Obstinarse Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish
obstinarse means "to insist stubbornly" in English, and this page shows it in everyday use: real example sentences in several tenses, two short dialogues, the mistakes learners actually make, and a quiz to test yourself. You will see obstinarse with his idea during the debate, not leaving the house, his plan despite the risk and studying medicine — the situations where Spanish speakers really use it. A good first sentence to learn is: Cada día, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." Read the examples aloud, notice which tense each one uses, and then try the dialogues and the quiz.
obstinarse in everyday sentences
Twelve sentences with obstinarse, grouped by situation. Each one shows the verb in a different tense or person, with its English translation and a note on when to use that form.
Everyday use
- Cada día, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." The present tense fits a habit here.
- Ayer, yo me obstiné en no salir de casa. — "Yesterday, I insisted stubbornly in not leaving the house." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, yo me obstinaba en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "In the past, I used to insist stubbornly in his plan despite the risk." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, nosotros nos obstinaremos en estudiar medicina. — "Tomorrow, we will insist stubbornly in studying medicine." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Si pudieras, tú te obstinarías en su idea durante el debate. — "If you could, you would insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." The conditional fits something that would happen.
- Yo me he obstinado en no salir de casa. — "I have insisted stubbornly in not leaving the house." The present perfect fits an action with present relevance.
More situations
- Normalmente, él se obstina en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "Normally, he/she insists stubbornly in his plan despite the risk." The present tense fits a general truth here.
- Ayer, él se obstinó en estudiar medicina. — "Yesterday, he/she insisted stubbornly in studying medicine." The preterite fits one finished action.
- Antes, nosotros nos obstinábamos en su idea durante el debate. — "In the past, we used to insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." The imperfect fits a repeated action in the past.
- Mañana, yo me obstinaré en no salir de casa. — "Tomorrow, I will insist stubbornly in not leaving the house." The future tense fits a plan for tomorrow.
- Espero que él se obstine en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "I hope that he/she insists stubbornly in his plan despite the risk." The present subjunctive follows espero que.
- ¡No te obstines en estudiar medicina! — "Do not insist stubbornly in studying medicine!" The imperative fits a direct order or request.
The verb in context
Two short dialogues using obstinarse naturally. Notice how the verb changes person and tense as the conversation moves, and how the complements stay the same kind of situation: his idea during the debate, not leaving the house, his plan despite the risk and studying medicine.
Dialogue 1: talking about his idea during the debate
Ana: ¿Tú te obstinas en su idea durante el debate? — "Do you insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate?" Luis: Sí, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." Ana: ¿Y ayer? — "And yesterday?" Luis: Ayer, yo me obstiné en no salir de casa. — "Yesterday, I insisted stubbornly in not leaving the house." Ana: Mañana, nosotros nos obstinaremos en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "Tomorrow, we will insist stubbornly in his plan despite the risk." Luis: Si pudiera, yo me obstinaría en estudiar medicina. — "If I could, I would insist stubbornly in studying medicine." Ana: Antes, yo me obstinaba en no salir de casa. — "In the past, I used to insist stubbornly in not leaving the house." Luis: Yo me he obstinado en su idea durante el debate. — "I have insisted stubbornly in his idea during the debate." Ana: ¡No te obstines en su plan a pesar del riesgo! — "Do not insist stubbornly in his plan despite the risk!"
In this dialogue obstinarse appears in the present, the preterite, the imperfect, the future, the conditional and the present perfect. That is the point: one verb, many tenses, and the complement tells you which situation you are in. Try the same dialogue with your own complements.
Dialogue 2: talking about his plan despite the risk
Ana: Él se obstina en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "he/she insists stubbornly in his plan despite the risk." Luis: ¿De verdad? ¿Él se obstina en su plan a pesar del riesgo todos los días? — "Really? Does he/she insists stubbornly in his plan despite the risk every day?" Ana: Sí, y ellos se obstinan en estudiar medicina. — "they insist stubbornly in studying medicine." Luis: Ayer, ellos se obstinaron en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "Yesterday, they insisted stubbornly in his plan despite the risk." Ana: Espero que él se obstine en estudiar medicina. — "I hope that he/she insists stubbornly in studying medicine." Luis: Mañana, él se obstinará en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "Tomorrow, he/she will insist stubbornly in his plan despite the risk." Ana: Antes, nosotros nos obstinábamos en estudiar medicina. — "In the past, we used to insist stubbornly in studying medicine." Luis: Nosotros nos obstinamos en su idea durante el debate también. — "we insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate too."
This dialogue shows obstinarse in the third person and in the plural, which is where learners most often hesitate. Read it aloud with a partner, swapping the names and the complements for your own life, and the forms will start to feel automatic.
Common mistakes with obstinarse
The errors learners actually make with obstinarse in everyday use, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why it is wrong.
