Introduction
reconciliarse means “to make up (with someone)”, and this page covers exactly one thing: reconciliarse 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 reconciliarse, 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 reconciliarse in the present. For example: “Yo me reconcilio con mi hermano todos los días.” — “I make up with my brother.” Everything on this page uses the forms of reconciliarse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
reconciliarse in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | reconcilio |
| tú | reconcilias |
| él/ella/Ud. | reconcilia |
| nosotros/as | reconciliamos |
| vosotros/as | reconciliáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | reconcilian |
Gerund: reconciliando · Past participle: reconciliado
The gerund is reconciliando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy reconciliando” means the action of reconciliarse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is reconciliado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he reconciliado” 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 reconciliarse is used.
How the present of reconciliarse is formed
reconciliarse is a -ar verb. Take the stem reconcili and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving reconcilio, reconcilias, reconcilia, reconciliamos, reconciliáis and reconcilian. reconciliarse is regular in the present, so once you know the endings you can build all six forms from the stem.
The present of reconciliarse rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form reconcilio is the form you will use most when you talk about yourself, so say it out loud until it comes without thinking. Second, the nosotros form reconciliamos and the ellos form reconcilian are the ones learners confuse most often, because they are the forms used for groups. Practise the six forms in order — yo, tú, él, nosotros, vosotros, ellos — and the pattern will settle.
When to use the present of reconciliarse
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use reconciliarse in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.
1. A habit or routine
reconciliarse in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about with my brother is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo me reconcilio con mi hermano cada día.” — “I make up with my brother.”
2. A fact or general truth
General truths about with my brother also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él se reconcilia con mi hermano siempre.” — “He makes up with my brother.”
3. Something happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. It is the simplest way to describe an action in progress when you do not need the gerund. Example: “Nosotros nos reconciliamos con mi hermano ahora mismo.” — “We make up with my brother.”
4. A scheduled near-future event
Spanish often uses the present for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. It sounds more certain than the future tense. Example: “Ellos se reconcilian con mi hermano mañana.” — “They make up with my brother.”
5. Instructions and explanations
When you explain how something works — how to talk about with my brother — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú te reconcilias con mi hermano normalmente.” — “you make up with my brother.”
Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the hardest decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is the tense. Time words help: cada día and siempre point to the present, while ayer points to the preterite.
Present Tense: “Yo me reconcilio con mi hermano cada día.” — “I make up with my brother.”
Preterite: “Yo me reconcilié con mi hermano ayer.” — “I made up with my brother.”
The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.
Present Tense: “Él se reconcilia con mi hermano siempre.” — “He makes up with my brother.”
Preterite: “Él se reconcilió con mi hermano ayer.” — “He made up with my brother.”
The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.
Present Tense: “Nosotros nos reconciliamos con mi hermano todos los días.” — “We make up with my brother.”
Preterite: “Nosotros nos reconciliamos con mi hermano ayer.” — “We made up with my brother.”
The two sentences use the same verb and the same situation, but the tense changes what the sentence claims: a habit or a present fact versus one finished event. That difference is the whole decision.
Example sentences: reconciliarse 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.
- “Yo me reconcilio con mi hermano cada día.” — “I make up with my brother.”
- “Tú te reconcilias con mi hermano cada día.” — “you make up with my brother.”
- “Él se reconcilia con mi hermano siempre.” — “He makes up with my brother.”
- “Nosotros nos reconciliamos con mi hermano todos los días.” — “We make up with my brother.”
- “Vosotros os reconciliáis con mi hermano cada semana.” — “You make up with my brother.”
- “Ellos se reconcilian con mi hermano normalmente.” — “They make up with my brother.”
- “Yo me reconcilio con mi hermano ahora mismo.” — “I make up with my brother.”
- “Él se reconcilia con mi hermano cada día.” — “He makes up with my brother.”
Common mistakes
Dropping the reflexive pronoun
Because reconciliarse is reflexive, it always needs its pronoun: yo me reconcilio con mi hermano, not yo reconcilio con mi hermano. Without me, the sentence either means something else or means nothing at all. The pronouns are me, te, se, nos, os, se — learn them with the verb, not as an afterthought.
