Enfermarse Conjugation in Spanish
enfermarse means "to get sick" in English, and it is one of the Spanish verbs you will use again and again in everyday conversation. It is used for talking about getting sick — colds, flu, fevers and falling ill in general, which makes it a practical verb to learn early and to use confidently. This page gives you the complete conjugation of enfermarse in every tense and mood — present, preterite, imperfect, future, conditional, the four perfect tenses, both subjunctive tenses and the imperative — with all six persons, plus the gerund and the past participle. Every form below comes from VerbFlow's verified conjugation tables, so you can trust the accents and the irregular forms. Enfermarse is a reflexive -ar verb verb, and the notes under each tense explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To hear it in a real sentence: Yo me enfermo en invierno. — "I get sick in winter.". Work through the tables, read the notes, then test yourself with the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: enfermarse
- English: to get sick
- Verb type: Reflexive -ar verb
- Gerund: enfermando
- Past participle: enfermado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all compound tenses use haber + enfermado)
- Reflexive: yes — always use it with the reflexive pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se.
Full conjugation table
Every tense of enfermarse with all six persons. The gerund is enfermando and the past participle is enfermado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | enfermo |
| tú | enfermas |
| él/ella/Ud. | enferma |
| nosotros/as | enfermamos |
| vosotros/as | enfermáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | enferman |
Preterite (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | enfermé |
| tú | enfermaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | enfermó |
| nosotros/as | enfermamos |
| vosotros/as | enfermasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | enfermaron |
Imperfect (past)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | enfermaba |
| tú | enfermabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | enfermaba |
| nosotros/as | enfermábamos |
| vosotros/as | enfermabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | enfermaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | enfermaré |
| tú | enfermarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | enfermará |
| nosotros/as | enfermaremos |
| vosotros/as | enfermaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | enfermarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | enfermaría |
| tú | enfermarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | enfermaría |
| nosotros/as | enfermaríamos |
| vosotros/as | enfermaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | enfermarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he enfermado |
| tú | has enfermado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha enfermado |
| nosotros/as | hemos enfermado |
| vosotros/as | habéis enfermado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han enfermado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había enfermado |
| tú | habías enfermado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había enfermado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos enfermado |
| vosotros/as | habíais enfermado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían enfermado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré enfermado |
| tú | habrás enfermado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá enfermado |
| nosotros/as | habremos enfermado |
| vosotros/as | habréis enfermado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán enfermado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría enfermado |
| tú | habrías enfermado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría enfermado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos enfermado |
| vosotros/as | habríais enfermado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían enfermado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | enferme |
| tú | enfermes |
| él/ella/Ud. | enferme |
| nosotros/as | enfermemos |
| vosotros/as | enferméis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | enfermen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | enfermara |
| tú | enfermaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | enfermara |
| nosotros/as | enfermáramos |
| vosotros/as | enfermarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | enfermaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | enferma |
| él/ella/Ud. | enferme |
| nosotros/as | enfermemos |
| vosotros/as | enfermad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | enfermen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | enfermes |
| él/ella/Ud. | enferme |
| nosotros/as | enfermemos |
| vosotros/as | enferméis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | enfermen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish |
|---|---|
| Gerund | enfermando |
| Past participle | enfermado |
How to use each tense
Each tense below explains when to use it with enfermarse, with one example sentence. The example forms are taken from the tables above.
Present indicative
The present tense talks about what happens now, habits, routines and general truths. It is the first tense every learner needs, because it covers daily life: what you do, what you like, where you live. For most verbs the present is also the base for the present subjunctive, so learning it well pays off twice.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Yo me enfermo en invierno.
Preterite (past)
The preterite talks about finished actions in the past — things that started and ended at a specific moment. Use it for events, for what happened yesterday, last year, or at a particular time. It answers the question "what happened?" and it is the tense of stories told as a sequence of events.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Ayer yo me enfermé en invierno.
Imperfect (past)
The imperfect talks about the past as background: habits, repeated actions, descriptions, and things that were in progress when something else happened. Use it for "used to", for setting a scene, and for age, time and weather in the past. It answers "what was going on?" rather than "what happened?".
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: En aquella época, yo me enfermaba en invierno.
