Fatigarse Present Tense in Spanish
fatigarse means "to get tired" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for fatigarse, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo me fatigo con el trabajo en el campo. — "Every day, I get tired with work in the fields." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of fatigarse: full table
Every person of fatigarse in the present tense. The gerund is fatigándose and the past participle is fatigado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me fatigo |
| tú | te fatigas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se fatiga |
| nosotros/as | nos fatigamos |
| vosotros/as | os fatigáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se fatigan |
The gerund of fatigarse is fatigándose and the past participle is fatigado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy fatigándose), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (me he fatigado). Because fatigarse is reflexive, every present-tense form carries its pronoun in front of it: me, te, se, nos, os, se.
How the present tense of fatigarse is formed
The present tense of fatigarse is built from the stem fatig- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo me fatigo, tú te fatigas, él se fatiga, nosotros nos fatigamos, vosotros os fatigáis and ellos se fatigan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | me fatigo |
| tú | -as | te fatigas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | se fatiga |
| nosotros/as | -amos | nos fatigamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | os fatigáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | se fatigan |
Watch the spelling: the g becomes gu before e, so the yo preterite is fatigué and the subjunctive forms start with gu, for example fatigue.
fatigarse is a reflexive verb, so every form carries a reflexive pronoun in front of it: me, te, se, nos, os, se. The pronoun always goes before the conjugated verb in the present tense. The gerund is fatigándose, with the pronoun attached to the end, and the past participle is fatigado.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is fatigándose, used for the progressive with estar: estoy fatigándose. The past participle is fatigado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: me he fatigado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with fatigarse
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo me fatigo con el trabajo en el campo. — "Every day, I get tired with work in the fields." The complement in this sentence is about work in the fields, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fatigarse in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú te fatigas al subir la montaña. — "Now, you get tired climbing the mountain." The complement in this sentence is about climbing the mountain, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fatigarse in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él se fatiga en el gimnasio por la tarde. — "Normally, he/she gets tired at the gym in the afternoon." The complement in this sentence is about the gym in the afternoon, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fatigarse in the present tense.
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example: Mañana, nosotros nos fatigamos con los niños en el parque. — "Tomorrow, we get tired with the children in the park." The complement in this sentence is about the children in the park, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fatigarse in the present tense.
5. Frequent actions
With words such as siempre, a menudo and todos los días, the present tense shows how often something happens. For example: Siempre, ellos se fatigan con el trabajo en el campo. — "Always, they get tired with work in the fields." The complement in this sentence is about work in the fields, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fatigarse in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: fatigarse
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with fatigarse.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo me fatigo con el trabajo en el campo. — "Every day, I get tired with work in the fields."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo me fatigué con el trabajo en el campo. — "Yesterday, I got tired with work in the fields."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, tú te fatigas al subir la montaña. — "Every day, you get tired climbing the mountain."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú te fatigaste al subir la montaña. — "Yesterday, you got tired climbing the mountain."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, él se fatiga en el gimnasio por la tarde. — "Every day, he/she gets tired at the gym in the afternoon."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él se fatigó en el gimnasio por la tarde. — "Yesterday, he/she got tired at the gym in the afternoon."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: fatigarse in the present tense
These eight sentences show fatigarse in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo me fatigo con el trabajo en el campo. — "I get tired with work in the fields."
- Tú te fatigas al subir la montaña. — "you get tired climbing the mountain."
- Él se fatiga en el gimnasio por la tarde. — "he/she gets tired at the gym in the afternoon."
- Nosotros nos fatigamos con los niños en el parque. — "we get tired with the children in the park."
- Vosotros os fatigáis con el trabajo en el campo. — "you (plural) get tired with work in the fields."
- Ellos se fatigan al subir la montaña. — "they get tired climbing the mountain."
- Yo me fatigo en el gimnasio por la tarde. — "I get tired at the gym in the afternoon."
- Tú te fatigas con los niños en el parque. — "you get tired with the children in the park."
