Marearse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb marearse means to get dizzy — it also means to feel sick, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Marearse is a regular -ar, reflexive verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. Marearse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, me mareo en el barco means "I get dizzy on the boat". Without the pronoun, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of marearse in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say Yo me mareo en el barco — "I get dizzy on the boat" — and in the preterite you say Yo me mareé en el coche — "I got dizzy in the car". 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: marearse
  • English: to get dizzy, to feel sick
  • Verb type: regular -ar, reflexive verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: mareando
  • Past participle: mareado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + mareado)
  • 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 marearse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Marearse is reflexive: me mareo, te mareas. Without the pronoun, marear means something else — it acts on someone or something else, not on yourself.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for marearse. 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.

Gerund: mareando · Past participle: mareado

Present indicative

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mareo
tú te mareas
él/ella/Ud. se marea
nosotros/as nos mareamos
vosotros/as os mareáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marean

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mareé
tú te mareaste
él/ella/Ud. se mareó
nosotros/as nos mareamos
vosotros/as os mareasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marearon

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mareaba
tú te mareabas
él/ella/Ud. se mareaba
nosotros/as nos mareábamos
vosotros/as os mareabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mareaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me marearé
tú te marearás
él/ella/Ud. se mareará
nosotros/as nos marearemos
vosotros/as os marearéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marearán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me marearía
tú te marearías
él/ella/Ud. se marearía
nosotros/as nos marearíamos
vosotros/as os marearíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marearían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me maree
tú te marees
él/ella/Ud. se maree
nosotros/as nos mareemos
vosotros/as os mareéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mareen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mareara
tú te marearas
él/ella/Ud. se mareara
nosotros/as nos mareáramos
vosotros/as os marearais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se marearan

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te marea
él/ella/Ud. se maree
nosotros/as nos mareemos
vosotros/as os maread
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mareen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te marees
él/ella/Ud. se maree
nosotros/as nos mareemos
vosotros/as os mareéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mareen

Gerund and past participle

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

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For marearse, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me mareo en el coche — "I get dizzy in the car". Learn the present indicative 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 in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For marearse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me mareé con el calor — "I got dizzy in the heat". 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 words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For marearse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me mareaba en el barco — "I used to get dizzy on the boat". 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. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For marearse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me marearé en el coche — "I will get dizzy in the car". 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 in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For marearse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me marearía con el calor — "I would get dizzy in the heat". 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. It connects the past with the present moment. For marearse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me he mareado en el barco — "I have got dizzy on the boat". 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. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For marearse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me había mareado en el coche — "I had got dizzy in the car". 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, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For marearse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me habré mareado con el calor — "I will have got dizzy in the heat". 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. It looks back at a past that never happened. For marearse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me habría mareado en el barco — "I would have got dizzy on the boat". 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. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For marearse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se maree en el coche — "I hope he gets dizzy in the car". 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 marearse, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo me mareara con el calor, todo cambiaría — "If I got dizzy in the heat, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) 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. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For marearse, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Que se maree en el barco — "Let him get dizzy on the boat". Learn the imperative (affirmative) 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. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For marearse, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No te marees en el coche — "Don't get dizzy in the car". Learn the imperative (negative) 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 marearse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo me mareo con el calor — "I get dizzy in the heat"
  2. Él se marea en el barco — "He gets dizzy on the boat"
  3. Yo me mareé en el coche — "I got dizzy in the car"
  4. Yo me mareaba con el calor — "I used to get dizzy in the heat"
  5. Tú te marearás en el barco — "You will get dizzy on the boat"
  6. Yo me marearía en el coche — "I would get dizzy in the car"
  7. Él se ha mareado con el calor — "He has got dizzy in the heat"
  8. Espero que él se maree en el barco — "I hope he gets dizzy on the boat"
  9. Yo me había mareado en el coche — "I had got dizzy in the car"
  10. Ellos se mareaban con el calor — "They used to get dizzy in the heat"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo mareo en el barco — Right: Yo me mareo en el barco — Marearse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo me mareo — Right: Ayer, yo me mareé — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to mareé.
  3. Wrong: De niño, yo me mareé todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo me mareaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (mareaba), not the preterite. The preterite (mareé) is for one finished action.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy mareado en el coche. — Right: Yo me he mareado en el coche. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he mareado, has mareado, ha mareado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: Espero que él marea en el barco. — Right: Espero que él se maree en el barco. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: maree. The indicative marea is wrong here.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo me ___ en el barco. (present tense) A. mareo B. habremos mareado C. marees D. mareaban

  2. Complete the sentence: Él se ___ en el barco. (preterite) A. habrás mareado B. habré mareado C. mareó D. habréis mareado

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros nos ___ en el barco. (imperfect) A. mareábamos B. marearíamos C. habéis mareado D. mareabas

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú te ___ en el barco. (future) A. marearan B. marearían C. mareabas D. marearás

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo me ___ en el barco. (conditional) A. habrán mareado B. habría mareado C. mareábamos D. marearía

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ en el barco. (present subjunctive) A. ha mareado B. marearais C. mareen D. maree

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo me ___ en el barco, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. mareara B. maree C. habré mareado D. mareemos

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros nos ___ en el barco. (present perfect) A. mareara B. marean C. hemos mareado D. marea

  9. Complete the command: No te ___ en el barco. (negative imperative, tú) A. mareemos B. mareéis C. marees D. maree

  10. Which is the gerund of marearse, used with estar for the progressive? A. mareando B. marearé C. mareé D. mareado

Answer key

  1. me mareo — The yo present tense of marearse is me mareo.
  2. se mareó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of marearse is se mareó.
  3. nos mareábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of marearse is nos mareábamos.
  4. te marearás — The tú future of marearse is te marearás.
  5. me marearía — The yo conditional of marearse is me marearía.
  6. se maree — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of marearse is se maree.
  7. me mareara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of marearse is me mareara.
  8. nos hemos mareado — The nosotros/as present perfect of marearse is nos hemos mareado.
  9. te marees — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te marees.
  10. mareando — The gerund of marearse is mareando: estoy mareando. The participle mareado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does marearse mean in English?

Marearse means to get dizzy, to feel sick. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo me mareo en el barco. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is marearse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Marearse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Yo me mareo en el barco and Él se marea en el coche. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the gerund and the past participle of marearse?

The gerund is mareando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy mareando. The past participle is mareado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he mareado.

How do I say “I get dizzy” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo me mareé en el coche. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me mareaba con el calor. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo me he mareado en el barco.

How do I practise marearse?

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

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