Future
The future tense talks about what will happen: plans, predictions and promises. In everyday speech Spanish speakers often use "ir a + infinitive" instead, but the future tense is essential for formal writing, for promises, and for guessing about the present ("¿Dónde estará?").
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Mañana yo me enfermaré en invierno.
Conditional
The conditional talks about what would happen: hypothetical situations, polite requests, and advice. It pairs with the imperfect subjunctive in "if" sentences ("Si pudiera, lo haría"). It is also the polite way to ask for things and to soften opinions.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Yo me enfermaría en invierno si pudiera.
Present perfect
The present perfect (haber + past participle) talks about the recent past and about experience: what you have done, what has just happened, what you have never tried. It connects the past to the present moment, so it often appears with "hoy", "esta semana", "ya" and "todavía no".
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Yo ya me he enfermado en invierno.
Pluperfect
The pluperfect (había + past participle) talks about the past before the past: what had already happened when something else happened. Use it to order two past events — the pluperfect one comes first in time. It appears constantly in stories and explanations.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Yo ya me había enfermado en invierno antes.
Future perfect
The future perfect (habré + past participle) talks about something that will already be finished by a future moment: "Para mañana ya habré terminado". It is also used to guess about the past: "¿Dónde habrá ido?". It is less common in speech but regular in writing.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Para mañana yo ya me habré enfermado en invierno.
Conditional perfect
The conditional perfect (habría + past participle) talks about what would have happened: the past of the conditional. It appears in "if" sentences about a past that did not happen ("Si hubiera sabido, habría venido") and in polite regrets and reproaches.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Yo me habría enfermado en invierno si hubiera podido.
Present subjunctive
The present subjunctive is the mood of wishes, doubts, emotions and influence: what you want, hope, doubt or demand. It appears after "quiero que", "espero que", "es posible que", "ojalá" and after verbs of emotion and doubt. It never stands alone — a trigger in the main clause calls for it.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Espero que él se enferme en invierno.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
The imperfect subjunctive is the past of the subjunctive: it follows past-tense triggers ("Quería que vinieras") and it is the tense of "if" clauses about unlikely or impossible situations ("Si tuviera dinero, viajaría"). The -ra forms shown here are the standard ones; -se forms exist too but -ra is far more common in speech.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: Si él se enfermara en invierno, sería perfecto.
Imperative (affirmative)
Affirmative commands tell someone to do something: "¡Ven aquí!", "¡Siéntate!". The tú and vosotros forms are the ones you will use most, and they are also the ones that break the regular pattern most often — the tú affirmative command comes from the él/ella present form, not from the infinitive.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
In affirmative commands the reflexive pronoun attaches to the end of the verb. The table above gives the verb part of the command; add the pronoun (te, se, nos, os) after it.
Imperative (negative)
Negative commands tell someone not to do something: "¡No hables!", "¡No te vayas!". Unlike affirmative commands, negative commands always use the subjunctive forms, for every person. If you know the present subjunctive, you already know the negative imperative.
Remember the reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se) goes before the verb in these forms.
Example: No te enfermes en invierno.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with enfermarse, covering different tenses and persons. Read the Spanish first, then check the English.
- Yo me enfermo en invierno. — "I get sick in winter."
- ¿Tú te enfermas en invierno? — "Do you get sick in winter?"
- Ayer me enfermé en invierno. — "Yesterday I got sick in winter."
- Ella se enfermaba en invierno cada año. — "She used to get sick in winter every year."
- Mañana yo me enfermaré en invierno si no me abrigo. — "Tomorrow I will get sick in winter if I don't wrap up warm."
- Yo me enfermaría en invierno si saliera sin abrigo. — "I would get sick in winter if I went out without a coat."
- Ya me he enfermado en invierno dos veces. — "I have already got sick in winter twice."
- Espero que no te enfermes en invierno. — "I hope you don't get sick in winter."
Common mistakes
The errors learners actually make with enfermarse — and how to fix them.
- Wrong: *Yo enfermo en invierno — the pronoun is often forgotten. → Right: Yo me enfermo en invierno.. Enfermarse is reflexive: me enfermo, te enfermas, se enferma. Without the pronoun, enfermar means to make someone sick, which is rarely what you mean.