Mistake 1: Forgetting the reflexive pronoun
- Wrong: Yo obstino en su idea durante el debate.
- Right: Yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate.
- Why: obstinarse is reflexive, so the pronoun is part of the verb: Yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate.. Without me the sentence is incomplete.
Mistake 2: Using the infinitive as a conjugated form
- Wrong: Yo obstinarse en su idea durante el debate.
- Right: Yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate.
- Why: The infinitive obstinarse is the dictionary form, not a conjugated form. In a sentence with yo you need the present-tense form obstino.
Mistake 3: Using the present tense for yesterday
- Wrong: Ayer, yo me obstino en no salir de casa.
- Right: Ayer, yo me obstiné en no salir de casa.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite: Ayer, yo me obstiné en no salir de casa. — "Yesterday, I insisted stubbornly in not leaving the house."
Mistake 4: Mixing up the gerund and the participle
- Wrong: Me estoy obstinado en su plan a pesar del riesgo.
- Right: Me estoy obstinando en su plan a pesar del riesgo.
- Why: After estar you need the gerund obstinando for the progressive. The participle obstinado goes with haber in the perfect tenses (me he obstinado), never after estar.
Mistake 5: Using the él form for nosotros
- Wrong: Nosotros nos obstina en su idea durante el debate.
- Right: Nosotros nos obstinamos en su idea durante el debate.
- Why: The person and the ending must match: nosotros takes obstinamos, while obstina belongs to él and ella.
Quiz: obstinarse in use
Test yourself with ten questions on obstinarse. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the yo form of obstinarse in the present tense?
- (a) obstinas
- (b) obstina
- (c) obstinamos
- (d) obstino
Answer: (d) obstino. The yo form is obstino.
2. What is the tú form of obstinarse in the present tense?
- (a) obstina
- (b) obstinamos
- (c) obstinas
- (d) obstino
Answer: (c) obstinas. The tú form is obstinas.
3. What is the él/ella form of obstinarse in the present tense?
- (a) obstinamos
- (b) obstina
- (c) obstino
- (d) obstinas
Answer: (b) obstina. The él/ella form is obstina.
4. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ en su idea durante el debate.
- (a) obstino
- (b) obstinas
- (c) obstina
- (d) obstinamos
Answer: (a) obstino. The sentence needs the yo form obstino.
5. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ___ en no salir de casa.
- (a) obstinaste
- (b) obstinó
- (c) obstinamos
- (d) obstiné
Answer: (d) obstiné. Ayer needs the preterite, and the yo form is obstiné.
6. Complete the sentence: Antes, yo ___ en su plan a pesar del riesgo.
- (a) obstinábamos
- (b) obstinabais
- (c) obstinaba
- (d) obstinabas
Answer: (c) obstinaba. Antes needs the imperfect, and the yo form is obstinaba.
7. Complete the sentence: Mañana, yo ___ en estudiar medicina.
- (a) obstinaremos
- (b) obstinaré
- (c) obstinarás
- (d) obstinará
Answer: (b) obstinaré. Mañana needs the future, and the yo form is obstinaré.
8. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en su idea durante el debate.
- (a) nos hemos obstinado
- (b) me he obstinado
- (c) te has obstinado
- (d) se ha obstinado
Answer: (b) me he obstinado. The present perfect uses haber plus the participle: me he obstinado.
9. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en su plan a pesar del riesgo.
- (a) obstines
- (b) obstinemos
- (c) obstinéis
- (d) obstine
Answer: (d) obstine. After espero que Spanish needs the subjunctive, and the él form is obstine.
10. What does obstinarse mean in English?
- (a) to light up, to illuminate
- (b) to hurt, to injure
- (c) to hurt oneself
- (d) to insist stubbornly
Answer: (d) to insist stubbornly. obstinarse means "to insist stubbornly" in English.
Frequently asked questions about obstinarse
What does obstinarse mean?
obstinarse means "to insist stubbornly" in English. Use it when you talk about his idea during the debate, not leaving the house, his plan despite the risk and studying medicine — for example: Cada día, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate."
Is obstinarse reflexive?
Yes. obstinarse is reflexive, so it always travels with a pronoun: me, te, se, nos, os, se. Cada día, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." If you drop the pronoun, the sentence is incomplete.
What is the most common mistake with obstinarse?
Forgetting the reflexive pronoun. Learners write the bare form — for example, Yo obstino en su idea durante el debate — when the verb needs its pronoun: Cada día, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." Keep the pronoun with the verb and the mistake disappears.
How can I practise obstinarse?
Take the quiz above, then make your own sentences: change the person in each example, change the complement to something from your own life, and say the sentence aloud. The verb quiz and the verb translator on this site give you more practice with the same forms.