Salvarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb salvarse means to save oneself — it also means to survive, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Salvarse is a regular -ar, reflexive verb, so the tables below show you exactly how it behaves in every tense. Salvarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, me salvo por poco means "I survive by a whisker". Without the pronoun, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense. On this page you will find the full conjugation of salvarse 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 Yo me salvo por poco — "I survive by a whisker" — and in the preterite you say Yo me salvé del incendio — "I survived from the fire". 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: salvarse
  • English: to save oneself, to survive
  • Verb type: regular -ar, reflexive verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: salvando
  • Past participle: salvado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + salvado)
  • 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 salvarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Salvarse is reflexive: me salvo, te salvas. Without the pronoun, salvar 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 salvarse. 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: salvando · Past participle: salvado

Present indicative

Person Pronoun Form
yo me salvo
tú te salvas
él/ella/Ud. se salva
nosotros/as nos salvamos
vosotros/as os salváis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se salvan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me salvé
tú te salvaste
él/ella/Ud. se salvó
nosotros/as nos salvamos
vosotros/as os salvasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se salvaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me salvaba
tú te salvabas
él/ella/Ud. se salvaba
nosotros/as nos salvábamos
vosotros/as os salvabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se salvaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me salvaré
tú te salvarás
él/ella/Ud. se salvará
nosotros/as nos salvaremos
vosotros/as os salvaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se salvarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me salvaría
tú te salvarías
él/ella/Ud. se salvaría
nosotros/as nos salvaríamos
vosotros/as os salvaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se salvarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me salve
tú te salves
él/ella/Ud. se salve
nosotros/as nos salvemos
vosotros/as os salvéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se salven

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me salvara
tú te salvaras
él/ella/Ud. se salvara
nosotros/as nos salváramos
vosotros/as os salvarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se salvaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te salva
él/ella/Ud. se salve
nosotros/as nos salvemos
vosotros/as os salvad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se salven

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te salves
él/ella/Ud. se salve
nosotros/as nos salvemos
vosotros/as os salvéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se salven

Gerund and past participle

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

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 salvarse, the present indicative looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me salvo del incendio — "I survive from the fire". 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.

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 salvarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me salvé a tiempo — "I survived in time". 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 salvarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me salvaba por poco — "I used to survive by a whisker". 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 salvarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me salvaré del incendio — "I will survive from the fire". 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 salvarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me salvaría a tiempo — "I would survive in time". 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 salvarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me he salvado por poco — "I have survived by a whisker". 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 salvarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me había salvado del incendio — "I had survived from the fire". 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 salvarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me habré salvado a tiempo — "I will have survived in time". 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 salvarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Yo me habría salvado por poco — "I would have survived by a whisker". 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 salvarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se salve del incendio — "I hope he survives from the fire". 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.

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 salvarse, the imperfect subjunctive (-ra) looks like this in a real sentence: Si yo me salvara a tiempo, todo cambiaría — "If I survived in time, 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 salvarse, the imperative (affirmative) looks like this in a real sentence: Que se salve por poco — "Let him survive by a whisker". 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 salvarse, the imperative (negative) looks like this in a real sentence: No te salves del incendio — "Don't survive from the fire". 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 salvarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Yo me salvo a tiempo — "I survive in time"
  2. Él se salva por poco — "He survives by a whisker"
  3. Yo me salvé del incendio — "I survived from the fire"
  4. Yo me salvaba a tiempo — "I used to survive in time"
  5. Tú te salvarás por poco — "You will survive by a whisker"
  6. Yo me salvaría del incendio — "I would survive from the fire"
  7. Él se ha salvado a tiempo — "He has survived in time"
  8. Espero que él se salve por poco — "I hope he survives by a whisker"
  9. Yo me había salvado del incendio — "I had survived from the fire"
  10. Ellos se salvaban a tiempo — "They used to survive in time"

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo salvo por poco — Right: Yo me salvo por poco — Salvarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer, yo me salvo — Right: Ayer, yo me salvé — The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to salvé.
  3. Wrong: De niño, yo me salvé todos los días. — Right: Todos los días, yo me salvaba — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (salvaba), not the preterite. The preterite (salvé) is for one finished action.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy salvado del incendio. — Right: Yo me he salvado del incendio. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he salvado, has salvado, ha salvado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: Treating salvarse and salvar as identical in every context. — Right: Salvarse means to save oneself, while salvar means to save. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: salvarse fits sentences such as Yo me salvo por poco, while salvar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo me ___ por poco. (present tense) A. salvarán B. salvo C. salvad D. salváis

  2. Complete the sentence: Él se ___ por poco. (preterite) A. salvará B. salváis C. habíamos salvado D. salvó

  3. Complete the sentence: Nosotros nos ___ por poco. (imperfect) A. hemos salvado B. salvaras C. han salvado D. salvábamos

  4. Complete the sentence: Tú te ___ por poco. (future) A. salvarás B. había salvado C. habíais salvado D. salvaran

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo me ___ por poco. (conditional) A. salvaras B. habían salvado C. salvaría D. salvabais

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él se ___ por poco. (present subjunctive) A. salve B. salvarían C. habían salvado D. habréis salvado

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo me ___ por poco, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. salvad B. salvarías C. salvasteis D. salvara

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros nos ___ por poco. (present perfect) A. habías salvado B. hemos salvado C. salvarían D. salvaba

  9. Complete the command: No te ___ por poco. (negative imperative, tú) A. salves B. salven C. salve D. salvéis

  10. Which is the gerund of salvarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. salvaré B. salvo C. salvé D. salvando

Answer key

  1. me salvo — The yo present tense of salvarse is me salvo.
  2. se salvó — The él/ella/Ud. preterite of salvarse is se salvó.
  3. nos salvábamos — The nosotros/as imperfect of salvarse is nos salvábamos.
  4. te salvarás — The tú future of salvarse is te salvarás.
  5. me salvaría — The yo conditional of salvarse is me salvaría.
  6. se salve — The él/ella/Ud. present subjunctive of salvarse is se salve.
  7. me salvara — The yo imperfect subjunctive, -ra form of salvarse is me salvara.
  8. nos hemos salvado — The nosotros/as present perfect of salvarse is nos hemos salvado.
  9. te salves — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te salves.
  10. salvando — The gerund of salvarse is salvando: estoy salvando. The participle salvado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does salvarse mean in English?

Salvarse means to save oneself, to survive. It is used in everyday situations such as Yo me salvo por poco. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is salvarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Salvarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Yo me salvo por poco and Él se salva del incendio. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between salvarse and salvar?

Salvarse means to save oneself, while salvar means to save. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use salvarse when you mean to save oneself, as in Yo me salvo por poco, and use salvar for to save. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I survive” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo me salvé del incendio. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: Yo me salvaba a tiempo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: Yo me he salvado por poco.

How do I practise salvarse?

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

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