Obstinarse Present Tense in Spanish
obstinarse means "to insist stubbornly" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for obstinarse, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of obstinarse: full table
Every person of obstinarse in the present tense. The gerund is obstinándose and the past participle is obstinado.
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | me obstino |
| tú | te obstinas |
| él/ella/Ud. | se obstina |
| nosotros/as | nos obstinamos |
| vosotros/as | os obstináis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | se obstinan |
The gerund of obstinarse is obstinándose and the past participle is obstinado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy obstinándose), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (me he obstinado). Because obstinarse is reflexive, every present-tense form carries its pronoun in front of it: me, te, se, nos, os, se.
How the present tense of obstinarse is formed
The present tense of obstinarse is built from the stem obstin- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo me obstino, tú te obstinas, él se obstina, nosotros nos obstinamos, vosotros os obstináis and ellos se obstinan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | me obstino |
| tú | -as | te obstinas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | se obstina |
| nosotros/as | -amos | nos obstinamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | os obstináis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | se obstinan |
obstinarse is completely regular in the present tense: the stem never changes and every ending is the standard -ar ending. The only thing to watch is the accent on the vosotros form obstináis.
obstinarse is a reflexive verb, so every form carries a reflexive pronoun in front of it: me, te, se, nos, os, se. The pronoun always goes before the conjugated verb in the present tense. The gerund is obstinándose, with the pronoun attached to the end, and the past participle is obstinado.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is obstinándose, used for the progressive with estar: estoy obstinándose. The past participle is obstinado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: me he obstinado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with obstinarse
1. Routines and habits
The present tense describes what happens regularly. For example: Cada día, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." The complement in this sentence is about his idea during the debate, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear obstinarse in the present tense.
2. Things happening now
The present tense describes what is happening at this moment. For example: Ahora, tú te obstinas en no salir de casa. — "Now, you insist stubbornly in not leaving the house." The complement in this sentence is about not leaving the house, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear obstinarse in the present tense.
3. General truths
The present tense states facts that are generally true, not tied to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él se obstina en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "Normally, he/she insists stubbornly in his plan despite the risk." The complement in this sentence is about his plan despite the risk, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear obstinarse in the present tense.
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example: Mañana, nosotros nos obstinamos en estudiar medicina. — "Tomorrow, we insist stubbornly in studying medicine." The complement in this sentence is about studying medicine, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear obstinarse in the present tense.
5. Frequent actions
With words such as siempre, a menudo and todos los días, the present tense shows how often something happens. For example: Siempre, ellos se obstinan en su idea durante el debate. — "Always, they insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." The complement in this sentence is about his idea during the debate, which is exactly the kind of situation where you will hear obstinarse in the present tense.
Present vs preterite: obstinarse
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with obstinarse.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo me obstiné en su idea durante el debate. — "Yesterday, I insisted stubbornly in his idea during the debate."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, tú te obstinas en no salir de casa. — "Every day, you insist stubbornly in not leaving the house."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, tú te obstinaste en no salir de casa. — "Yesterday, you insisted stubbornly in not leaving the house."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, él se obstina en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "Every day, he/she insists stubbornly in his plan despite the risk."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, él se obstinó en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "Yesterday, he/she insisted stubbornly in his plan despite the risk."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: obstinarse in the present tense
These eight sentences show obstinarse in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate."
- Tú te obstinas en no salir de casa. — "you insist stubbornly in not leaving the house."
- Él se obstina en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "he/she insists stubbornly in his plan despite the risk."
- Nosotros nos obstinamos en estudiar medicina. — "we insist stubbornly in studying medicine."
- Vosotros os obstináis en su idea durante el debate. — "you (plural) insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate."
- Ellos se obstinan en no salir de casa. — "they insist stubbornly in not leaving the house."
- Yo me obstino en su plan a pesar del riesgo. — "I insist stubbornly in his plan despite the risk."
- Tú te obstinas en estudiar medicina. — "you insist stubbornly in studying medicine."
Common mistakes with obstinarse in the present tense
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: Dropping the accent on the vosotros form
- Wrong: Vosotros os obstinais en su idea durante el debate.
- Right: Vosotros os obstináis en su idea durante el debate.
- Why: The vosotros form obstináis carries a written accent. Without it the word is misspelled.
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." The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 4: Using the present tense for a past habit
- Wrong: Antes, yo me obstino en su plan a pesar del riesgo.
- Right: Antes, yo me obstinaba en su plan a pesar del riesgo.
- Why: Antes means before, in the past, so a past habit needs the imperfect: 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 present tense describes what happens now, not what used to happen.
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. Check the person first, then choose the form.
Quiz: the present tense of obstinarse
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of 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) obstinamos
- (b) obstino
- (c) obstinas
- (d) obstina
Answer: (b) obstino. The yo form is obstino. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the tú form of obstinarse in the present tense?
- (a) obstinas
- (b) obstino
- (c) obstina
- (d) obstinamos
Answer: (a) obstinas. The tú form is obstinas. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the él/ella form of obstinarse in the present tense?
- (a) obstino
- (b) obstinas
- (c) obstinamos
- (d) obstina
Answer: (d) obstina. The él/ella form is obstina. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the nosotros form of obstinarse in the present tense?
- (a) obstinas
- (b) obstina
- (c) obstinamos
- (d) obstino
Answer: (c) obstinamos. The nosotros form is obstinamos. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the ellos/ellas form of obstinarse in the present tense?
- (a) obstina
- (b) obstinan
- (c) obstino
- (d) obstinas
Answer: (b) obstinan. The ellos/ellas form is obstinan. The other options are other persons, so check the person before you answer.
6. 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 (Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate.)
7. What is the gerund of obstinarse?
- (a) obstinando
- (b) obstinado
- (c) obstino
- (d) obstinarse
Answer: (a) obstinando. The gerund is obstinando, used for the progressive: me estoy obstinando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Antes, yo me obstinaba en no salir de casa.
- (b) Ayer, yo me obstiné en no salir de casa.
- (c) Mañana, yo me obstinaré en no salir de casa.
- (d) Cada día, yo me obstino en no salir de casa.
Answer: (d) Cada día, yo me obstino en no salir de casa.. Cada día, yo me obstino en no salir de casa. (Every day, I insist stubbornly in not leaving the house.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo me obstiné en no salir de casa. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo me obstinaré en no salir de casa. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of obstinarse
Is obstinarse regular in the present tense?
Yes. obstinarse is a regular -ar verb: obstino, obstinas, obstina, obstinamos. There are no spelling changes and no stem changes in the present tense, so the endings do all the work.
How do you say 'insist stubbornly' in a sentence?
Use the present tense with a complement: Cada día, yo me obstino en su idea durante el debate. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in his idea during the debate." Change the person using the table above, and change the complement to talk about your own life.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with obstinarse?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo me obstino en no salir de casa. — "Every day, I insist stubbornly in not leaving the house." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo me obstiné en no salir de casa. — "Yesterday, I insisted stubbornly in not leaving the house." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.
Can I use the present tense for the future with obstinarse?
Yes, when the plan is already fixed. Mañana, nosotros nos obstinamos en estudiar medicina. — "Tomorrow, we insist stubbornly in studying medicine." Spanish often uses the present for a plan that feels certain, where English would use the future. Add a time word such as mañana so the listener knows you mean the future.