Resfriarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb resfriarse means to catch a cold, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Resfriarse is a regular -ar, reflexive verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. Resfriarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, me resfrío en invierno means "In winter, I catch a cold". Without the pronoun, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of resfriarse in all thirteen tenses, notes on when to use each one, example sentences, the mistakes learners make most often, a ten-question quiz and answers to the questions students ask about this verb. For example, in the present tense you say En invierno, yo me resfrío — "In winter, I catch a cold" — and in the preterite you say Cada año, yo me resfrié — "Every year, I caught a cold". Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.

Quick facts

  • Infinitive: resfriarse
  • English: to catch a cold
  • Verb type: regular -ar, reflexive verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: resfriando
  • Past participle: resfriado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + resfriado)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for resfriarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Resfriarse is reflexive: me resfrío, te resfrías. Without the pronoun, resfriar means something else — it acts on someone or something else, not on yourself.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for resfriarse. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.

Gerund: resfriando · Past participle: resfriado

Present indicative

Person Pronoun Form
yo me resfrío
tú te resfrías
él/ella/Ud. se resfría
nosotros/as nos resfriamos
vosotros/as os resfriáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se resfrían

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me resfrié
tú te resfriaste
él/ella/Ud. se resfrió
nosotros/as nos resfriamos
vosotros/as os resfriasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se resfriaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me resfriaba
tú te resfriabas
él/ella/Ud. se resfriaba
nosotros/as nos resfriábamos
vosotros/as os resfriabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se resfriaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me resfriaré
tú te resfriarás
él/ella/Ud. se resfriará
nosotros/as nos resfriaremos
vosotros/as os resfriaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se resfriarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me resfriaría
tú te resfriarías
él/ella/Ud. se resfriaría
nosotros/as nos resfriaríamos
vosotros/as os resfriaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se resfriarían

Present perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me he resfriado
tú te has resfriado
él/ella/Ud. se ha resfriado
nosotros/as nos hemos resfriado
vosotros/as os habéis resfriado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se han resfriado

Pluperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me había resfriado
tú te habías resfriado
él/ella/Ud. se había resfriado
nosotros/as nos habíamos resfriado
vosotros/as os habíais resfriado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habían resfriado

Future perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habré resfriado
tú te habrás resfriado
él/ella/Ud. se habrá resfriado
nosotros/as nos habremos resfriado
vosotros/as os habréis resfriado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrán resfriado

Conditional perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habría resfriado
tú te habrías resfriado
él/ella/Ud. se habría resfriado
nosotros/as nos habríamos resfriado
vosotros/as os habríais resfriado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrían resfriado

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me resfríe
tú te resfríes
él/ella/Ud. se resfríe
nosotros/as nos resfriemos
vosotros/as os resfriéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se resfríen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me resfriara
tú te resfriaras
él/ella/Ud. se resfriara
nosotros/as nos resfriáramos
vosotros/as os resfriarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se resfriaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te resfría
él/ella/Ud. se resfríe
nosotros/as nos resfriemos
vosotros/as os resfriad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se resfríen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te resfríes
él/ella/Ud. se resfríe
nosotros/as nos resfriemos
vosotros/as os resfriéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se resfríen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund resfriando with estar for the progressive: estoy resfriando (or me estoy resfriando for this reflexive verb)
Past participle resfriado with haber for the perfect tenses: he resfriado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. It is the tense you will use most often in everyday conversation, for habits with words like todos los días and for statements that are true in general. For resfriarse, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Cada año, yo me resfrío — "Every year, I catch a cold". Learn the present indicative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense. The only difference here is the written accent: resfrío, resfrías, resfría, resfrían — the letters are the same, only the accent moves.

Preterite

Use the preterite for finished actions in the past — things that started and ended, often with time words like ayer, anoche or la semana pasada. The preterite moves a story forward, one completed event at a time. For resfriarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me resfrié por el frío — "I caught a cold because of the cold". Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperfect

Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with words like antes, de niño or mientras. It describes how things used to be, not one finished event. For resfriarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: En invierno, yo me resfriaba — "In winter, I used to catch a cold". Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future

Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. It talks about what will happen, not what is happening now. For resfriarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Cada año, yo me resfriaré — "Every year, I will catch a cold". Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional

Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often in si clauses. It softens a request and describes imagined situations. For resfriarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me resfriaría por el frío — "I would catch a cold because of the cold". Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present perfect

Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. It connects the past with the present moment. For resfriarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: En invierno, yo me he resfriado — "In winter, I have caught a cold". Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Pluperfect

Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. It is the past of the past, and it usually appears with antes de or ya. For resfriarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Cada año, yo me había resfriado — "Every year, I had caught a cold". Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Future perfect

Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time, often with para mañana or para el viernes. For resfriarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me habré resfriado por el frío — "I will have caught a cold because of the cold". Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Conditional perfect

Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. It looks back at a past that never happened. For resfriarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: En invierno, yo me habría resfriado — "In winter, I would have caught a cold". Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Present subjunctive

Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. The subjunctive does not state a fact; it states an attitude towards the action. For resfriarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se resfríe cada año — "I hope he catches a cold every year". Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense. The only difference here is the written accent: resfriemos, resfriéis — the letters are the same, only the accent moves.

