Licenciarse Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

licenciarse means "to graduate, to get a degree" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows licenciarse in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of licenciarse, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.

Example sentences with licenciarse

To graduate

Licenciarse means to graduate. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. En junio, yo me licencio — "In june, I graduate"
  2. Él se licencia en derecho — "He graduates in law"
  3. Yo me licencié con buenas notas — "I graduated with good marks"
  4. En junio, yo me licenciaba — "In june, I used to graduate"
  5. Yo me licenciaré en derecho — "I will graduate in law"
  6. Yo me he licenciado con buenas notas — "I have graduated with good marks"

To get a degree

Licenciarse means to get a degree. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él se licenció con buenas notas — "He graduated with good marks"
  2. En junio, él se licenciaba — "In june, he used to graduate"
  3. Tú te licenciarás en derecho — "You will graduate in law"
  4. Yo me licenciaría con buenas notas — "I would graduate with good marks"
  5. En junio, yo me había licenciado — "In june, I had graduated"
  6. Nosotros nos licenciamos en derecho — "We graduate in law"

Licenciarse in conversation

The two dialogues below show licenciarse in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿En junio, tú te licencias? — "Do you graduate in June?"
  • Sí, en junio, yo me licencio cada día. — "Yes, In june, I graduate every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú te licenciaste en derecho? — "And yesterday? Did you graduate in law?"
  • Sí, yo me licencié en derecho. — "Yes, I graduated in law."
  • Mañana, yo me licenciaré con buenas notas también. — "Tomorrow, I will graduate with good marks too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿En junio, vosotros os licenciáis? — "Do you graduate in June?"
  • Sí, en junio, nosotros nos licenciamos los fines de semana. — "Yes, In june, we graduate at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos se licencian en derecho? — "And them? Do they graduate in law?"
  • Sí, ellos se licencian en derecho también. — "Yes, They graduate in law too."
  • Mañana nosotros nos licenciaremos en derecho otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will graduate in law again."

Useful phrases with licenciarse

Four patterns you can use with licenciarse in any conversation. The reflexive pronoun attaches to the end of the infinitive: licenciarme. Only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a licenciarme en junio. — "I am going to graduate in June."
  • Quiero licenciarme en derecho. — "I want to graduate in law."
  • Me gusta licenciarme con buenas notas. — "I like to graduate with good marks."
  • Acabo de licenciarme en junio. — "I have just graduated in June."

Common mistakes with licenciarse in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Yo licencio en junio.
  • Right: En junio, yo me licencio.
  • Why: Licenciarse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it, licencio means something else, or nothing at all.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo me licencié.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo me licencio.
  • Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Yo soy licenciado en derecho.
  • Right: Yo me he licenciado en derecho.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he licenciado, has licenciado, ha licenciado.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo me licencio.
  • Right: Ayer, yo me licencié.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (licencié). The present (licencio) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él licencia en junio.
  • Right: Espero que él se licencie en junio.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: licencie. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: licenciarse in use

Ten questions on licenciarse across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of licenciarse in the present tense?

  • (a) habían licenciado
  • (b) licencio
  • (c) licenciaran
  • (d) licenciabas

Answer: (b) licencio. The I form in the present is licencio.

2. What is the he / she form of licenciarse in the present tense?

  • (a) había licenciado
  • (b) licencia
  • (c) habría licenciado
  • (d) habrías licenciado

Answer: (b) licencia. The he / she form in the present is licencia.

3. What is the he / she form of licenciarse in the preterite tense?

  • (a) licenció
  • (b) licenciará
  • (c) licenciábamos
  • (d) hemos licenciado

Answer: (a) licenció. The he / she form in the preterite is licenció.

4. What is the I form of licenciarse in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) licenciasteis
  • (b) han licenciado
  • (c) licenciaba
  • (d) licenciarías

Answer: (c) licenciaba. The I form in the imperfect is licenciaba.

5. What is the I form of licenciarse in the future tense?

  • (a) licenciaré
  • (b) licencias
  • (c) licenciarías
  • (d) habíais licenciado

Answer: (a) licenciaré. The I form in the future is licenciaré.

6. What is the I form of licenciarse in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) he licenciado
  • (b) ha licenciado
  • (c) licenciábamos
  • (d) licenciéis

Answer: (a) he licenciado. The I form in the present perfect is he licenciado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ en derecho.

  • (a) licencies
  • (b) licencie
  • (c) licenciéis
  • (d) licenciemos

Answer: (b) licencie. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is licencie.

8. What is the we form of licenciarse in the present tense?

  • (a) ha licenciado
  • (b) licenciara
  • (c) licencien
  • (d) licenciamos

Answer: (d) licenciamos. The we form in the present is licenciamos.

9. What is the I form of licenciarse in the preterite tense?

  • (a) licencié
  • (b) licenciaba
  • (c) licenciarais
  • (d) licenciarás

Answer: (a) licencié. The I form in the preterite is licencié.

10. What is the they form of licenciarse in the present tense?

  • (a) licenciaran
  • (b) habíamos licenciado
  • (c) licencian
  • (d) hemos licenciado

Answer: (c) licencian. The they form in the present is licencian.

Frequently asked questions about licenciarse

Is licenciarse reflexive?

Yes. The pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se go with the verb in every tense: me licencio, te licencias, se licencia. The tables show the verb forms; add the pronoun in front.

What is the past participle of licenciarse?

The past participle is licenciado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he licenciado. The gerund is licenciando, used with estar: estoy licenciando.

How do I say “I graduate” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo me licencié en derecho. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me licenciaba con buenas notas.

How can I practise licenciarse?

Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.

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