Maquillarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb maquillarse means to put on makeup, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Maquillarse means to put on make-up, and it is used for applying make-up to your own face. It is a regular reflexive -ar verb, and it turns up in beauty, routine and getting-ready contexts, usually with expressions of amount such as un poco or mucho. Like every Spanish verb, maquillarse 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 maquillo antes de la fiesta, and in the preterite you say me maquillé para la boda de su hermana. 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: maquillarse
  • English: to put on makeup
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: maquillando
  • Past participle: maquillado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + maquillado)
  • 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 maquillarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Maquillarse is reflexive, so keep the pronoun: me maquillo, te maquillas. The pronoun is what makes it your own face.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for maquillarse. 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 maquillo
tú te maquillas
él/ella/Ud. se maquilla
nosotros/as nos maquillamos
vosotros/as os maquilláis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se maquillan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me maquillé
tú te maquillaste
él/ella/Ud. se maquilló
nosotros/as nos maquillamos
vosotros/as os maquillasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se maquillaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me maquillaba
tú te maquillabas
él/ella/Ud. se maquillaba
nosotros/as nos maquillábamos
vosotros/as os maquillabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se maquillaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me maquillaré
tú te maquillarás
él/ella/Ud. se maquillará
nosotros/as nos maquillaremos
vosotros/as os maquillaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se maquillarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me maquillaría
tú te maquillarías
él/ella/Ud. se maquillaría
nosotros/as nos maquillaríamos
vosotros/as os maquillaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se maquillarían

Present perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me he maquillado
tú te has maquillado
él/ella/Ud. se ha maquillado
nosotros/as nos hemos maquillado
vosotros/as os habéis maquillado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se han maquillado

Pluperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me había maquillado
tú te habías maquillado
él/ella/Ud. se había maquillado
nosotros/as nos habíamos maquillado
vosotros/as os habíais maquillado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habían maquillado

Future perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habré maquillado
tú te habrás maquillado
él/ella/Ud. se habrá maquillado
nosotros/as nos habremos maquillado
vosotros/as os habréis maquillado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrán maquillado

Conditional perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habría maquillado
tú te habrías maquillado
él/ella/Ud. se habría maquillado
nosotros/as nos habríamos maquillado
vosotros/as os habríais maquillado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrían maquillado

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me maquille
tú te maquilles
él/ella/Ud. se maquille
nosotros/as nos maquillemos
vosotros/as os maquilléis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se maquillen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me maquillara
tú te maquillaras
él/ella/Ud. se maquillara
nosotros/as nos maquilláramos
vosotros/as os maquillarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se maquillaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te maquilla
él/ella/Ud. se maquille
nosotros/as nos maquillemos
vosotros/as os maquillad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se maquillen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te maquilles
él/ella/Ud. se maquille
nosotros/as nos maquillemos
vosotros/as os maquilléis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se maquillen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund maquillando with estar for the progressive: estoy maquillando (or me estoy maquillando for this reflexive verb)
Past participle maquillado with haber for the perfect tenses: he maquillado