- Wrong: *Estoy enfermo en invierno — learners sometimes write estoy enfermando to say "I am sick". → Right: Estoy enfermado en invierno.. The participle enfermo is the adjective for sick: Estoy enfermo. Estoy enfermando means "I am falling ill", the process, not the state.
- Wrong: *Me enfermé en invierno — the accent is often dropped: me enferme. → Right: Me enfermé en invierno.. The preterite yo form is me enfermé, with an accent on the final e. The pronoun goes before the verb: me enfermé, te enfermaste, se enfermó.
- Wrong: *No te enfermes en invierno — learners sometimes use the indicative enfermas in a negative command. → Right: No te enfermes en invierno.. Negative commands use the subjunctive: No te enfermes, not No te enfermas.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on enfermarse. Answers are at the end, with a short explanation for each.
What is the yo form of enfermarse in the present indicative?
- a) enferma
- b) enfermo
- c) enfermamos
- d) enfermas
What is the él/ella/Ud. form of enfermarse in the preterite (past)?
- a) enfermaste
- b) enfermó
- c) enfermé
- d) enfermamos
What is the nosotros/as form of enfermarse in the imperfect (past)?
- a) enfermaba
- b) enfermábamos
- c) enfermaba
- d) enfermabas
What is the tú form of enfermarse in the future?
- a) enfermaré
- b) enfermaremos
- c) enfermarás
- d) enfermará
What is the ellos/ellas/Uds. form of enfermarse in the conditional?
- a) enfermaría
- b) enfermarías
- c) enfermarían
- d) enfermaría
What is the yo form of enfermarse in the present subjunctive?
- a) enferme
- b) enfermes
- c) enferme
- d) enfermemos
What is the gerund of enfermarse?
- a) enferma
- b) enfermando
- c) enfermado
- d) enfermarse
What is the past participle of enfermarse?
- a) he enfermado
- b) enfermo
- c) enfermando
- d) enfermado
What does enfermarse mean in English?
- a) to lend
- b) to decide
- c) to invite
- d) to get sick
The form enfermé belongs to which tense?
- a) Preterite
- b) Imperfect
- c) Future
- d) Present
Answer key
- enfermo — The yo form in the present indicative is enfermo — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- enfermó — The él/ella/Ud. form in the preterite (past) is enfermó — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- enfermábamos — The nosotros/as form in the imperfect (past) is enfermábamos — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- enfermarás — The tú form in the future is enfermarás — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- enfermarían — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form in the conditional is enfermarían — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- enferme — The yo form in the present subjunctive is enferme — the other options are the same tense but different persons.
- enfermando — The gerund is enfermando — it is the form used with estar for the progressive (estoy enfermando). The past participle is enfermado.
- enfermado — The past participle is enfermado — it is the form used after haber in the perfect tenses (he enfermado).
- to get sick — enfermarse means "to get sick".
- Preterite — enfermé is the yo form of the preterite of enfermarse — a finished past action. The imperfect yo form is enfermaba.
Frequently asked questions
Is enfermarse reflexive?
Yes. Enfermarse takes a reflexive pronoun: me enfermo, te enfermas, se enferma, nos enfermamos, os enfermáis, se enferman. The non-reflexive enfermar means to make someone ill, and it is rarely used.
What is the difference between enfermarse and estar enfermo?
Enfermarse is the process of falling ill (Me enfermé ayer), while estar enfermo is the state of being ill (Estoy enfermo). Use the participle enfermo as an adjective for the state.
How do you say "I got sick" in Spanish?
Me enfermé — the preterite yo form with the pronoun. Or use the state: Estoy enfermo. Both are correct; me enfermé tells the story, estoy enfermo describes now.
Does enfermarse take a preposition?
Yes, de: Me enfermé de gripe, Me enfermo de frío. Use de to say what made you ill. For the time, use en: Me enfermo en invierno.
Related pages
- Enfermarse in the present tense — the present tense of enfermarse in depth, with its own examples and quiz.
- Enfermarse examples and quiz — more everyday sentences with enfermarse and a second quiz.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub: every verb, every tense guide and every tool in one place.
- Curarse conjugation — another verb in the same family as enfermarse.
- Cansarse conjugation — another verb in the same family as enfermarse.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — practise enfermarse with this tool.
- Reflexive Verb Conjugator — practise enfermarse with this tool.
- Present tense guide — how the present tense works for regular and irregular verbs.