Introduction

Pintarse means “to paint oneself”, and this page covers exactly one thing: pintarse in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for pintarse, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about pintarse in the present. Pintarse in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo me pinto los labios” — "I put on makeup my lips". Everything on this page uses the forms of pintarse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Pintarse in the Present Tense — full table

Person Pronoun Form
yo me pinto
tú te pintas
él/ella/Ud. se pinta
nosotros/as nos pintamos
vosotros/as os pintáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se pintan

Gerund: pintando · Past participle: pintado

The gerund is pintando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Me estoy pintando” means the action of pintarse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is pintado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “me he pintado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how pintarse is used.

How the present of pintarse is formed

Pintarse is a regular -ar, reflexive verb in the present. Take the stem pint and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving pinto, pintas, pinta, pintamos, pintáis, pintan. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, pintáis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. Because pintarse is reflexive, every form takes the matching pronoun in front: me pinto, te pintas, se pinta. The pronoun is part of the verb, not an optional extra. The present of pintarse is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form pintáis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form pinto is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of pintarse

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use pintarse in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, pintarse goes in the present. Example: “Yo me pinto las uñas” — "I put on makeup my nails".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about pintarse does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él se pinta delante del espejo” — "He puts on makeup in front of the mirror".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so me pinto can mean both "I put on makeup" and "I am putting on makeup". Example: “Yo me pinto los labios” — "I put on makeup my lips".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Nosotros nos pintamos las uñas” — "We put on makeup my nails".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with pintarse just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él se pinta delante del espejo” — "He puts on makeup in front of the mirror".

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo me pinto los labios” — "I put on makeup my lips".

  • Preterite: “Yo me pinté los labios” — "I put on makeup my lips".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él se pinta las uñas” — "He puts on makeup my nails".

  • Preterite: “Él se pintó las uñas” — "He put on makeup my nails".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros nos pintamos delante del espejo” — "We put on makeup in front of the mirror".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros nos pintamos delante del espejo” — "We put on makeup in front of the mirror".

  • The two sentences look identical: nos pintamos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: pintarse in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Yo me pinto las uñas” — "I put on makeup my nails"

  2. “Tú te pintas delante del espejo” — "You put on makeup in front of the mirror"

  3. “Él se pinta los labios” — "He puts on makeup my lips"

  4. “Nosotros nos pintamos las uñas” — "We put on makeup my nails"

  5. “Vosotros os pintáis delante del espejo” — "You put on makeup in front of the mirror"

  6. “Ellos se pintan los labios” — "They put on makeup my lips"

  7. “Yo me pinto las uñas” — "I put on makeup my nails"

  8. “Él se pinta delante del espejo” — "He puts on makeup in front of the mirror"

Common mistakes with pintarse in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • Wrong: “Ellos pinta los labios” Right: “Ellos se pintan los labios” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form pintan. The singular pinta belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo me pinté” Right: “Todos los días, yo me pinto” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (pinté) is for one finished action, not for routines.

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

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo me pinto” Right: “Ayer, yo me pinté” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to pinté.

Quiz: pintarse in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo me ___ delante del espejo.” (yo form)

A. pinta B. pintan C. pintamos D. pinto

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú te ___ los labios.” (tú form)

A. pintáis B. pinto C. pintas D. pintamos

3. Complete the sentence: “Él se ___ las uñas.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. pintáis B. pinta C. pintas D. pintamos

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros nos ___ delante del espejo.” (nosotros/as form)

A. pintas B. pinta C. pintamos D. pintáis

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros os ___ los labios.” (vosotros/as form)

A. pintamos B. pinta C. pintas D. pintáis

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos se ___ las uñas.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. pintáis B. pinta C. pintas D. pintan

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo me pinto B. Todos los días, yo me pinté

Answer key

  1. pinto — The yo present of pintarse is pinto.
  2. pintas — The tú present of pintarse is pintas.
  3. pinta — The él/ella/Ud. present of pintarse is pinta.
  4. pintamos — The nosotros/as present of pintarse is pintamos.
  5. pintáis — The vosotros/as present of pintarse is pintáis.
  6. pintan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of pintarse is pintan.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo me pinto — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of pintarse?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo me pinto los labios. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of pintarse formed?

Take the stem pint- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving pinto, pintas, pinta, pintamos, pintáis, pintan.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for pintarse?

The present (pinto) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (pinté) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise pintarse in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — pinto, pintas, pinta, pintamos, pintáis, pintan — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the pintarse examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of pintarse when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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