Separarse Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb separarse means to separate, to split up, and this page covers it in the present tense — the tense for habits, facts and what is happening now. If you want the whole picture, start with the full separarse conjugation, which has every tense on one page. Here we go deep on one tense only: the full table, how it is formed, when to use it, how it differs from the closest tense, examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the questions people ask most. One example to start: Yo me separo después de diez años. — "I split up after ten years."

No pronunciation is given on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for separarse, so no pronunciation is shown rather than an invented one. All the forms below come from the verified conjugation tables, so you can trust every form you see here.

separarse is reflexive, so every form below is shown with its reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nos, os, se). The pronoun is part of the verb, not an optional extra.

The separarse present tense table

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for separarse. The gerund is separando and the past participle is separado.

Person Pronoun Form
yo me separo
tú te separas
él/ella/Ud. se separa
nosotros/as nos separamos
vosotros/as os separáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se separan

The gerund separando is used with estar for the progressive (estoy separando, I am splitting up), and the past participle separado is used with haber for the perfect tenses (he separado, I have split up).

How the present tense of separarse is formed

Start with the infinitive separar. Take off the -ar ending and you are left with the stem separ-. Then add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o (yo), -as (tú), -a (él/ella/Ud.), -amos (nosotros/as), -áis (vosotros/as) and -an (ellos/ellas/Uds.). That gives you the six forms in the table above, and for most verbs in this group that is the whole story.

separarse is regular in the present: every form is exactly the stem plus the ending above, with no stem change and no spelling change. If you know the stem and the six endings, you can build the whole tense without memorising anything extra.

separarse is reflexive, so every form needs its reflexive pronoun in front of it: me, te, se, nos, os, se, matching the person. In the table above the pronoun is shown in its own column, and in a sentence it goes before the conjugated verb: Me separo después de diez años.. Do not drop the pronoun: without it, you are talking about a different verb. In the infinitive the pronoun is attached to the end (separarse), and in the gerund it can go before the auxiliary or attached to the gerund: estoy separando or separándome.

Two details are worth fixing early. First, the vosotros form carries a written accent on the ending: separáis. Second, the present tense in Spanish has no auxiliary verb: me separo on its own means both "I split up" and "I am splitting up" in English, so you do not need a separate word for the progressive unless you want to stress that something is happening right now.

When to use the present tense of separarse

Habits and routines

The present is the tense of what you do regularly. Talking about couples splitting up after years together.

  • Yo me separo después de diez años. — "I split up after ten years."
  • Tú te separas por un tiempo. — "you split up for a while."

Facts and general truths

The present also states facts that are true in general, not just today. Talking about separating for a while, or a group splitting into two.

  • Él se separa en dos grupos. — "he/she splits up into two groups."
  • Nosotros nos separamos de la familia. — "we split up from the family."

What is happening now

The present describes what is happening at this moment. Talking about separating from friends or family when moving away.

  • Vosotros os separáis para siempre. — "you (all) split up for ever."
  • Ellos se separan de mutuo acuerdo. — "they split up by mutual agreement."

Plans in the near future

Spanish also uses the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with a time expression. A plan you have already decided on can be stated in the present, and it sounds more certain than the future tense.

  • Él se separa en dos grupos. — "he/she splits up into two groups."
  • Nosotros nos separamos de la familia. — "we split up from the family."

Separarse present vs present progressive

The present tense and the present progressive (estar + gerund) are close neighbours, and learners mix them up. The present describes a habit, a fact or a routine. The progressive describes something in progress right now, at this very moment. Compare the three pairs below: the first sentence in each pair is a habit, the second is happening now.

  • Present (habit): Yo me separo después de diez años. — "I split up after ten years."

  • Progressive (right now): Yo estoy separando después de diez años. — "I am splitting up after ten years."

  • Present (habit): Tú te separas por un tiempo. — "you split up for a while."

  • Progressive (right now): Tú estás separando por un tiempo. — "you are splitting up for a while."

  • Present (habit): Él se separa en dos grupos. — "he/she splits up into two groups."

  • Progressive (right now): Él está separando en dos grupos. — "he/she is splitting up into two groups."

