Especializarse Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
especializarse means "to specialise in" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see especializarse with medicine at university, Italian cooking, art history and languages at school — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad. — "Every day, I specialise in in medicine at university." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
especializarse in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with especializarse, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad. — "Every day, I specialise in in medicine at university." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo me especialicé en cocina italiana. — "Yesterday, I specialised in in Italian cooking." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo me especializaba en historia del arte. — "In the past, I used to specialise in in art history." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros nos especializaremos en idiomas en la escuela. — "Tomorrow, we will specialise in in languages at school." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú te especializarías en medicina en la universidad. — "If you could, you would specialise in in medicine at university." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo me he especializado en cocina italiana. — "I have specialised in in Italian cooking." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él se especializa en historia del arte. — "Normally, he/she specialises in in art history." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él se especializó en idiomas en la escuela. — "Yesterday, he/she specialised in in languages at school." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros nos especializábamos en medicina en la universidad. — "In the past, we used to specialise in in medicine at university." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo me especializaré en cocina italiana. — "Tomorrow, I will specialise in in Italian cooking." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él se especialice en historia del arte. — "I hope that he/she specialises in in art history." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡No te especialices en idiomas en la escuela! — "Do not specialise in in languages at school!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using especializarse naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: medicine at university, Italian cooking, art history and languages at school.
Dialogue 1: talking about medicine at university
María: ¿Tú te especializas en medicina en la universidad? — "Do you specialise in in medicine at university?" Carlos: Sí, yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad. — "I specialise in in medicine at university." María: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Carlos: Ayer, yo me especialicé en cocina italiana. — "Yesterday, I specialised in in Italian cooking." María: Mañana, nosotros nos especializaremos en historia del arte. — "Tomorrow, we will specialise in in art history." Carlos: Si pudiera, yo me especializaría en idiomas en la escuela. — "If I could, I would specialise in in languages at school." María: Antes, yo me especializaba en cocina italiana. — "In the past, I used to specialise in in Italian cooking." Carlos: Yo me he especializado en medicina en la universidad. — "I have specialised in in medicine at university." María: ¡No te especialices en historia del arte! — "Do not specialise in in art history!"
In this dialogue especializarse appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about art history
María: Él se especializa en historia del arte. — "he/she specialises in in art history." Carlos: ¿De verdad? ¿Él se especializa en historia del arte todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she specialises in in art history every day?" María: Sí, y ellos se especializan en idiomas en la escuela. — "they specialise in in languages at school." Carlos: Ayer, ellos se especializaron en historia del arte. — "Yesterday, they specialised in in art history." María: Espero que él se especialice en idiomas en la escuela. — "I hope that he/she specialises in in languages at school." Carlos: Mañana, él se especializará en historia del arte. — "Tomorrow, he/she will specialise in in art history." María: Antes, nosotros nos especializábamos en idiomas en la escuela. — "In the past, we used to specialise in in languages at school." Carlos: Nosotros nos especializamos en medicina en la universidad también. — "we specialise in in medicine at university too."
This dialogue shows especializarse in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with especializarse
The errors learners actually make with especializarse in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
- Wrong: Yo especializo en medicina en la universidad.
- Right: Yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad.
- Why: especializarse is reflexive, so the pronoun is part of the verb: Yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad.. Without me the sentence is incomplete.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo especializarse en medicina en la universidad.
- Right: Yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad.
- Why: The infinitive especializarse is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form especializo.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me especializo en cocina italiana.
- Right: Ayer, yo me especialicé en cocina italiana.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo me especialicé en cocina italiana. — "Yesterday, I specialised in in Italian cooking."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Me estoy especializado en historia del arte.
- Right: Me estoy especializando en historia del arte.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund especializando for the progressive. The participle especializado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (me he especializado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Confusing especializarse with especializar
- Wrong: Yo especializo en medicina en la universidad.
- Right: Yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad.
- Why: especializarse (to specialise in) and especializar are partners, not the same verb. Use the reflexive pronoun when the action comes back to the subject.
Quiz: especializarse in use
Test yourself with ten questions on especializarse. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of especializarse in the present tense?
- (a) especializa
- (b) especializamos
- (c) especializo
- (d) especializas
Answer: (c) especializo. The yo form is especializo.
2. What is the tú form of especializarse in the present tense?
- (a) especializamos
- (b) especializas
- (c) especializo
- (d) especializa
Answer: (b) especializas. The tú form is especializas.
3. What is the él/ella form of especializarse in the present tense?
- (a) especializa
- (b) especializo
- (c) especializas
- (d) especializamos
Answer: (a) especializa. The él/ella form is especializa.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ en medicina en la universidad.
- (a) especializas
- (b) especializa
- (c) especializamos
- (d) especializo
Answer: (d) especializo. The sentence needs the yo form especializo.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ en cocina italiana.
- (a) especializó
- (b) especializamos
- (c) especialicé
- (d) especializaste
Answer: (c) especialicé. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is especialicé.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ en historia del arte.
- (a) especializabais
- (b) especializaba
- (c) especializabas
- (d) especializábamos
Answer: (b) especializaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is especializaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ en idiomas en la escuela.
- (a) especializaré
- (b) especializarás
- (c) especializará
- (d) especializaremos
Answer: (a) especializaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is especializaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en medicina en la universidad.
- (a) me he especializado
- (b) te has especializado
- (c) se ha especializado
- (d) nos hemos especializado
Answer: (a) me he especializado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: me he especializado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en historia del arte.
- (a) especialicemos
- (b) especialicéis
- (c) especialice
- (d) especialices
Answer: (c) especialice. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is especialice.
10. What does especializarse mean in English?
- (a) to redden, to blush
- (b) to widen
- (c) to specialise in
- (d) to become furious
Answer: (c) to specialise in. especializarse means "to specialise in" in English.
Frequently asked questions about especializarse
What does especializarse mean?
especializarse means "to specialise in" in English. Use it when you talk about medicine at university, Italian cooking, art history and languages at school — for example: Cada día, yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad. — "Every day, I specialise in in medicine at university."
Is especializarse reflexive?
Yes. especializarse is reflexive, so it always travels with a pronoun: me, te, se, nos, os, se. Cada día, yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad. — "Every day, I specialise in in medicine at university." If you drop the pronoun, the sentence is incomplete.
What is the most common mistake with especializarse?
Forgetting the reflexive pronoun. Learners write the bare form — for example, Yo especializo en medicina en la universidad — when the verb needs its pronoun: Cada día, yo me especializo en medicina en la universidad. — "Every day, I specialise in in medicine at university." Keep the pronoun with the verb and the mistake disappears.
How can I practise especializarse?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.