Confusing reconciliarse with recuperar
reconciliarse and recuperar look similar, and learners mix them up. They are different verbs with different meanings, so check which one the sentence needs before you conjugate. If you can substitute the English meaning of reconciliarse — make up — the sentence needs reconciliarse; if it needs the meaning of recuperar, use that verb instead.
Using the indicative after "espero que"
After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo reconcilie con mi hermano. Using the indicative — Espero que yo reconcilio — is one of the most frequent learner errors with reconciliarse. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.
Forgetting the accent in the preterite
The yo preterite form is reconcilié, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — reconcilie — is a spelling error, and in speech the stress lands in the wrong place. Preterite yo forms that end in a vowel carry that accent, so check it every time you write the preterite of reconciliarse.
Using the wrong tense for reconciliarse
The most general mistake is choosing the wrong tense altogether: using the present where Spanish needs the preterite, or the other way round. Check the time words first — ayer and la semana pasada point to the past, cada día and siempre point to the present — and then check whether the action is finished or ongoing. If you can answer those two questions, the tense usually chooses itself.
Quiz
Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.
1. What is the yo form of reconciliarse in the present tense?
- A. reconcilias
- B. reconcilia
- C. reconciliamos
- D. reconcilio
2. What is the tu form of reconciliarse in the present tense?
- A. reconcilias
- B. reconcilio
- C. reconcilia
- D. reconciliamos
3. What is the el form of reconciliarse in the present tense?
- A. reconciliamos
- B. reconcilia
- C. reconcilio
- D. reconcilias
4. What is the nosotros form of reconciliarse in the present tense?
- A. reconcilias
- B. reconcilia
- C. reconciliamos
- D. reconcilio
5. What is the vosotros form of reconciliarse in the present tense?
- A. reconcilio
- B. reconcilias
- C. reconcilia
- D. reconciliáis
6. What is the ellos form of reconciliarse in the present tense?
- A. reconcilian
- B. reconcilio
- C. reconcilias
- D. reconcilia
7. What is the yo form of reconciliarse in the present tense?
- A. reconciliamos
- B. reconcilio
- C. reconcilias
- D. reconcilia
8. What is the el form of reconciliarse in the present tense?
- A. reconcilias
- B. reconciliamos
- C. reconcilia
- D. reconcilio
Answer key
- reconcilio — The present table gives yo = reconcilio.
- reconcilias — The present table gives tu = reconcilias.
- reconcilia — The present table gives el = reconcilia.
- reconciliamos — The present table gives nosotros = reconciliamos.
- reconciliáis — The present table gives vosotros = reconciliáis.
- reconcilian — The present table gives ellos = reconcilian.
- reconcilio — The present table gives yo = reconcilio.
- reconcilia — The present table gives el = reconcilia.
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the present of reconciliarse?
Take the stem reconcili and add the present endings for -ar verbs. The six forms are reconcilio, reconcilias, reconcilia, reconciliamos, reconciliáis and reconcilian. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.
When should I use the present of reconciliarse?
Use it for habits, facts and things happening now. The five rules in the section above cover the situations you will meet most often. If the action is a routine or a present fact, the present is the right choice.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of reconciliarse?
The present form for yo is reconcilio and the preterite form is reconcilié — different forms for different meanings. The present reports what happens regularly or now, while the preterite reports one finished action. The contrasted pairs above show the same situation in both tenses, so compare them side by side.
Is reconciliarse regular in the present?
Yes — reconciliarse is regular in the present and follows the standard -ar endings. The full conjugation of reconciliarse is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.
Related links
- reconciliarse conjugation — the full conjugation of reconciliarse in every tense.
- reconciliarse examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a second quiz.
- Spanish present tense guide — the full guide to the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub with every verb on VerbFlow.
- Present tense conjugator — conjugate any verb in the present tense.
- Verb quiz — practise conjugations with timed questions.