Interesarse Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb interesarse means to be interested in, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. 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. Like every Spanish verb, interesarse changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say me intereso por la historia del arte, and in the preterite you say me interesé mucho por la música. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: interesarse
- English: to be interested in
- Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: interesando
- Past participle: interesado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + interesado)
- Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for interesarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Interesarse takes por or en: me intereso por la historia. Do not confuse it with interesar, where the thing is the subject.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for interesarse. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | intereso |
| tú | te | interesas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | interesa |
| nosotros/as | nos | interesamos |
| vosotros/as | os | interesáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | interesan |
Preterite
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | interesé |
| tú | te | interesaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | interesó |
| nosotros/as | nos | interesamos |
| vosotros/as | os | interesasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | interesaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | interesaba |
| tú | te | interesabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | interesaba |
| nosotros/as | nos | interesábamos |
| vosotros/as | os | interesabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | interesaban |
Future
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | interesaré |
| tú | te | interesarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | interesará |
| nosotros/as | nos | interesaremos |
| vosotros/as | os | interesaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | interesarán |
Conditional
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | interesaría |
| tú | te | interesarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | interesaría |
| nosotros/as | nos | interesaríamos |
| vosotros/as | os | interesaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | interesarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | he interesado |
| tú | te | has interesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | ha interesado |
| nosotros/as | nos | hemos interesado |
| vosotros/as | os | habéis interesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | han interesado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | había interesado |
| tú | te | habías interesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | había interesado |
| nosotros/as | nos | habíamos interesado |
| vosotros/as | os | habíais interesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | habían interesado |
Future perfect
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | habré interesado |
| tú | te | habrás interesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | habrá interesado |
| nosotros/as | nos | habremos interesado |
| vosotros/as | os | habréis interesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | habrán interesado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | habría interesado |
| tú | te | habrías interesado |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | habría interesado |
| nosotros/as | nos | habríamos interesado |
| vosotros/as | os | habríais interesado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | habrían interesado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | interese |
| tú | te | intereses |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | interese |
| nosotros/as | nos | interesemos |
| vosotros/as | os | intereséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | interesen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | me | interesara |
| tú | te | interesaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | interesara |
| nosotros/as | nos | interesáramos |
| vosotros/as | os | interesarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | interesaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| tú | te | interesa |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | interese |
| nosotros/as | nos | interesemos |
| vosotros/as | os | interesad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | interesen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Pronoun | Form |
|---|---|---|
| tú | te | intereses |
| él/ella/Ud. | se | interese |
| nosotros/as | nos | interesemos |
| vosotros/as | os | intereséis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se | interesen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | interesando | with estar for the progressive: estoy interesando (or me estoy interesando for this reflexive verb) |
| Past participle | interesado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he interesado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me intereso por la historia del arte. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me interesé en el proyecto nuevo. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me interesaba mucho por la música. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me interesaré por los idiomas desde niño. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me interesaría por la historia del arte si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he interesado en el proyecto nuevo. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había interesado mucho por la música antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré interesado por los idiomas desde niño. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría interesado por la historia del arte con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se interese en el proyecto nuevo. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se interesara mucho por la música, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se interese por los idiomas desde niño. Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For interesarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te intereses por la historia del arte. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with interesarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Me intereso por la historia del arte. — I be interested in art history.
- Se interesa en el proyecto nuevo. — He/she is interested in the new project.
- Ayer, me interesé mucho por la música. — Yesterday, I was interested a lot in music.
- Antes, nosotros nos interesábamos por los idiomas desde niño. — Before, we used to be interested in languages since childhood.
- Mañana, tú te interesarás por la historia del arte. — Tomorrow, you will be interested in art history.
- Yo me interesaría en el proyecto nuevo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would be interested in the new project if I had more time.
- Él se ha interesado mucho por la música. — He has been interested a lot in music.
- Espero que él se interese por los idiomas desde niño. — I hope he is interested in languages since childhood.
- Yo ya me había interesado por la historia del arte antes de salir. — I had already been interested in art history before leaving.
- Ellos se interesaban en el proyecto nuevo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to be interested in the new project when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo intereso por la historia del arte. — Right: Yo me intereso por la historia del arte. — 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. — 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. — 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. — 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. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (interesaba), not the preterite. The preterite (interesé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on interesarse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ por la historia del arte. (present tense) A. me intereso B. te interesas C. se interesa D. nos interesamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en el proyecto nuevo. (preterite) A. me interesé B. te interesaste C. nos interesamos D. se interesó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ mucho por la música. (imperfect) A. te interesabas B. se interesaba C. nos interesábamos D. me interesaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ por los idiomas desde niño. (future) A. nos interesaremos B. te interesarás C. me interesaré D. se interesará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ por la historia del arte si pudiera. (conditional) A. me interesaría B. te interesarías C. se interesaría D. nos interesaríamos
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en el proyecto nuevo. (present subjunctive) A. me interese B. te intereses C. nos interesemos D. se interese
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ mucho por la música, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se interesara B. nos interesáramos C. me interesara D. te interesaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ por los idiomas desde niño. (present perfect) A. se ha interesado B. nos hemos interesado C. me he interesado D. te has interesado
Complete the command: No ___ por la historia del arte. (negative imperative, tú) A. te intereses B. se interese C. nos interesemos D. os intereséis
Which is the gerund of interesarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. interesado B. intereso C. interesé D. interesando
Answer key
- me intereso — The yo present tense of interesarse is me intereso.
- se interesó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of interesarse is se interesó.
- nos interesábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of interesarse is nos interesábamos.
- te interesarás — The tú future of interesarse is te interesarás.
- me interesaría — The yo conditional of interesarse is me interesaría.
- se interese — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of interesarse is se interese.
- me interesara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of interesarse is me interesara.
- nos hemos interesado — The nosotros/as present perfect of interesarse is nos hemos interesado.
- te intereses — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te intereses.
- interesando — The gerund of interesarse is interesando: estoy interesando. The participle interesado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does interesarse mean in English?
Interesarse means to be interested in. It is used in everyday situations such as Me intereso por la historia del arte. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is interesarse a reflexive verb?
Yes. Interesarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me intereso por la historia del arte and él se interesa en el proyecto nuevo. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.
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. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I be interested in” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me interesé en el proyecto nuevo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me interesaba mucho por la música. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he interesado en el proyecto nuevo.
How do I practise interesarse?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the interesarse examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Interesarse in the present tense — the full present-tense table for interesarse.
- Interesarse examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for interesarse.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Integrarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with interesarse.
- Involucrarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with interesarse.
- Irritarse conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with interesarse.
- Reflexive Verb Conjugator — practise reflexive verbs with the right pronoun for every person.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.