Mejorarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb mejorarse means to get better, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Mejorarse means to get better, and it is used for recovering from an illness, improving your Spanish or getting better at a skill. It is reflexive because the improvement happens to you, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, mejorarse 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 mejoro de la gripe poco a poco, and in the preterite you say me mejoré en español con la práctica. 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: mejorarse
  • English: to get better
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: mejorando
  • Past participle: mejorado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + mejorado)
  • 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 mejorarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Mejorarse is reflexive: me mejoro. Mejorar without the pronoun means improving something else, as in mejorar el texto.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for mejorarse. 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 mejoro
tú te mejoras
él/ella/Ud. se mejora
nosotros/as nos mejoramos
vosotros/as os mejoráis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mejoran

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mejoré
tú te mejoraste
él/ella/Ud. se mejoró
nosotros/as nos mejoramos
vosotros/as os mejorasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mejoraron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mejoraba
tú te mejorabas
él/ella/Ud. se mejoraba
nosotros/as nos mejorábamos
vosotros/as os mejorabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mejoraban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mejoraré
tú te mejorarás
él/ella/Ud. se mejorará
nosotros/as nos mejoraremos
vosotros/as os mejoraréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mejorarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mejoraría
tú te mejorarías
él/ella/Ud. se mejoraría
nosotros/as nos mejoraríamos
vosotros/as os mejoraríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mejorarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mejore
tú te mejores
él/ella/Ud. se mejore
nosotros/as nos mejoremos
vosotros/as os mejoréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mejoren

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me mejorara
tú te mejoraras
él/ella/Ud. se mejorara
nosotros/as nos mejoráramos
vosotros/as os mejorarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mejoraran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te mejora
él/ella/Ud. se mejore
nosotros/as nos mejoremos
vosotros/as os mejorad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mejoren

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te mejores
él/ella/Ud. se mejore
nosotros/as nos mejoremos
vosotros/as os mejoréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se mejoren

Gerund and past participle

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

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 mejorarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me mejoro de la gripe poco a poco. 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 mejorarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me mejoré con el descanso y la medicina. 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 mejorarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me mejoraba en español con la práctica. 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 mejorarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me mejoraré poco a poco cada día. 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 mejorarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me mejoraría de la gripe poco a poco 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 mejorarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he mejorado con el descanso y la medicina. 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 mejorarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había mejorado en español con la práctica 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 mejorarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré mejorado poco a poco cada día. 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 mejorarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría mejorado de la gripe poco a poco 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 mejorarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se mejore con el descanso y la medicina. 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 mejorarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se mejorara en español con la práctica, 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 mejorarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se mejore poco a poco cada día. 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 mejorarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te mejores de la gripe poco a poco. 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 mejorarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me mejoro de la gripe poco a poco. — I get better from the flu little by little.
  2. Se mejora con el descanso y la medicina. — He/she gets better with rest and medicine.
  3. Ayer, me mejoré en español con la práctica. — Yesterday, I got better at Spanish with practice.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos mejorábamos poco a poco cada día. — Before, we used to get better little by little every day.
  5. Mañana, tú te mejorarás de la gripe poco a poco. — Tomorrow, you will get better from the flu little by little.
  6. Yo me mejoraría con el descanso y la medicina si tuviera más tiempo. — I would get better with rest and medicine if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha mejorado en español con la práctica. — He has got better at Spanish with practice.
  8. Espero que él se mejore poco a poco cada día. — I hope he gets better little by little every day.
  9. Yo ya me había mejorado de la gripe poco a poco antes de salir. — I had already got better from the flu little by little before leaving.
  10. Ellos se mejoraban con el descanso y la medicina cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to get better with rest and medicine when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo mejoro de la gripe poco a poco. — Right: Yo me mejoro de la gripe poco a poco. — Mejorarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo mejoro con el descanso y la medicina. — Right: Ayer yo mejoré con el descanso y la medicina. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: mejoro is happening now, while mejoré is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating mejorarse and empeorarse as identical in every context. — Right: Mejorarse means to get better, while empeorarse means to get worse. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: mejorarse fits sentences such as Me mejoro de la gripe poco a poco, while empeorarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy mejorado con el descanso y la medicina. — Right: Yo he mejorado con el descanso y la medicina. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he mejorado, has mejorado, ha mejorado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo mejoré en español con la práctica todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo mejoraba en español con la práctica todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (mejoraba), not the preterite. The preterite (mejoré) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de la gripe poco a poco. (present tense) A. me mejoro B. te mejoras C. se mejora D. nos mejoramos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ con el descanso y la medicina. (preterite) A. me mejoré B. te mejoraste C. se mejoraron D. se mejoró

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en español con la práctica. (imperfect) A. te mejorabas B. se mejoraban C. nos mejorábamos D. me mejoraba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ poco a poco cada día. (future) A. nos mejoraremos B. te mejorarás C. me mejoraré D. se mejorará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de la gripe poco a poco si pudiera. (conditional) A. me mejoraría B. te mejorarías C. se mejoraría D. se mejorarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ con el descanso y la medicina. (present subjunctive) A. me mejore B. te mejores C. nos mejoremos D. se mejore

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en español con la práctica, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se mejorara B. nos mejoráramos C. me mejorara D. te mejoraras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ poco a poco cada día. (present perfect) A. se han mejorado B. nos hemos mejorado C. me he mejorado D. te has mejorado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ de la gripe poco a poco. (negative imperative, tú) A. te mejores B. se mejore C. nos mejoremos D. os mejoréis

  10. Which is the gerund of mejorarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. mejorado B. mejoro C. mejoré D. mejorando

Answer key

  1. me mejoro — The first-person present of mejorarse is me mejoro. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se mejoró — The third-person preterite of mejorarse is se mejoró, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos mejorábamos — The nosotros imperfect of mejorarse is nos mejorábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te mejorarás — The second-person future of mejorarse is te mejorarás.
  5. me mejoraría — The first-person conditional of mejorarse is me mejoraría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se mejore — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of mejorarse is se mejore.
  7. me mejorara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of mejorarse is me mejorara.
  8. nos hemos mejorado — The nosotros present perfect of mejorarse is nos hemos mejorado: hemos + mejorado.
  9. te mejores — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te mejores.
  10. mejorando — The gerund of mejorarse is mejorando: estoy mejorando. The participle mejorado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does mejorarse mean in English?

Mejorarse means to get better. It is used in everyday situations such as Me mejoro de la gripe poco a poco. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is mejorarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Mejorarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me mejoro de la gripe poco a poco and él se mejora con el descanso y la medicina. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between mejorarse and empeorarse?

Mejorarse means to get better, while empeorarse means to get worse. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use mejorarse when you mean to get better, as in Me mejoro de la gripe poco a poco, and use empeorarse for to get worse. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

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

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me mejoré con el descanso y la medicina. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me mejoraba en español con la práctica. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he mejorado con el descanso y la medicina.

How do I practise mejorarse?

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

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