Prepararse Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The present tense of prepararse — “to get ready” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for prepararse with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Prepararse means to get ready, and it is the reflexive partner of preparar: you prepare yourself for an exam, a trip, a party or a match. It takes para: prepararse para el examen. It is a daily verb, in school, sport and travel. To see it in a real sentence: Me preparo para el examen de mañana. — “I get ready for tomorrow's exam.”

Present tense conjugation table: prepararse

Every person of prepararse in the present tense. The gerund is preparando and the past participle is preparado.

Person Pronoun Form
yo me preparo
tú te preparas
él/ella/Ud. se prepara
nosotros/as nos preparamos
vosotros/as os preparáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se preparan

The gerund is preparando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy preparando” means the action of prepararse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is preparado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he preparado” 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 prepararse is used.

How the present of prepararse is formed

The present of prepararse is built from the stem prepar plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.

Person Ending Form
yo -o me preparo
tú -as te preparas
él/ella/Ud. -a se prepara
nosotros/as -amos nos preparamos
vosotros/as -áis os preparáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. -an se preparan

prepararse is a regular -ar verb in the present, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is prepar and the endings are the normal -ar endings, so there are no surprises to memorise in this tense — the challenge is only using the forms naturally.

The gerund of prepararse is preparando and the past participle is preparado. Both are the forms you need for the progressive and the perfect tenses with haber.

When to use the present of prepararse

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

1. A routine or habit

The present tense of prepararse is the tense for what happens regularly. When something is part of your routine, your week or your normal life, the present is the right choice, and prepararse is no exception. The time words that go with it are todos los días, cada semana, siempre and a menudo.

Example: “Me preparo para el examen de mañana.” — I get ready for tomorrow's exam.

2. A general fact

The present tense also states facts that are true in general, not just today. When you describe what prepararse means in the world — what it does, who it affects, how it works — the present is the tense to use. There is no time limit on the statement, so no past or future form is needed.

Example: “Se prepara para el viaje a Madrid.” — He/she gets ready for the trip to Madrid.

3. Something happening right now

The present tense describes what is happening at this very moment. You do not need the progressive (estar plus the gerund) to say what is going on now: the simple present does the job in Spanish, and it is the more common choice in everyday speech.

Example: “Me preparo con tiempo para la fiesta.” — I get ready in good time for the party.

4. A plan or arrangement

Spanish uses the present tense for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression such as mañana or el lunes. When the arrangement is made, the present tense states it as a fact, and prepararse follows the same rule as every other verb.

Example: “Mañana, nosotros nos preparamos para el partido del domingo.” — Tomorrow, we get ready for Sunday's match.

5. Asking and answering questions

Questions in the present tense ask about routines, facts and what is happening now. The answer uses the same tense, so a question and its answer stay in the present together. This is the pattern you will hear most often in conversation.

Example: “¿Te preparas para el viaje a Madrid?” — Do you get ready for the trip to Madrid?

The present vs the 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 now, what happens regularly, or what is generally true, 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 happening now or is already finished. Time words help: ahora and todos los días point to the present, while ayer and anoche point to the preterite.

  • Present: “Me preparo para el examen de mañana.” — I get ready for tomorrow's exam.

  • Preterite: “Me preparé para el examen de mañana.” — I got ready for tomorrow's exam.

  • The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.

  • Present: “Se prepara para el viaje a Madrid.” — He/she gets ready for the trip to Madrid.

  • Preterite: “Se preparó para el viaje a Madrid.” — He/she got ready for the trip to Madrid.

  • The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.

  • Present: “Nos preparamos con tiempo para la fiesta.” — We get ready in good time for the party.

  • Preterite: “Nos preparamos con tiempo para la fiesta.” — We got ready in good time for the party.

  • The present sentence describes what happens now or regularly; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — now versus finished — is the whole decision.

Example sentences: prepararse 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. “Me preparo para el examen de mañana.” — I get ready for tomorrow's exam.

