Introduction
retirarse means “to retire, to withdraw”, and this page covers exactly one thing: retirarse 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 retirarse, 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 retirarse in the present. For example: “Yo me retiro a los sesenta años todos los días.” — “I retire at sixty.” Everything on this page uses the forms of retirarse exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.
retirarse in the Present Tense — full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | retiro |
| tú | retiras |
| él/ella/Ud. | retira |
| nosotros/as | retiramos |
| vosotros/as | retiráis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | retiran |
Gerund: retirando · Past participle: retirado
The gerund is retirando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy retirando” means the action of retirarse is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is retirado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he retirado” 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 retirarse is used.
How the present of retirarse is formed
retirarse is a -ar verb. Take the stem retir and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving retiro, retiras, retira, retiramos, retiráis and retiran. retirarse is regular in the present, so once you know the endings you can build all six forms from the stem.
The present of retirarse rewards careful reading of the table. Two details deserve attention. First, the yo form retiro 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 retiramos and the ellos form retiran 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 retirarse
The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use retirarse 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
retirarse in the present describes something done regularly. When talking about at sixty is part of your routine, the present is the right tense. Example: “Yo me retiro a los sesenta años cada día.” — “I retire at sixty.”
2. A fact or general truth
General truths about at sixty also take the present. The tense states how things are, not when they happened. Example: “Él se retira a los sesenta años siempre.” — “He retires at sixty.”
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 retiramos a los sesenta años ahora mismo.” — “We retire at sixty.”
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 retiran a los sesenta años mañana.” — “They retire at sixty.”
5. Instructions and explanations
When you explain how something works — how to talk about at sixty — the present is the natural tense. Recipes, rules and directions all live in the present. Example: “Tú te retiras a los sesenta años normalmente.” — “you retire at sixty.”
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 retiro a los sesenta años cada día.” — “I retire at sixty.”
Preterite: “Yo me retiré a los sesenta años ayer.” — “I retired at sixty.”
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 retira a los sesenta años siempre.” — “He retires at sixty.”
Preterite: “Él se retiró a los sesenta años ayer.” — “He retired at sixty.”
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 retiramos a los sesenta años todos los días.” — “We retire at sixty.”
Preterite: “Nosotros nos retiramos a los sesenta años ayer.” — “We retired at sixty.”
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: retirarse 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 retiro a los sesenta años cada día.” — “I retire at sixty.”
- “Tú te retiras a los sesenta años cada día.” — “you retire at sixty.”
- “Él se retira a los sesenta años siempre.” — “He retires at sixty.”
- “Nosotros nos retiramos a los sesenta años todos los días.” — “We retire at sixty.”
- “Vosotros os retiráis a los sesenta años cada semana.” — “You retire at sixty.”
- “Ellos se retiran a los sesenta años normalmente.” — “They retire at sixty.”
- “Yo me retiro a los sesenta años ahora mismo.” — “I retire at sixty.”
- “Él se retira a los sesenta años cada día.” — “He retires at sixty.”
Common mistakes
Dropping the reflexive pronoun
Because retirarse is reflexive, it always needs its pronoun: yo me retiro a los sesenta años, not yo retiro a los sesenta años. 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 retirarse with retirar
retirarse and retirar 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 retirarse — retire — the sentence needs retirarse; if it needs the meaning of retirar, use that verb instead.
Using the indicative after "espero que"
After espero que (I hope that), Spanish needs the subjunctive: Espero que yo retire a los sesenta años. Using the indicative — Espero que yo retiro — is one of the most frequent learner errors with retirarse. 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 retiré, with an accent on the stressed vowel. Writing it without the accent — retire — 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 retirarse.
Using the wrong tense for retirarse
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 retirarse in the present tense?
- A. retiras
- B. retira
- C. retiramos
- D. retiro
2. What is the tu form of retirarse in the present tense?
- A. retiras
- B. retiro
- C. retira
- D. retiramos
3. What is the el form of retirarse in the present tense?
- A. retiramos
- B. retira
- C. retiro
- D. retiras
4. What is the nosotros form of retirarse in the present tense?
- A. retiras
- B. retira
- C. retiramos
- D. retiro
5. What is the vosotros form of retirarse in the present tense?
- A. retiro
- B. retiras
- C. retira
- D. retiráis
6. What is the ellos form of retirarse in the present tense?
- A. retiran
- B. retiro
- C. retiras
- D. retira
7. What is the yo form of retirarse in the present tense?
- A. retiramos
- B. retiro
- C. retiras
- D. retira
8. What is the el form of retirarse in the present tense?
- A. retiras
- B. retiramos
- C. retira
- D. retiro
Answer key
- retiro — The present table gives yo = retiro.
- retiras — The present table gives tu = retiras.
- retira — The present table gives el = retira.
- retiramos — The present table gives nosotros = retiramos.
- retiráis — The present table gives vosotros = retiráis.
- retiran — The present table gives ellos = retiran.
- retiro — The present table gives yo = retiro.
- retira — The present table gives el = retira.
Frequently asked questions
How do you form the present of retirarse?
Take the stem retir and add the present endings for -ar verbs. The six forms are retiro, retiras, retira, retiramos, retiráis and retiran. Copy the forms from the table above rather than building them from memory until they are automatic.
When should I use the present of retirarse?
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 retirarse?
The present form for yo is retiro and the preterite form is retiré — 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 retirarse regular in the present?
Yes — retirarse is regular in the present and follows the standard -ar endings. The full conjugation of retirarse is on its main conjugation page, where every tense is covered.
Related links
- retirarse conjugation — the full conjugation of retirarse in every tense.
- retirarse 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.