Pintarse Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

pintarse means "to paint oneself, to put on makeup" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows pintarse 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 pintarse, 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 pintarse

To paint oneself

Pintarse means to paint oneself. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo me pinto los labios — "I put on makeup my lips"
  2. Él se pinta las uñas — "He puts on makeup my nails"
  3. Yo me pinté delante del espejo — "I put on makeup in front of the mirror"
  4. Yo me pintaba los labios — "I used to put on makeup my lips"
  5. Yo me pintaré las uñas — "I will put on makeup my nails"
  6. Yo me he pintado delante del espejo — "I have put on makeup in front of the mirror"

To put on makeup

Pintarse means to put on makeup. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él se pintó delante del espejo — "He put on makeup in front of the mirror"
  2. Él se pintaba los labios — "He used to put on makeup my lips"
  3. Tú te pintarás las uñas — "You will put on makeup my nails"
  4. Yo me pintaría delante del espejo — "I would put on makeup in front of the mirror"
  5. Yo me había pintado los labios — "I had put on makeup my lips"
  6. Nosotros nos pintamos las uñas — "We put on makeup my nails"

Pintarse in conversation

The two dialogues below show pintarse in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú te pintas los labios? — "Do you put on makeup my lips?"
  • Sí, yo me pinto los labios cada día. — "Yes, I put on makeup my lips every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú te pintaste las uñas? — "And yesterday? Did you put on makeup my nails?"
  • Sí, yo me pinté las uñas. — "Yes, I put on makeup my nails."
  • Mañana, yo me pintaré delante del espejo también. — "Tomorrow, I will put on makeup in front of the mirror too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros os pintáis los labios? — "Do you put on makeup my lips?"
  • Sí, nosotros nos pintamos los labios los fines de semana. — "Yes, We put on makeup my lips at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos se pintan las uñas? — "And them? Do they put on makeup my nails?"
  • Sí, ellos se pintan las uñas también. — "Yes, They put on makeup my nails too."
  • Mañana nosotros nos pintaremos las uñas otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will put on makeup my nails again."

Useful phrases with pintarse

Four patterns you can use with pintarse in any conversation. The reflexive pronoun attaches to the end of the infinitive: pintarme. Only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a pintarme los labios. — "I am going to put on makeup my lips."
  • Quiero pintarme las uñas. — "I want to put on makeup my nails."
  • Me gusta pintarme delante del espejo. — "I like to put on makeup in front of the mirror."
  • Acabo de pintarme los labios. — "I have just put on makeup my lips."

Common mistakes with pintarse in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Yo pinto los labios.
  • Right: Yo me pinto los labios.
  • Why: Pintarse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it, pinto means something else, or nothing at all.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo me pinté.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo me pinto.
  • 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 pintado las uñas.
  • Right: Yo me he pintado las uñas.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he pintado, has pintado, ha pintado.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo me pinto.
  • Right: Ayer, yo me pinté.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (pinté). The present (pinto) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él pinta los labios.
  • Right: Espero que él se pinte los labios.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: pinte. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: pintarse in use

Ten questions on pintarse across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of pintarse in the present tense?

  • (a) habremos pintado
  • (b) pinto
  • (c) habrás pintado
  • (d) pintaste

Answer: (b) pinto. The I form in the present is pinto.

2. What is the he / she form of pintarse in the present tense?

  • (a) pintaré
  • (b) he pintado
  • (c) pinte
  • (d) pinta

Answer: (d) pinta. The he / she form in the present is pinta.

3. What is the he / she form of pintarse in the preterite tense?

  • (a) pintaremos
  • (b) pintan
  • (c) habremos pintado
  • (d) pintó

Answer: (d) pintó. The he / she form in the preterite is pintó.

4. What is the I form of pintarse in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) pintaba
  • (b) he pintado
  • (c) pintemos
  • (d) habríais pintado

Answer: (a) pintaba. The I form in the imperfect is pintaba.

5. What is the I form of pintarse in the future tense?

  • (a) pintarais
  • (b) pintaré
  • (c) pintéis
  • (d) habríamos pintado

Answer: (b) pintaré. The I form in the future is pintaré.

6. What is the I form of pintarse in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) he pintado
  • (b) pintarais
  • (c) pintaremos
  • (d) pintabas

Answer: (a) he pintado. The I form in the present perfect is he pintado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ los labios.

  • (a) pintemos
  • (b) pinte
  • (c) pintes
  • (d) pinten

Answer: (b) pinte. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is pinte.

8. What is the we form of pintarse in the present tense?

  • (a) habremos pintado
  • (b) pintabas
  • (c) pintan
  • (d) pintamos

Answer: (d) pintamos. The we form in the present is pintamos.

9. What is the I form of pintarse in the preterite tense?

  • (a) pintaras
  • (b) pinta
  • (c) pintara
  • (d) pinté

Answer: (d) pinté. The I form in the preterite is pinté.

10. What is the they form of pintarse in the present tense?

  • (a) habríais pintado
  • (b) pinta
  • (c) pintan
  • (d) pintarías

Answer: (c) pintan. The they form in the present is pintan.

Frequently asked questions about pintarse

Is pintarse reflexive?

Yes. The pronouns me, te, se, nos, os, se go with the verb in every tense: me pinto, te pintas, se pinta. The tables show the verb forms; add the pronoun in front.

What is the past participle of pintarse?

The past participle is pintado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he pintado. The gerund is pintando, used with estar: estoy pintando.

How do I say “I put on makeup” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo me pinté las uñas. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me pintaba delante del espejo.

How can I practise pintarse?

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.

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