  2. “Te preparas para el viaje a Madrid.” — You get ready for the trip to Madrid.

  3. “Se prepara con tiempo para la fiesta.” — He/she gets ready in good time for the party.

  4. “Nos preparamos para el partido del domingo.” — We get ready for Sunday's match.

  5. “Os preparáis para el examen de mañana.” — You get ready for tomorrow's exam.

  6. “Se preparan para el viaje a Madrid.” — They get ready for the trip to Madrid.

  7. “Me preparo con tiempo para la fiesta.” — I get ready in good time for the party.

  8. “Se prepara para el partido del domingo.” — He/she gets ready for Sunday's match.

Common mistakes with prepararse 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: “Yo prepara para el examen de mañana.” Right: “Yo me preparo para el examen de mañana.” Why: Yo needs the yo form me preparo. The form prepara belongs with él, ella or Ud.

  • Wrong: “Yo preparo para el examen de mañana.” Right: “Yo me preparo para el examen de mañana.” Why: Prepararse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required before the form. Without it the sentence is incomplete.

  • Wrong: “Ayer yo me preparo para el viaje a Madrid.” Right: “Ayer yo me preparé para el viaje a Madrid.” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to me preparé.

  • Wrong: “Ellos se prepara para el viaje a Madrid.” Right: “Ellos se preparan para el viaje a Madrid.” Why: Ellos needs the ellos form se preparan. The singular prepara belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Quiz: prepararse 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 ___ para el examen de mañana.”

  • (a) me preparo
  • (b) te preparas
  • (c) se prepara

Answer: me preparo — The yo form of prepararse in the present is me preparo.

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ para el viaje a Madrid.”

  • (a) me preparo
  • (b) se prepara
  • (c) te preparas

Answer: te preparas — The tú form of prepararse in the present is te preparas.

3. Complete the sentence: “Él/ella ___ con tiempo para la fiesta.”

  • (a) te preparas
  • (b) se prepara
  • (c) me preparo

Answer: se prepara — The él/ella form of prepararse in the present is se prepara.

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros/as ___ para el partido del domingo.”

  • (a) nos preparamos
  • (b) me preparo
  • (c) te preparas

Answer: nos preparamos — The nosotros/as form of prepararse in the present is nos preparamos.

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros/as ___ para el examen de mañana.”

  • (a) me preparo
  • (b) te preparas
  • (c) os preparáis

Answer: os preparáis — The vosotros/as form of prepararse in the present is os preparáis.

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos/ellas ___ para el viaje a Madrid.”

  • (a) te preparas
  • (b) se preparan
  • (c) me preparo

Answer: se preparan — The ellos/ellas form of prepararse in the present is se preparan.

7. What does prepararse mean in English?

  • (a) to get ready
  • (b) to prepare something else
  • (c) to be about

Answer: to get ready — Prepararse means to get ready.

8. Which sentence is in the present?

  • (a) Me preparé para el examen de mañana.
  • (b) Me prepararé para el examen de mañana.
  • (c) Me preparo para el examen de mañana.

Answer: Me preparo para el examen de mañana. — “Me preparo para el examen de mañana.” is in the present. The other two use different tenses.

Frequently asked questions

Is prepararse regular in the present?

Yes. Prepararse is regular in the present: preparo, preparas, prepara, preparamos, preparáis and preparan. Watch the accents on the forms that carry them, and remember that the nosotros form is the one that keeps the stem unchanged.

What is the gerund and the past participle of prepararse?

The gerund is preparando, used with estar for the progressive: estoy preparando. The past participle is preparado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he preparado.

What should I watch out for with prepararse?

Prepararse takes para: me preparo para el examen. Preparar without the pronoun prepares something else. In the present, the form to fix in your memory first is preparo, because the yo form shows the stem pattern for the whole tense.

How do I practise prepararse in the present?

Say the six forms in the table out loud with the examples above, then use the prepararse examples and quiz page for more sentences, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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