Introduction
Interesarse means “to be interested in”, and it is one of the verbs you will use again and again in Spanish. Interesarse means to be interested in something, and it is the reflexive way to say you care about a topic: interesarse por la historia, interesarse en el proyecto. It takes por or en. Note the difference from interesar, which works like gustar: me interesa la historia. This page shows interesarse in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct present-tense form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Me intereso por la historia del arte.” — I be interested in art history.
Interesarse in real example sentences
The twelve sentences below are grouped by how interesarse is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.
In the present: everyday use
These sentences use interesarse in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.
“Me intereso por la historia del arte.” — I be interested in art history.
“¿Te interesas en el proyecto nuevo?” — Do you be interested in the new project?
“Se interesa mucho por la música.” — He/she is interested a lot in music.
“Nosotros nos interesamos por los idiomas desde niño.” — We be interested in languages since childhood.
Talking about the past
The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show interesarse in the past, so you can talk about what already happened.
“Ayer, yo me interesé por la historia del arte.” — Yesterday, I was interested in art history. (preterite)
“Antes, él se interesaba en el proyecto nuevo.” — Before, he used to be interested in the new project. (imperfect)
Plans and things already done
These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of interesarse stays the same.
“Mañana, nosotros nos interesaremos mucho por la música.” — Tomorrow, we will be interested a lot in music. (future)
“¿Tú te has interesado por los idiomas desde niño?” — Have you been interested in languages since childhood? (present perfect)
More everyday uses
Four more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action.
“Vosotros os interesáis por la historia del arte.” — You be interested in art history.
“Ellos se interesan en el proyecto nuevo.” — They be interested in the new project.
“Yo me intereso mucho por la música.” — I be interested a lot in music.
“Mi padre se interesa por los idiomas desde niño.” — My father is interested in languages since childhood.
Interesarse in context
Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how interesarse appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.
A short dialogue
Marta: “¿Tú te interesas en el proyecto nuevo?” — Do you be interested in the new project?
Pedro: “Sí, yo me intereso por la historia del arte.” — Yes, I be interested in art history.
Marta: “Nosotros nos interesamos por los idiomas desde niño.” — We be interested in languages since childhood.
Pedro: “Y ellos se interesan en el proyecto nuevo.” — And they be interested in the new project.
Marta: “Vosotros os interesáis mucho por la música.” — You be interested a lot in music.
Pedro: “Sí, y él se interesa por la historia del arte.” — Yes, and he is interested in art history.
A short paragraph
Se interesa por la historia del arte, y nosotros nos interesamos por los idiomas desde niño. Yo me intereso en el proyecto nuevo, y ellos se interesan mucho por la música. Interesarse is part of everyday life, because be interested in is something people do in work, at home and with friends, in the present, the past and the future.
Common mistakes with interesarse
These are the errors learners actually make with interesarse. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.
Wrong: “Yo intereso por la historia del arte.” Right: “Yo me intereso por la historia del arte.” Why: Interesarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
Wrong: “Ayer yo intereso en el proyecto nuevo.” Right: “Ayer yo interesé en el proyecto nuevo.” Why: The present and the preterite are different tenses: intereso is happening now, while interesé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
Wrong: “Treating interesarse and interesar as identical in every context.” Right: “Interesarse means to be interested in, while interesar means to interest, the gustar-like verb.” Why: They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: interesarse fits sentences such as Me intereso por la historia del arte, while interesar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Wrong: “Yo soy interesado en el proyecto nuevo.” Right: “Yo he interesado en el proyecto nuevo.” Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he interesado, has interesado, ha interesado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
Wrong: “De niño, yo interesé mucho por la música todos los días.” Right: “De niño, yo interesaba mucho por la música todos los días.” Why: For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (interesaba), not the preterite. The preterite (interesé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: interesarse in use
Ten questions on interesarse in real sentences. Choose the correct answer for each one, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained.
1. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ______ por la historia del arte.” (You be interested in art history.)
- (a) os interesáis
- (b) me intereso
- (c) te interesas
Answer: os interesáis — The vosotros/as form of interesarse in the present tense is os interesáis.
2. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ______ en el proyecto nuevo.” (They be interested in the new project.)
- (a) te interesas
- (b) se interesan
- (c) me intereso
Answer: se interesan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. form of interesarse in the present tense is se interesan.
3. Complete the sentence (preterite): “Ayer yo ______ por la historia del arte.” (Yesterday I was interested in art history.)
- (a) te interesaste
- (b) se interesó
- (c) me interesé
Answer: me interesé — In the preterite, the yo form of interesarse is me interesé.
4. Complete the sentence (imperfect): “Antes, él ______ en el proyecto nuevo.” (Before, he used to be interested in the new project.)
- (a) se interesaba
- (b) me intereso
- (c) te interesabas
Answer: se interesaba — In the imperfect, the él/ella/Ud. form of interesarse is se interesaba.
5. Complete the sentence (future): “Mañana, nosotros ______ mucho por la música.” (Tomorrow we will be interested a lot in music.)
- (a) te interesarás
- (b) nos interesaremos
- (c) me interesaré
Answer: nos interesaremos — In the future, the nosotros/as form of interesarse is nos interesaremos.
6. What does interesarse mean in English?
- (a) to be interested in
- (b) to integrate (oneself)
- (c) to interest, the gustar-like verb
Answer: to be interested in — Interesarse means “to be interested in”. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.
7. Which sentence is correct?
- (a) Yo intereso por la historia del arte.
- (b) Ellos se interesa en el proyecto nuevo.
- (c) Yo me intereso por la historia del arte.
Answer: Yo me intereso por la historia del arte. — “Yo me intereso por la historia del arte.” is correct. The other two sentences contain the mistakes explained in the section above.
8. How do you say “I be interested in art history.” in Spanish?
- (a) Mi padre se interesa por los idiomas desde niño.
- (b) Me intereso por la historia del arte.
- (c) Se interesan por la historia del arte.
Answer: Me intereso por la historia del arte. — “Me intereso por la historia del arte.” is the correct translation.
9. What is the nosotros form of interesarse in the present tense?
- (a) me intereso
- (b) te interesas
- (c) nos interesamos
Answer: nos interesamos — The nosotros form is nos interesamos.
10. Which of these sentences is in the present tense?
- (a) Mañana, nosotros nos interesaremos mucho por la música.
- (b) Me intereso por la historia del arte.
- (c) Ayer, yo me interesé por la historia del arte.
Answer: Me intereso por la historia del arte. — “Me intereso por la historia del arte.” is in the present tense. The other two are in the preterite and the future.
Frequently asked questions
How do you say 'I be interested in art history' in Spanish?
Say 'Me intereso por la historia del arte'. For a routine, add a time expression: 'Me intereso por la historia del arte todos los días'.
How do you say 'He is interested in the new project' in Spanish?
Say 'Él se interesa en el proyecto nuevo'. The subject comes first, and the verb agrees with it: él takes se interesa.
What is the difference between interesarse and interesar?
Interesarse means to be interested in, while interesar means to interest, the gustar-like verb. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use interesarse when you mean to be interested in, as in 'Me intereso por la historia del arte', and use interesar for to interest, the gustar-like verb.
Related pages
- Full conjugation of interesarse — every tense of interesarse in one place.
- Interesarse in the present tense — the full table and usage rules for one tense.
- Spanish verbs — the hub for every Spanish verb on VerbFlow.
- Verb quiz — test yourself on interesarse and other verbs.
- Conjugation practice — drill the forms of interesarse until they are automatic.