Common mistakes with fatigarse in the present tense
Mistake 1: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
- Wrong: Yo fatigo con el trabajo en el campo.
- Right: Yo me fatigo con el trabajo en el campo.
- Why: fatigarse is reflexive, so the pronoun is part of the verb: Yo me fatigo con el trabajo en el campo.. Without me the sentence is incomplete.
Mistake 2: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros os fatigais con el trabajo en el campo.
- Right: Vosotros os fatigáis con el trabajo en el campo.
- Why: The vosotros form fatigáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me fatigo al subir la montaña.
- Right: Ayer, yo me fatigué al subir la montaña.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo me fatigué al subir la montaña. — "Yesterday, I got tired climbing the mountain." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo me fatigo en el gimnasio por la tarde.
- Right: Antes, yo me fatigaba en el gimnasio por la tarde.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo me fatigaba en el gimnasio por la tarde. — "In the past, I used to get tired at the gym in the afternoon." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros nos fatiga con el trabajo en el campo.
- Right: Nosotros nos fatigamos con el trabajo en el campo.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes fatigamos, while fatiga belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of fatigarse
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of fatigarse. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of fatigarse in the present tense?
- (a) fatigamos
- (b) fatigo
- (c) fatigas
- (d) fatiga
Answer: (b) fatigo. The yo form is fatigo. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of fatigarse in the present tense?
- (a) fatigas
- (b) fatigo
- (c) fatiga
- (d) fatigamos
Answer: (a) fatigas. The tú form is fatigas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of fatigarse in the present tense?
- (a) fatigo
- (b) fatigas
- (c) fatigamos
- (d) fatiga
Answer: (d) fatiga. The él/ella form is fatiga. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of fatigarse in the present tense?
- (a) fatigas
- (b) fatiga
- (c) fatigamos
- (d) fatigo
Answer: (c) fatigamos. The nosotros form is fatigamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of fatigarse in the present tense?
- (a) fatiga
- (b) fatigan
- (c) fatigo
- (d) fatigas
Answer: (b) fatigan. The ellos/ellas form is fatigan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ con el trabajo en el campo.
- (a) fatigo
- (b) fatigas
- (c) fatiga
- (d) fatigamos
Answer: (a) fatigo. The sentence needs the yo form fatigo (Every day, I get tired with work in the fields.)
7. What is the gerund of fatigarse?
- (a) fatigando
- (b) fatigado
- (c) fatigo
- (d) fatigarse
Answer: (a) fatigando. The gerund is fatigando, used for the progressive: me estoy fatigando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Antes, yo me fatigaba al subir la montaña.
- (b) Ayer, yo me fatigué al subir la montaña.
- (c) Mañana, yo me fatigaré al subir la montaña.
- (d) Cada día, yo me fatigo al subir la montaña.
Answer: (d) Cada día, yo me fatigo al subir la montaña.. Cada día, yo me fatigo al subir la montaña. (Every day, I get tired climbing the mountain.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo me fatigué al subir la montaña. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo me fatigaré al subir la montaña. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of fatigarse
Is fatigarse regular in the present tense?
Almost. fatigarse is a spelling-changing (g → gu before e) -ar verb, so its endings are regular, but watch the spelling: Watch the spelling: the g becomes gu before e, so the yo preterite is fatigué and the subjunctive forms start with gu, for example fatigue.
How do you say 'get tired' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo me fatigo con el trabajo en el campo. — "Every day, I get tired with work in the fields." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with fatigarse?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo me fatigo al subir la montaña. — "Every day, I get tired climbing the mountain." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo me fatigué al subir la montaña. — "Yesterday, I got tired climbing the mountain." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.
Can I use the present tense for the future with fatigarse?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros nos fatigamos con los niños en el parque. — "Tomorrow, we get tired with the children in the park." Spanish often uses the present for a plan that feels certain, where English would use the future. Add a time word such as mañana so the listener knows you mean the future.