Quejarse Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

quejarse means "to complain" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows quejarse 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 quejarse, 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 quejarse

Everyday use

Quejarse means to complain. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo me quejo del ruido — "I complain about the noise"
  2. Él se queja del calor — "He complains about the heat"
  3. Todo el día, yo me quejé — "All day, I complained"
  4. Yo me quejaba del ruido — "I used to complain about the noise"
  5. Yo me quejaré del calor — "I will complain about the heat"
  6. Todo el día, yo me he quejado — "All day, I have complained"

In the past and the future

The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.

  1. Todo el día, él se quejó — "All day, he complained"
  2. Él se quejaba del ruido — "He used to complain about the noise"
  3. Tú te quejarás del calor — "You will complain about the heat"
  4. Todo el día, yo me quejaría — "All day, I would complain"
  5. Yo me había quejado del ruido — "I had complained about the noise"
  6. Nosotros nos quejamos del calor — "We complain about the heat"

Quejarse in conversation

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

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú te quejas del ruido? — "Do you complain about the noise?"
  • Sí, yo me quejo del ruido cada día. — "Yes, I complain about the noise every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú te quejaste del calor? — "And yesterday? Did you complain about the heat?"
  • Sí, yo me quejé del calor. — "Yes, I complained about the heat."
  • Mañana, todo el día, yo me quejaré también. — "Tomorrow, all day, I will complain too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros os quejáis del ruido? — "Do you complain about the noise?"
  • Sí, nosotros nos quejamos del ruido los fines de semana. — "Yes, We complain about the noise at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos se quejan del calor? — "And them? Do they complain about the heat?"
  • Sí, ellos se quejan del calor también. — "Yes, They complain about the heat too."
  • Mañana nosotros nos quejaremos del calor otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will complain about the heat again."

Useful phrases with quejarse

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

  • Voy a quejarme del ruido. — "I am going to complain about the noise."
  • Quiero quejarme del calor. — "I want to complain about the heat."
  • Me gusta quejarme todo el día. — "I like to complain all day."
  • Acabo de quejarme del ruido. — "I have just complained about the noise."

Common mistakes with quejarse in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Yo quejo del ruido.
  • Right: Yo me quejo del ruido.
  • Why: Quejarse is reflexive: the pronoun me is required. Without it, quejo means something else, or nothing at all.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo me quejé.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo me quejo.
  • 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 quejado del calor.
  • Right: Yo me he quejado del calor.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he quejado, has quejado, ha quejado.

Mistake 4

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

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él queja del ruido.
  • Right: Espero que él se queje del ruido.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: queje. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: quejarse in use

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

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

  • (a) quejo
  • (b) habían quejado
  • (c) quejó
  • (d) queje

Answer: (a) quejo. The I form in the present is quejo.

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

  • (a) quejáramos
  • (b) quejarías
  • (c) queja
  • (d) quejes

Answer: (c) queja. The he / she form in the present is queja.

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

  • (a) quejaste
  • (b) quejó
  • (c) quejábamos
  • (d) quejen

Answer: (b) quejó. The he / she form in the preterite is quejó.

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

  • (a) quejaba
  • (b) quejaríais
  • (c) quejamos
  • (d) quejasteis

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

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

  • (a) quejaré
  • (b) quejan
  • (c) habrías quejado
  • (d) quejábamos

Answer: (a) quejaré. The I form in the future is quejaré.

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

  • (a) quejéis
  • (b) has quejado
  • (c) habrán quejado
  • (d) he quejado

Answer: (d) he quejado. The I form in the present perfect is he quejado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ del ruido.

  • (a) quejen
  • (b) quejemos
  • (c) queje
  • (d) quejes

Answer: (c) queje. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is queje.

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

  • (a) quejamos
  • (b) quejaréis
  • (c) quejarán
  • (d) hemos quejado

Answer: (a) quejamos. The we form in the present is quejamos.

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

  • (a) han quejado
  • (b) quejaríamos
  • (c) habíais quejado
  • (d) quejé

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

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

  • (a) quejan
  • (b) quejaría
  • (c) queja
  • (d) hemos quejado

Answer: (a) quejan. The they form in the present is quejan.

Frequently asked questions about quejarse

Is quejarse reflexive?

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

What is the past participle of quejarse?

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

How do I say “I complain” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo me quejé del calor. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Todo el día, yo me quejaba.

How can I practise quejarse?

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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