Marcharse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb marcharse means to leave, to go away, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Marcharse means to leave or to go away, and it is the everyday verb for leaving a place, a party or a job. It is the reflexive partner of marchar, and it is used constantly in farewells, as in marcharse a casa or marcharse de viaje. Like every Spanish verb, marcharse 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 marcho de casa temprano por la mañana, and in the preterite you say me marché de la fiesta a medianoche. 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: marcharse
  • English: to leave, to go away
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: marchando
  • Past participle: marchado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + marchado)
  • 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 marcharse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Marcharse is reflexive: me marcho. Marchar without the pronoun usually means something is working, as in la moto marcha bien.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for marcharse. 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 marcho
tú te marchas
él/ella/Ud. se marcha
nosotros/as nos marchamos
vosotros/as os marcháis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marchan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me marché
tú te marchaste
él/ella/Ud. se marchó
nosotros/as nos marchamos
vosotros/as os marchasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marcharon

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me marchaba
tú te marchabas
él/ella/Ud. se marchaba
nosotros/as nos marchábamos
vosotros/as os marchabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marchaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me marcharé
tú te marcharás
él/ella/Ud. se marchará
nosotros/as nos marcharemos
vosotros/as os marcharéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marcharán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me marcharía
tú te marcharías
él/ella/Ud. se marcharía
nosotros/as nos marcharíamos
vosotros/as os marcharíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marcharían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me marche
tú te marches
él/ella/Ud. se marche
nosotros/as nos marchemos
vosotros/as os marchéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marchen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me marchara
tú te marcharas
él/ella/Ud. se marchara
nosotros/as nos marcháramos
vosotros/as os marcharais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marcharan

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te marcha
él/ella/Ud. se marche
nosotros/as nos marchemos
vosotros/as os marchad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marchen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te marches
él/ella/Ud. se marche
nosotros/as nos marchemos
vosotros/as os marchéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marchen

Gerund and past participle

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

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 marcharse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me marcho de casa temprano por la mañana. 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 marcharse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me marché a Madrid en tren. 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 marcharse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me marchaba de la fiesta a medianoche. 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 marcharse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me marcharé de viaje el lunes. 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 marcharse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me marcharía de casa temprano por la mañana 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 marcharse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he marchado a Madrid en tren. 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 marcharse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había marchado de la fiesta a medianoche 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 marcharse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré marchado de viaje el lunes. 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 marcharse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría marchado de casa temprano por la mañana 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 marcharse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se marche a Madrid en tren. 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 marcharse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se marchara de la fiesta a medianoche, 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 marcharse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se marche de viaje el lunes. 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 marcharse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te marches de casa temprano por la mañana. 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 marcharse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me marcho de casa temprano por la mañana. — I leave from home early in the morning.
  2. Se marcha a Madrid en tren. — He/she leaves to Madrid by train.
  3. Ayer, me marché de la fiesta a medianoche. — Yesterday, I left from the party at midnight.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos marchábamos de viaje el lunes. — Before, we used to leave on a trip on Monday.
  5. Mañana, tú te marcharás de casa temprano por la mañana. — Tomorrow, you will leave from home early in the morning.
  6. Yo me marcharía a Madrid en tren si tuviera más tiempo. — I would leave to Madrid by train if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha marchado de la fiesta a medianoche. — He has left from the party at midnight.
  8. Espero que él se marche de viaje el lunes. — I hope he leaves on a trip on Monday.
  9. Yo ya me había marchado de casa temprano por la mañana antes de salir. — I had already left from home early in the morning before leaving.
  10. Ellos se marchaban a Madrid en tren cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to leave to Madrid by train when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo marcho de casa temprano por la mañana. — Right: Yo me marcho de casa temprano por la mañana. — Marcharse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo marcho a Madrid en tren. — Right: Ayer yo marché a Madrid en tren. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: marcho is happening now, while marché is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating marcharse and irse as identical in every context. — Right: Marcharse means to leave, to go away, while irse means to go away. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: marcharse fits sentences such as Me marcho de casa temprano por la mañana, while irse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy marchado a Madrid en tren. — Right: Yo he marchado a Madrid en tren. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he marchado, has marchado, ha marchado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo marché de la fiesta a medianoche todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo marchaba de la fiesta a medianoche todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (marchaba), not the preterite. The preterite (marché) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de casa temprano por la mañana. (present tense) A. me marcho B. te marchas C. se marcha D. nos marchamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a Madrid en tren. (preterite) A. me marché B. te marchaste C. se marcharon D. se marchó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ de la fiesta a medianoche. (imperfect) A. te marchabas B. se marchaban C. nos marchábamos D. me marchaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ de viaje el lunes. (future) A. nos marcharemos B. te marcharás C. me marcharé D. se marchará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de casa temprano por la mañana si pudiera. (conditional) A. me marcharía B. te marcharías C. se marcharía D. se marcharían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a Madrid en tren. (present subjunctive) A. me marche B. te marches C. nos marchemos D. se marche

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ de la fiesta a medianoche, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se marchara B. nos marcháramos C. me marchara D. te marcharas

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ de viaje el lunes. (present perfect) A. se han marchado B. nos hemos marchado C. me he marchado D. te has marchado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ de casa temprano por la mañana. (negative imperative, tú) A. te marches B. se marche C. nos marchemos D. os marchéis

  10. Which is the gerund of marcharse, used with estar for the progressive? A. marchado B. marcho C. marché D. marchando

Answer key

  1. me marcho — The first-person present of marcharse is me marcho. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se marchó — The third-person preterite of marcharse is se marchó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos marchábamos — The nosotros imperfect of marcharse is nos marchábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te marcharás — The second-person future of marcharse is te marcharás.
  5. me marcharía — The first-person conditional of marcharse is me marcharía, the form for what would happen.
  6. se marche — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of marcharse is se marche.
  7. me marchara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of marcharse is me marchara.
  8. nos hemos marchado — The nosotros present perfect of marcharse is nos hemos marchado: hemos + marchado.
  9. te marches — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te marches.
  10. marchando — The gerund of marcharse is marchando: estoy marchando. The participle marchado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does marcharse mean in English?

Marcharse means to leave, to go away. It is used in everyday situations such as Me marcho de casa temprano por la mañana. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is marcharse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Marcharse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me marcho de casa temprano por la mañana and él se marcha a Madrid en tren. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between marcharse and irse?

Marcharse means to leave, to go away, while irse means to go away. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use marcharse when you mean to leave, to go away, as in Me marcho de casa temprano por la mañana, and use irse for to go away. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I leave” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me marché a Madrid en tren. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me marchaba de la fiesta a medianoche. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he marchado a Madrid en tren.

How do I practise marcharse?

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

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