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For resfriarse, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo me resfriara por el frío, todo cambiaría — "If I caught a cold because of the cold, everything would change". Learn the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (affirmative)

Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. It tells someone to do something, and it has no yo form. For resfriarse, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Que se resfríe en invierno — "Let him catch a cold in winter". Learn the imperative (affirmative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Imperative (negative)

Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. It uses the subjunctive forms, so it looks different from the affirmative commands. For resfriarse, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No te resfríes cada año — "Don't catch a cold every year". Learn the imperative (negative) forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.

Example sentences

Ten natural sentences with resfriarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo me resfrío por el frío — "I catch a cold because of the cold"
  2. En invierno, él se resfría — "In winter, he catches a cold"
  3. Cada año, yo me resfrié — "Every year, I caught a cold"
  4. Yo me resfriaba por el frío — "I used to catch a cold because of the cold"
  5. En invierno, tú te resfriarás — "In winter, you will catch a cold"
  6. Cada año, yo me resfriaría — "Every year, I would catch a cold"
  7. Él se ha resfriado por el frío — "He has caught a cold because of the cold"
  8. Espero que él se resfríe en invierno — "I hope he catches a cold in winter"
  9. Cada año, yo me había resfriado — "Every year, I had caught a cold"
  10. Ellos se resfriaban por el frío — "They used to catch a cold because of the cold"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo resfrío en invierno — Right: En invierno, yo me resfrío — Resfriarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo me resfrío — Right: Ayer, yo me resfrié — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to resfrié.
  3. Wrong: De niño, yo me resfrié todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo me resfriaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (resfriaba), not the preterite. The preterite (resfrié) is for one finished action.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy resfriado cada año. — Right: Yo me he resfriado cada año. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he resfriado, has resfriado, ha resfriado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: Espero que él resfría en invierno. — Right: Espero que él se resfríe en invierno. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: resfríe. The indicative resfría is wrong here.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on resfriarse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo me ___ por el frío. (present tense) A. hemos resfriado B. habrías resfriado C. habíamos resfriado D. resfrío

  2. Complete the sentence: Él se ___ por el frío. (preterite) A. resfriáramos B. resfriarais C. hemos resfriado D. resfrió

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros nos ___ por el frío. (imperfect) A. resfriaría B. resfriábamos C. resfriaremos D. han resfriado

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú te ___ por el frío. (future) A. resfriarás B. resfríen C. habéis resfriado D. resfriamos

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo me ___ por el frío. (conditional) A. habré resfriado B. resfriaría C. resfriad D. has resfriado

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ por el frío. (present subjunctive) A. resfrié B. resfriabais C. resfríe D. habías resfriado

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo me ___ por el frío, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. resfriara B. habías resfriado C. habría resfriado D. he resfriado

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros nos ___ por el frío. (present perfect) A. resfrié B. he resfriado C. resfriarais D. hemos resfriado

  9. Complete the command: No te ___ por el frío. (negative imperative, tú) A. resfriemos B. resfríen C. resfríes D. resfriéis

  10. Which is the gerund of resfriarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. resfriaré B. resfrío C. resfriado D. resfriando

Answer key

  1. me resfrío — The yo present tense of resfriarse is me resfrío.
  2. se resfrió — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of resfriarse is se resfrió.
  3. nos resfriábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of resfriarse is nos resfriábamos.
  4. te resfriarás — The tú future of resfriarse is te resfriarás.
  5. me resfriaría — The yo conditional of resfriarse is me resfriaría.
  6. se resfríe — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of resfriarse is se resfríe.
  7. me resfriara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of resfriarse is me resfriara.
  8. nos hemos resfriado — The nosotros/as present perfect of resfriarse is nos hemos resfriado.
  9. te resfríes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te resfríes.
  10. resfriando — The gerund of resfriarse is resfriando: estoy resfriando. The participle resfriado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does resfriarse mean in English?

Resfriarse means to catch a cold. It is used in everyday situations such as En invierno, yo me resfrío. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is resfriarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Resfriarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, En invierno, yo me resfrío and Cada año, él se resfría. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the gerund and the past participle of resfriarse?

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

How do I say “I catch a cold” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Cada año, yo me resfrié. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me resfriaba por el frío. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: En invierno, yo me he resfriado.

How do I practise resfriarse?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the resfriarse examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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