Fracturarse Present Tense in Spanish
fracturarse means "to fracture (a bone)" 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 fracturarse, 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 fracturo el brazo en la caída. — "Every day, I fracture (a bone) his arm in the fall." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of fracturarse: full table
Every person of fracturarse in the present tense. The gerund is fracturándose and the past participle is fracturado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me fracturo |
| tú | te fracturas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se fractura |
| nosotros/as | nos fracturamos |
| vosotros/as | os fracturáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se fracturan |
The gerund of fracturarse is fracturándose and the past participle is fracturado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy fracturándose), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (me he fracturado). Because fracturarse is reflexive, every present-tense form carries its pronoun in front of it: me, te, se, nos, os, se.
How the present tense of fracturarse is formed
The present tense of fracturarse is built from the stem fractur- 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 fracturo, tú te fracturas, él se fractura, nosotros nos fracturamos, vosotros os fracturáis and ellos se fracturan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | me fracturo |
| tú | -as | te fracturas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | se fractura |
| nosotros/as | -amos | nos fracturamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | os fracturáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | se fracturan |
fracturarse is completely regular in the present tense: the stem never changes and every ending is the standard -ar ending. The only thing to watch is the accent on the vosotros form fracturáis.
fracturarse 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 fracturándose, with the pronoun attached to the end, and the past participle is fracturado.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is fracturándose, used for the progressive with estar: estoy fracturándose. The past participle is fracturado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: me he fracturado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with fracturarse
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo me fracturo el brazo en la caída. — "Every day, I fracture (a bone) his arm in the fall." The complement in this sentence is about his arm in the fall, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fracturarse in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú te fracturas la pierna en el partido. — "Now, you fracture (a bone) his leg in the match." The complement in this sentence is about his leg in the match, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fracturarse 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 fractura la muñeca en el accidente. — "Normally, he/she fractures (a bone) his wrist in the accident." The complement in this sentence is about his wrist in the accident, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fracturarse 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 fracturamos el tobillo en la escalera. — "Tomorrow, we fracture (a bone) his ankle on the stairs." The complement in this sentence is about his ankle on the stairs, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fracturarse 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 fracturan el brazo en la caída. — "Always, they fracture (a bone) his arm in the fall." The complement in this sentence is about his arm in the fall, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear fracturarse in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: fracturarse
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 fracturarse.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo me fracturo el brazo en la caída. — "Every day, I fracture (a bone) his arm in the fall."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo me fracturé el brazo en la caída. — "Yesterday, I fractured (a bone) his arm in the fall."
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 fracturas la pierna en el partido. — "Every day, you fracture (a bone) his leg in the match."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú te fracturaste la pierna en el partido. — "Yesterday, you fractured (a bone) his leg in the match."
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 fractura la muñeca en el accidente. — "Every day, he/she fractures (a bone) his wrist in the accident."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él se fracturó la muñeca en el accidente. — "Yesterday, he/she fractured (a bone) his wrist in the accident."
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: fracturarse in the present tense
These eight sentences show fracturarse 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 fracturo el brazo en la caída. — "I fracture (a bone) his arm in the fall."
- Tú te fracturas la pierna en el partido. — "you fracture (a bone) his leg in the match."
- Él se fractura la muñeca en el accidente. — "he/she fractures (a bone) his wrist in the accident."
- Nosotros nos fracturamos el tobillo en la escalera. — "we fracture (a bone) his ankle on the stairs."
- Vosotros os fracturáis el brazo en la caída. — "you (plural) fracture (a bone) his arm in the fall."
- Ellos se fracturan la pierna en el partido. — "they fracture (a bone) his leg in the match."
- Yo me fracturo la muñeca en el accidente. — "I fracture (a bone) his wrist in the accident."
- Tú te fracturas el tobillo en la escalera. — "you fracture (a bone) his ankle on the stairs."
Common mistakes with fracturarse in the present tense
Mistake 1: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
- Wrong: Yo fracturo el brazo en la caída.
- Right: Yo me fracturo el brazo en la caída.
- Why: fracturarse is reflexive, so the pronoun is part of the verb: Yo me fracturo el brazo en la caída.. Without me the sentence is incomplete.
Mistake 2: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros os fracturais el brazo en la caída.
- Right: Vosotros os fracturáis el brazo en la caída.
- Why: The vosotros form fracturáis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me fracturo la pierna en el partido.
- Right: Ayer, yo me fracturé la pierna en el partido.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo me fracturé la pierna en el partido. — "Yesterday, I fractured (a bone) his leg in the match." 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 fracturo la muñeca en el accidente.
- Right: Antes, yo me fracturaba la muñeca en el accidente.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: Antes, yo me fracturaba la muñeca en el accidente. — "In the past, I used to fracture (a bone) his wrist in the accident." The present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros nos fractura el brazo en la caída.
- Right: Nosotros nos fracturamos el brazo en la caída.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes fracturamos, while fractura belongs to él and ella. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of fracturarse
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of fracturarse. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of fracturarse in the present tense?
- (a) fracturamos
- (b) fracturo
- (c) fracturas
- (d) fractura
Answer: (b) fracturo. The yo form is fracturo. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of fracturarse in the present tense?
- (a) fracturas
- (b) fracturo
- (c) fractura
- (d) fracturamos
Answer: (a) fracturas. The tú form is fracturas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of fracturarse in the present tense?
- (a) fracturo
- (b) fracturas
- (c) fracturamos
- (d) fractura
Answer: (d) fractura. The él/ella form is fractura. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of fracturarse in the present tense?
- (a) fracturas
- (b) fractura
- (c) fracturamos
- (d) fracturo
Answer: (c) fracturamos. The nosotros form is fracturamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of fracturarse in the present tense?
- (a) fractura
- (b) fracturan
- (c) fracturo
- (d) fracturas
Answer: (b) fracturan. The ellos/ellas form is fracturan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ el brazo en la caída.
- (a) fracturo
- (b) fracturas
- (c) fractura
- (d) fracturamos
Answer: (a) fracturo. The sentence needs the yo form fracturo (Every day, I fracture (a bone) his arm in the fall.)
7. What is the gerund of fracturarse?
- (a) fracturando
- (b) fracturado
- (c) fracturo
- (d) fracturarse
Answer: (a) fracturando. The gerund is fracturando, used for the progressive: me estoy fracturando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Antes, yo me fracturaba la pierna en el partido.
- (b) Ayer, yo me fracturé la pierna en el partido.
- (c) Mañana, yo me fracturaré la pierna en el partido.
- (d) Cada día, yo me fracturo la pierna en el partido.
Answer: (d) Cada día, yo me fracturo la pierna en el partido.. Cada día, yo me fracturo la pierna en el partido. (Every day, I fracture (a bone) his leg in the match.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo me fracturé la pierna en el partido. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo me fracturaré la pierna en el partido. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of fracturarse
Is fracturarse regular in the present tense?
Yes. fracturarse is a regular -ar verb: fracturo, fracturas, fractura, fracturamos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
How do you say 'fracture (a bone)' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo me fracturo el brazo en la caída. — "Every day, I fracture (a bone) his arm in the fall." 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 fracturarse?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo me fracturo la pierna en el partido. — "Every day, I fracture (a bone) his leg in the match." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo me fracturé la pierna en el partido. — "Yesterday, I fractured (a bone) his leg in the match." 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 fracturarse?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros nos fracturamos el tobillo en la escalera. — "Tomorrow, we fracture (a bone) his ankle on the stairs." 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.