Endeudarse Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
endeudarse means "to get into debt" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows endeudarse 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 endeudarse, 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 endeudarse
Everyday use
Endeudarse means to get into debt. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.
- Yo me endeudo hasta las cejas — "I get into debt up to the eyeballs"
- Él se endeuda con el banco — "He gets into debt with the bank"
- Yo me endeudé por la hipoteca — "I got into debt because of the mortgage"
- Yo me endeudaba hasta las cejas — "I used to get into debt up to the eyeballs"
- Yo me endeudaré con el banco — "I will get into debt with the bank"
- Yo me he endeudado por la hipoteca — "I have got into debt because of the mortgage"
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 endeudó por la hipoteca — "He got into debt because of the mortgage"
- Él se endeudaba hasta las cejas — "He used to get into debt up to the eyeballs"
- Tú te endeudarás con el banco — "You will get into debt with the bank"
- Yo me endeudaría por la hipoteca — "I would get into debt because of the mortgage"
- Yo me había endeudado hasta las cejas — "I had got into debt up to the eyeballs"
- Nosotros nos endeudamos con el banco — "We get into debt with the bank"
Endeudarse in conversation
The two dialogues below show endeudarse in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú te endeudas hasta las cejas? — "Do you get into debt up to the eyeballs?"
- Sí, yo me endeudo hasta las cejas cada día. — "Yes, I get into debt up to the eyeballs every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú te endeudaste con el banco? — "And yesterday? Did you get into debt with the bank?"
- Sí, yo me endeudé con el banco. — "Yes, I got into debt with the bank."
- Mañana, yo me endeudaré por la hipoteca también. — "Tomorrow, I will get into debt because of the mortgage too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros os endeudáis hasta las cejas? — "Do you get into debt up to the eyeballs?"
- Sí, nosotros nos endeudamos hasta las cejas los fines de semana. — "Yes, We get into debt up to the eyeballs at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos se endeudan con el banco? — "And them? Do they get into debt with the bank?"
- Sí, ellos se endeudan con el banco también. — "Yes, They get into debt with the bank too."
- Mañana nosotros nos endeudaremos con el banco otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will get into debt with the bank again."
Useful phrases with endeudarse
Four patterns you can use with endeudarse in any conversation. The reflexive pronoun attaches to the end of the infinitive: endeudarme. Only the first verb changes.
- Voy a endeudarme hasta las cejas. — "I am going to get into debt up to the eyeballs."
- Quiero endeudarme con el banco. — "I want to get into debt with the bank."
- Me gusta endeudarme por la hipoteca. — "I like to get into debt because of the mortgage."
- Acabo de endeudarme hasta las cejas. — "I have just got into debt up to the eyeballs."
Common mistakes with endeudarse in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo endeudo hasta las cejas.
- Right: Yo me endeudo hasta las cejas.
- Why: Endeudarse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it, endeudo means something else, or nothing at all.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Todos los días, yo me endeudé.
- Right: Todos los días, yo me endeudo.
- 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 endeudado con el banco.
- Right: Yo me he endeudado con el banco.
- Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he endeudado, has endeudado, ha endeudado.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me endeudo.
- Right: Ayer, yo me endeudé.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (endeudé). The present (endeudo) is for habits and for now.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Espero que él endeuda hasta las cejas.
- Right: Espero que él se endeude hasta las cejas.
- Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: endeude. The indicative form would be wrong here.
Quiz: endeudarse in use
Ten questions on endeudarse across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the I form of endeudarse in the present tense?
- (a) endeudáramos
- (b) endeudarían
- (c) endeudo
- (d) han endeudado
Answer: (c) endeudo. The I form in the present is endeudo.
2. What is the he / she form of endeudarse in the present tense?
- (a) endeuda
- (b) endeudé
- (c) endeudáis
- (d) había endeudado
Answer: (a) endeuda. The he / she form in the present is endeuda.
3. What is the he / she form of endeudarse in the preterite tense?
- (a) habríais endeudado
- (b) endeudó
- (c) endeudéis
- (d) endeudarían
Answer: (b) endeudó. The he / she form in the preterite is endeudó.
4. What is the I form of endeudarse in the imperfect tense?
- (a) endeudaremos
- (b) habría endeudado
- (c) endeudaba
- (d) endeudáramos
Answer: (c) endeudaba. The I form in the imperfect is endeudaba.
5. What is the I form of endeudarse in the future tense?
- (a) endeudaré
- (b) endeudarán
- (c) habríais endeudado
- (d) endeudaba
Answer: (a) endeudaré. The I form in the future is endeudaré.
6. What is the I form of endeudarse in the present perfect tense?
- (a) endeudarán
- (b) endeudaría
- (c) endeudáis
- (d) he endeudado
Answer: (d) he endeudado. The I form in the present perfect is he endeudado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ hasta las cejas.
- (a) endeudes
- (b) endeudéis
- (c) endeudemos
- (d) endeude
Answer: (d) endeude. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is endeude.
8. What is the we form of endeudarse in the present tense?
- (a) habré endeudado
- (b) habían endeudado
- (c) endeudamos
- (d) habéis endeudado
Answer: (c) endeudamos. The we form in the present is endeudamos.
9. What is the I form of endeudarse in the preterite tense?
- (a) he endeudado
- (b) endeudábamos
- (c) endeudes
- (d) endeudé
Answer: (d) endeudé. The I form in the preterite is endeudé.
10. What is the they form of endeudarse in the present tense?
- (a) endeudan
- (b) endeudas
- (c) habríais endeudado
- (d) endeudé
Answer: (a) endeudan. The they form in the present is endeudan.
Frequently asked questions about endeudarse
Is endeudarse reflexive?
Yes. The pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se go with the verb in every tense: me endeudo, te endeudas, se endeuda. The tables show the verb forms; add the pronoun in front.
What is the past participle of endeudarse?
The past participle is endeudado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he endeudado. The gerund is endeudando, used with estar: estoy endeudando.
How do I say “I get into debt” in the past?
For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo me endeudé con el banco. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me endeudaba por la hipoteca.
How can I practise endeudarse?
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.