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 maquillarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me maquillo antes de la fiesta. 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 maquillarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me maquillé con un poco de color. 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 maquillarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me maquillaba para la boda de su hermana. 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 maquillarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me maquillaré cada día antes de salir. 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 maquillarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me maquillaría antes de la fiesta 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 maquillarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he maquillado con un poco de color. 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 maquillarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había maquillado para la boda de su hermana 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 maquillarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré maquillado cada día antes de salir. 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 maquillarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría maquillado antes de la fiesta 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 maquillarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se maquille con un poco de color. 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 maquillarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se maquillara para la boda de su hermana, 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 maquillarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se maquille cada día antes de salir. 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 maquillarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te maquilles antes de la fiesta. 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 maquillarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me maquillo antes de la fiesta. — I put on make-up before the party.
  2. Se maquilla con un poco de color. — He/she puts on make-up with a little colour.
  3. Ayer, me maquillé para la boda de su hermana. — Yesterday, I put on make-up for her sister's wedding.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos maquillábamos cada día antes de salir. — Before, we used to put on make-up every day before going out.
  5. Mañana, tú te maquillarás antes de la fiesta. — Tomorrow, you will put on make-up before the party.
  6. Yo me maquillaría con un poco de color si tuviera más tiempo. — I would put on make-up with a little colour if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha maquillado para la boda de su hermana. — He has put on make-up for her sister's wedding.
  8. Espero que él se maquille cada día antes de salir. — I hope he puts on make-up every day before going out.
  9. Yo ya me había maquillado antes de la fiesta antes de salir. — I had already put on make-up before the party before leaving.
  10. Ellos se maquillaban con un poco de color cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to put on make-up with a little colour when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo maquillo antes de la fiesta. — Right: Yo me maquillo antes de la fiesta. — Maquillarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo maquillo con un poco de color. — Right: Ayer yo maquillé con un poco de color. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: maquillo is happening now, while maquillé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating maquillarse and maquillar as identical in every context. — Right: Maquillarse means to put on makeup, while maquillar means to put make-up on someone else. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: maquillarse fits sentences such as Me maquillo antes de la fiesta, while maquillar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy maquillado con un poco de color. — Right: Yo he maquillado con un poco de color. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he maquillado, has maquillado, ha maquillado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo maquillé para la boda de su hermana todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo maquillaba para la boda de su hermana todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (maquillaba), not the preterite. The preterite (maquillé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on maquillarse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ antes de la fiesta. (present tense) A. me maquillo B. te maquillas C. se maquilla D. nos maquillamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ con un poco de color. (preterite) A. me maquillé B. te maquillaste C. se maquillaron D. se maquilló

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ para la boda de su hermana. (imperfect) A. te maquillabas B. se maquillaban C. nos maquillábamos D. me maquillaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ cada día antes de salir. (future) A. nos maquillaremos B. te maquillarás C. me maquillaré D. se maquillará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ antes de la fiesta si pudiera. (conditional) A. me maquillaría B. te maquillarías C. se maquillaría D. se maquillarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con un poco de color. (present subjunctive) A. me maquille B. te maquilles C. nos maquillemos D. se maquille

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ para la boda de su hermana, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se maquillara B. nos maquilláramos C. me maquillara D. te maquillaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ cada día antes de salir. (present perfect) A. se han maquillado B. nos hemos maquillado C. me he maquillado D. te has maquillado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ antes de la fiesta. (negative imperative, tú) A. te maquilles B. se maquille C. nos maquillemos D. os maquilléis

  10. Which is the gerund of maquillarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. maquillado B. maquillo C. maquillé D. maquillando

Answer key

  1. me maquillo — The first-person present of maquillarse is me maquillo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se maquilló — The third-person preterite of maquillarse is se maquilló, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos maquillábamos — The nosotros imperfect of maquillarse is nos maquillábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te maquillarás — The second-person future of maquillarse is te maquillarás.
  5. me maquillaría — The first-person conditional of maquillarse is me maquillaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se maquille — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of maquillarse is se maquille.
  7. me maquillara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of maquillarse is me maquillara.
  8. nos hemos maquillado — The nosotros present perfect of maquillarse is nos hemos maquillado: hemos + maquillado.
  9. te maquilles — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te maquilles.
  10. maquillando — The gerund of maquillarse is maquillando: estoy maquillando. The participle maquillado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does maquillarse mean in English?

Maquillarse means to put on makeup. It is used in everyday situations such as Me maquillo antes de la fiesta. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is maquillarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Maquillarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me maquillo antes de la fiesta and él se maquilla con un poco de color. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between maquillarse and maquillar?

Maquillarse means to put on makeup, while maquillar means to put make-up on someone else. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use maquillarse when you mean to put on makeup, as in Me maquillo antes de la fiesta, and use maquillar for to put make-up on someone else. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I put on makeup” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me maquillé con un poco de color. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me maquillaba para la boda de su hermana. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he maquillado con un poco de color.

How do I practise maquillarse?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the maquillarse examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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