos B. doctoro C. doctoran D. doctoráis

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos se ___ con una tesis.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. doctoras B. doctoran C. doctoramos D. doctoráis

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 doctoro B. Todos los días, yo me doctoré

Answer key

  1. doctoro — The yo present of doctorarse is doctoro.
  2. doctoras — The tú present of doctorarse is doctoras.
  3. doctora — The él/ella/Ud. present of doctorarse is doctora.
  4. doctoramos — The nosotros/as present of doctorarse is doctoramos.
  5. doctoráis — The vosotros/as present of doctorarse is doctoráis.
  6. doctoran — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of doctorarse is doctoran.
  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 doctoro — 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 doctorarse?

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

How is the present of doctorarse formed?

Take the stem doctor- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving doctoro, doctoras, doctora, doctoramos, doctoráis, doctoran.

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

The present (doctoro) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (doctoré) 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 doctorarse in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — doctoro, doctoras, doctora, doctoramos, doctoráis, doctoran — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the doctorarse examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of doctorarse when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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