Introduction

reformar means “to reform, to renovate”, and it is one of the verbs you will use every day in Spanish. It is the verb for expressing “to reform, to renovate” in everyday Spanish — in conversation, at work, and at home. This page shows reformar 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 reformo la cocina por la mañana.” — “I reform the kitchen.”

reformar in real example sentences

The twelve sentences below are grouped by how reformar 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 reformo la cocina cada día.” — “I reform the kitchen.”
  2. “Tú reformas la cocina cada día.” — “you reform the kitchen.”
  3. “Él reforma la cocina siempre.” — “He reforms the kitchen.”
  4. “Nosotros reformamos la cocina todos los días.” — “We reform the kitchen.”

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 reformé la cocina ayer.” — “I reformed the kitchen.” (preterite) 6. “Él reformó la cocina ayer.” — “He reformed the kitchen.” (preterite) 7. “Yo reformaba la cocina cuando era joven.” — “I used to reform the kitchen.” (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 reformaremos la cocina mañana.” — “We will reform the kitchen.” (future) 9. “Tú has reformado la cocina hoy.” — “you have reformed the kitchen.” (present-perfect) 10. “Espero que yo reforme la cocina.” — “I hope that I reform the kitchen.” (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 reformáis la cocina cada semana.” — “You reform the kitchen.” 12. “Ellos reforman la cocina normalmente.” — “They reform the kitchen.”

reformar 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 reformar appears naturally, without anyone stopping to think about conjugation.

Dialogue at home in the evening

Ana: “¿Tú reformas la cocina?” — Do you reform the kitchen?

Luis: “Sí, yo reformo la cocina cada día. Es parte de mi rutina.” — Yes, I reform the kitchen every day. It is part of my routine.

Ana: “¿Y ayer? ¿También reformas la cocina?” — And yesterday? Did you reform the kitchen too?

Luis: “Sí, ayer yo reformé la cocina. Mañana nosotros reformaremos la cocina otra vez.” — Yes, yesterday I reformed the kitchen. Tomorrow we will reform the kitchen again.

A short paragraph

Él reforma la cocina cada día — that one sentence already tells you a lot about how reformar 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 reformo la cocina — 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 reformar yours: use it in a story, not only in a table.

Common mistakes

Forgetting the accent in the preterite

The yo preterite form is reformé, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — reforme — 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 reformar.

Mixing up present and preterite nosotros

For reformar, the nosotros form is the same in the present and the preterite: reformamos. 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 reformado la cocina. English speakers sometimes reach for soy because English uses to be in some passives, but soy reformado is not the present perfect of reformar — it is a passive construction with a different meaning.

Confusing reformar with reflexionar

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

Using the indicative after "espero que"

After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo reforme la cocina. Using the indicative — Espero que yo reformo — is one of the most frequent learner errors with reformar. 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 reformar in the present?

  • A. reformas
  • B. reforma
  • C. reformamos
  • D. reformo

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

  • A. reformamos
  • B. reformaste
  • C. reformé
  • D. reformó

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

  • A. reformabas
  • B. reformábamos
  • C. reformabais
  • D. reformaba

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

  • A. reformará
  • B. reformaremos
  • C. reformaré
  • D. reformarás

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

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

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

  • A. reforme
  • B. reformen
  • C. reforme
  • D. reformes

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

  • A. reformaste
  • B. reformó
  • C. reformamos
  • D. reformé

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

  • A. reformábamos
  • B. reformabas
  • C. reformaba
  • D. reformaba

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

  • A. reformaré
  • B. reformarás
  • C. reformaremos
  • D. reformará

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

  • A. reformaría
  • B. reformaríamos
  • C. reformaría
  • D. reformarías

Answer key

  1. reformo — The present table gives yo = reformo.
  2. reformaste — The preterite table gives tu = reformaste.
  3. reformaba — The imperfect table gives el = reformaba.
  4. reformaremos — The future table gives nosotros = reformaremos.
  5. habéis reformado — The present perfect table gives vosotros = habéis reformado.
  6. reformen — The present subjunctive table gives ellos = reformen.
  7. reformé — The preterite table gives yo = reformé.
  8. reformabas — The imperfect table gives tu = reformabas.
  9. reformará — The future table gives el = reformará.
  10. reformaríamos — The conditional table gives nosotros = reformaríamos.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use reformar in a sentence?

Put the subject first, then the conjugated form, then the rest: “Yo reformo la cocina.” — “I reform the kitchen.” Change the form for the person and the tense, but keep the sentence pattern the same.

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

Learn the present yo form reformo first, then the preterite yo form reformé and the participle reformado. With those three you can talk about the present, the past and the perfect tenses. Add the gerund reformando next, and you can describe actions in progress too.

Is reformar reflexive?

No — reformar is not reflexive. It takes a direct object, not a reflexive pronoun: yo reformo la cocina. 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 reformar?

On the main conjugation page for reformar, 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