Marchitarse Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
marchitarse means "to wither" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows marchitarse 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 marchitarse, 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 marchitarse
Everyday use
Marchitarse means to wither. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.
- Yo me marchito sin agua — "I wither without water"
- En verano, él se marchita — "In summer, he withers"
- Yo me marchité poco a poco — "I withered little by little"
- Yo me marchitaba sin agua — "I used to wither without water"
- En verano, yo me marchitaré — "In summer, I will wither"
- Yo me he marchitado poco a poco — "I have withered little by little"
In the past and the future
The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.
- Él se marchitó poco a poco — "He withered little by little"
- Él se marchitaba sin agua — "He used to wither without water"
- En verano, tú te marchitarás — "In summer, you will wither"
- Yo me marchitaría poco a poco — "I would wither little by little"
- Yo me había marchitado sin agua — "I had withered without water"
- En verano, nosotros nos marchitamos — "In summer, we wither"
Marchitarse in conversation
The two dialogues below show marchitarse in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú te marchitas sin agua? — "Do you wither without water?"
- Sí, yo me marchito sin agua cada día. — "Yes, I wither without water every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿En verano, tú te marchitaste? — "And yesterday? Did you wither in summer?"
- Sí, en verano, yo me marchité. — "Yes, In summer, I withered."
- Mañana, yo me marchitaré poco a poco también. — "Tomorrow, I will wither little by little too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros os marchitáis sin agua? — "Do you wither without water?"
- Sí, nosotros nos marchitamos sin agua los fines de semana. — "Yes, We wither without water at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿En verano, ellos se marchitan? — "And them? Do they wither in summer?"
- Sí, en verano, ellos se marchitan también. — "Yes, In summer, they wither too."
- Mañana en verano, nosotros nos marchitaremos otra vez. — "Tomorrow in summer, we will wither again."
Useful phrases with marchitarse
Four patterns you can use with marchitarse in any conversation. The reflexive pronoun attaches to the end of the infinitive: marchitarme. Only the first verb changes.
- Voy a marchitarme sin agua. — "I am going to wither without water."
- Quiero marchitarme en verano. — "I want to wither in summer."
- Me gusta marchitarme poco a poco. — "I like to wither little by little."
- Acabo de marchitarme sin agua. — "I have just withered without water."
Common mistakes with marchitarse in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo marchito sin agua.
- Right: Yo me marchito sin agua.
- Why: Marchitarse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it, marchito means something else, or nothing at all.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Todos los días, yo me marchité.
- Right: Todos los días, yo me marchito.
- 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 marchitado en verano.
- Right: Yo me he marchitado en verano.
- Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he marchitado, has marchitado, ha marchitado.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me marchito.
- Right: Ayer, yo me marchité.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (marchité). The present (marchito) is for habits and for now.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Espero que él marchita sin agua.
- Right: Espero que él se marchite sin agua.
- Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: marchite. The indicative form would be wrong here.
Quiz: marchitarse in use
Ten questions on marchitarse across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the I form of marchitarse in the present tense?
- (a) habrás marchitado
- (b) marchitaba
- (c) marchito
- (d) marchita
Answer: (c) marchito. The I form in the present is marchito.
2. What is the he / she form of marchitarse in the present tense?
- (a) marchitéis
- (b) habríamos marchitado
- (c) marchito
- (d) marchita
Answer: (d) marchita. The he / she form in the present is marchita.
3. What is the he / she form of marchitarse in the preterite tense?
- (a) habrían marchitado
- (b) marchitó
- (c) marchitabais
- (d) marchitaban
Answer: (b) marchitó. The he / she form in the preterite is marchitó.
4. What is the I form of marchitarse in the imperfect tense?
- (a) marchitamos
- (b) marchitarais
- (c) marchitábamos
- (d) marchitaba
Answer: (d) marchitaba. The I form in the imperfect is marchitaba.
5. What is the I form of marchitarse in the future tense?
- (a) marchitaré
- (b) habías marchitado
- (c) habéis marchitado
- (d) había marchitado
Answer: (a) marchitaré. The I form in the future is marchitaré.
6. What is the I form of marchitarse in the present perfect tense?
- (a) han marchitado
- (b) marchitaron
- (c) he marchitado
- (d) marchitarais
Answer: (c) he marchitado. The I form in the present perfect is he marchitado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ sin agua.
- (a) marchite
- (b) marchites
- (c) marchitemos
- (d) marchiten
Answer: (a) marchite. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is marchite.
8. What is the we form of marchitarse in the present tense?
- (a) marchitéis
- (b) marchitabas
- (c) marchitamos
- (d) marchitas
Answer: (c) marchitamos. The we form in the present is marchitamos.
9. What is the I form of marchitarse in the preterite tense?
- (a) habrá marchitado
- (b) marchitaréis
- (c) marchitéis
- (d) marchité
Answer: (d) marchité. The I form in the preterite is marchité.
10. What is the they form of marchitarse in the present tense?
- (a) marchita
- (b) marchitan
- (c) han marchitado
- (d) has marchitado
Answer: (b) marchitan. The they form in the present is marchitan.
Frequently asked questions about marchitarse
Is marchitarse reflexive?
Yes. The pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se go with the verb in every tense: me marchito, te marchitas, se marchita. The tables show the verb forms; add the pronoun in front.
What is the past participle of marchitarse?
The past participle is marchitado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he marchitado. The gerund is marchitando, used with estar: estoy marchitando.
How do I say “I wither” in the past?
For one finished action, use the preterite: En verano, yo me marchité. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me marchitaba poco a poco.
How can I practise marchitarse?
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.