Introduction

reflexionar means “to reflect”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. It is the verb for expressing “to reflect” in everyday Spanish — in conversation, at work, and at home. This page shows reflexionar in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make most often, and it finishes with a ten-question quiz so you can test yourself. Every sentence below comes with its English translation, and every form is the correct form unless the sentence is clearly marked as past or future. For a first taste: “Yo reflexiono sobre el problema por la mañana.” — “I reflect about the problem.”

reflexionar in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how reflexionar is used. Read each one out loud, then read the translation. If a sentence feels useful, copy it into your own notebook with one small change — a different time, a different person, a different place — and you have a new sentence of your own.

In the present: everyday use

These sentences use {verb} in the present tense, which is how you will meet it most often: routines, facts, and things happening now.

  1. “Yo reflexiono sobre el problema cada día.” — “I reflect about the problem.”
  2. “Tú reflexionas sobre el problema cada día.” — “you reflect about the problem.”
  3. “Él reflexiona sobre el problema siempre.” — “He reflects about the problem.”
  4. “Nosotros reflexionamos sobre el problema todos los días.” — “We reflect about the problem.”

Talking about the past

The present is not the only tense you need. These sentences show {verb} in the past, so you can talk about what already happened. 5. “Yo reflexioné sobre el problema ayer.” — “I reflected about the problem.” (preterite) 6. “Él reflexionó sobre el problema ayer.” — “He reflected about the problem.” (preterite) 7. “Yo reflexionaba sobre el problema cuando era joven.” — “I used to reflect about the problem.” (imperfect)

Plans and things already done

These sentences look forward, or look back at something already finished. Notice how the verb form changes while the meaning of {verb} stays the same. 8. “Nosotros reflexionaremos sobre el problema mañana.” — “We will reflect about the problem.” (future) 9. “Tú has reflexionado sobre el problema hoy.” — “you have reflected about the problem.” (present-perfect) 10. “Espero que yo reflexione sobre el problema.” — “I hope that I reflect about the problem.” (present-subjunctive)

More everyday uses

Two more present-tense sentences, covering the remaining persons, so you can see the whole table in action. 11. “Vosotros reflexionáis sobre el problema cada semana.” — “You reflect about the problem.” 12. “Ellos reflexionan sobre el problema normalmente.” — “They reflect about the problem.”

reflexionar in context

Single sentences teach you the forms. Dialogues teach you when to use them. Read the short conversation below, then the paragraph that follows, and notice how reflexionar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

Dialogue in a café

Sofía: “¿Tú reflexionas sobre el problema?” — Do you reflect about the problem?

Diego: “Sí, yo reflexiono sobre el problema cada día. Es parte de mi rutina.” — Yes, I reflect about the problem every day. It is part of my routine.

Sofía: “¿Y ayer? ¿También reflexionas sobre el problema?” — And yesterday? Did you reflect about the problem too?

Diego: “Sí, ayer yo reflexioné sobre el problema. Mañana nosotros reflexionaremos sobre el problema otra vez.” — Yes, yesterday I reflected about the problem. Tomorrow we will reflect about the problem again.

A short paragraph

Él reflexiona sobre el problema cada día — that one sentence already tells you a lot about how reflexionar works in real Spanish: who does it, when, and with what. Around it you can build a whole paragraph: what happened yesterday, what is happening now, and what will happen tomorrow, all with the same verb. When you write your own paragraph, start with the present — yo reflexiono sobre el problema — then add one past sentence and one future sentence, and you have practised three tenses with one verb. That is the fastest way to make reflexionar yours: use it in a story, not only in a table.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is reflexioné, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — reflexione — 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 reflexionar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For reflexionar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: reflexionamos. Only the context tells you which tense is meant, so pay attention to the time words around it — cada día points to the present, ayer points to the preterite. Do not invent a different form for one of the tenses.

Using ser instead of haber in perfect tenses

Spanish perfect tenses always use haber, never ser: yo he reflexionado sobre el problema. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy reflexionado is not the present perfect of reflexionar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing reflexionar with reformar

reflexionar and reformar 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 reflexionar — reflect — the sentence needs reflexionar; if it needs the meaning of reformar, use that verb instead.

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo reflexione sobre el problema. Using the indicative — Espero que yo reflexiono — is one of the most frequent learner errors with reflexionar. Whenever the main clause expresses a wish, doubt or emotion, switch to the subjunctive.

Quiz

Test yourself on the forms above. Choose the best answer, then check the key below.

1. What is the yo form of reflexionar in the present?

  • A. reflexionas
  • B. reflexiona
  • C. reflexionamos
  • D. reflexiono

2. What is the tu form of reflexionar in the preterite?

  • A. reflexionamos
  • B. reflexionaste
  • C. reflexioné
  • D. reflexionó

3. What is the el form of reflexionar in the imperfect?

  • A. reflexionabas
  • B. reflexionábamos
  • C. reflexionabais
  • D. reflexionaba

4. What is the nosotros form of reflexionar in the future?

  • A. reflexionará
  • B. reflexionaremos
  • C. reflexionaré
  • D. reflexionarás

5. What is the vosotros form of reflexionar in the present perfect?

  • A. he reflexionado
  • B. has reflexionado
  • C. ha reflexionado
  • D. habéis reflexionado

6. What is the ellos form of reflexionar in the present subjunctive?

  • A. reflexione
  • B. reflexionen
  • C. reflexione
  • D. reflexiones

7. What is the yo form of reflexionar in the preterite?

  • A. reflexionaste
  • B. reflexionó
  • C. reflexionamos
  • D. reflexioné

8. What is the tu form of reflexionar in the imperfect?

  • A. reflexionábamos
  • B. reflexionabas
  • C. reflexionaba
  • D. reflexionaba

9. What is the el form of reflexionar in the future?

  • A. reflexionaré
  • B. reflexionarás
  • C. reflexionaremos
  • D. reflexionará

10. What is the nosotros form of reflexionar in the conditional?

  • A. reflexionaría
  • B. reflexionaríamos
  • C. reflexionaría
  • D. reflexionarías

Answer key

  1. reflexiono — The present table gives yo = reflexiono.
  2. reflexionaste — The preterite table gives tu = reflexionaste.
  3. reflexionaba — The imperfect table gives el = reflexionaba.
  4. reflexionaremos — The future table gives nosotros = reflexionaremos.
  5. habéis reflexionado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis reflexionado.
  6. reflexionen — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = reflexionen.
  7. reflexioné — The preterite table gives yo = reflexioné.
  8. reflexionabas — The imperfect table gives tu = reflexionabas.
  9. reflexionará — The future table gives el = reflexionará.
  10. reflexionaríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = reflexionaríamos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use reflexionar in a sentence?

Put the subject first, then the conjugated form, then the rest: “Yo reflexiono sobre el problema.” — “I reflect about the problem.” Change the form for the person and the tense, but keep the sentence pattern the same.

What is the most useful form of reflexionar to learn first?

Learn the present yo form reflexiono first, then the preterite yo form reflexioné and the participle reflexionado. With those three you can talk about the present, the past and the perfect tenses. Add the gerund reflexionando next, and you can describe actions in progress too.

Is reflexionar reflexive?

No — reflexionar is not reflexive. It takes a direct object, not a reflexive pronoun: yo reflexiono sobre el problema. Do not add me or se to it unless the sentence genuinely needs a pronoun for another reason.

Where can I see the full conjugation of reflexionar?

On the main conjugation page for reflexionar, which has every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, plus notes, examples and a quiz. The present-tense page covers one tense in depth if that is what you need right now.

Related links