Use the present when you talk about what you usually do, and the progressive when you want to stress that it is happening as you speak. If you say me separo every day, that is a routine. If you say Estoy separando, you are doing it at this moment.

Examples of separarse in the present

Eight sentences in the present tense, so you can see the forms in real use. Read the Spanish first, guess the meaning, then check the translation.

  1. Me separo de mi marido después de diez años. — "I am splitting up from my husband after ten years."
  2. Mis padres se separan después de diez años juntos. — "My parents are splitting up after ten years together."
  3. Ayer me separé de mi marido por un tiempo. — "Yesterday I separated from my husband for a while."
  4. De joven, me separaba de mis amigos cada verano. — "When I was young, I used to part from my friends every summer."
  5. Mañana nos separaremos en dos grupos para el juego. — "Tomorrow we will split into two groups for the game."
  6. Si pudiera, me separaría de mi marido sin problemas. — "If I could, I would split up from my husband without problems."
  7. Él se separa para siempre. — "he/she splits up for ever."
  8. Nosotros nos separamos de mutuo acuerdo. — "we split up by mutual agreement."

Common mistakes with separarse in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why it is wrong.

1. Yo separo de mi marido.

Wrong: Yo separo de mi marido.

Right: Yo me separo de mi marido.

Separarse is reflexive. Separo on its own means to separate things, like separating clothes by colour.

2. Me separa de mi marido.

Wrong: Me separa de mi marido.

Right: Me separo de mi marido.

Me pairs with the yo form separo. Separa is the él/ella form.

3. Dropping the reflexive pronoun

Wrong: Yo separo después de diez años.

Right: Me separo después de diez años.

Without the pronoun you are using the non-reflexive verb, which means something else. The pronoun is part of separarse: me separo.

4. Using the present for a finished past action

Wrong: Ayer yo me separo después de diez años.

Right: Ayer yo me separé después de diez años.

Ayer (yesterday) signals a finished action, so it needs the preterite: me separé. The present me separo describes what you do now or usually, not what you did yesterday.

5. Forgetting the accent on the vosotros form

Wrong: Vosotros separais después de diez años.

Right: Vosotros separáis después de diez años.

The vosotros ending carries a written accent: separáis. Without it, the spelling is wrong, even though the pronunciation is close.

Quiz: test yourself on separarse in the present

Choose the right form for each sentence. The answers are at the end of this section, with an explanation for every question.

  1. Yo ___ después de diez años
    • a) me separo
    • b) te separas
    • c) se separa
    • d) nos separamos
  2. Tú ___ por un tiempo
    • a) me separo
    • b) se separa
    • c) nos separamos
    • d) te separas
  3. Él ___ en dos grupos
    • a) te separas
    • b) nos separamos
    • c) se separa
    • d) me separo
  4. Nosotros ___ de la familia
    • a) se separa
    • b) nos separamos
    • c) me separo
    • d) te separas
  5. Vosotros ___ para siempre
    • a) os separáis
    • b) me separo
    • c) te separas
    • d) se separa
  6. Ellos ___ de mutuo acuerdo
    • a) me separo
    • b) te separas
    • c) se separa
    • d) se separan
  7. Yo ___ después de diez años
    • a) se separa
    • b) nos separamos
    • c) me separo
    • d) te separas
  8. Tú ___ por un tiempo
    • a) nos separamos
    • b) te separas
    • c) me separo
    • d) se separa

Answers

  1. a) me separo — The sentence needs the yo form, because the subject is yo.
  2. d) te separas — The sentence needs the tú form, because the subject is tú.
  3. c) se separa — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form, because the subject is él/ella/Ud..
  4. b) nos separamos — The sentence needs the nosotros/as form, because the subject is nosotros/as.
  5. a) os separáis — The sentence needs the vosotros/as form, because the subject is vosotros/as.
  6. d) se separan — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas/Uds. form, because the subject is ellos/ellas/Uds..
  7. c) me separo — The sentence needs the yo form, because the subject is yo.
  8. b) te separas — The sentence needs the tú form, because the subject is tú.

Frequently asked questions about separarse in the present

What is the difference between separar and separarse?

Separar means to separate things: separo la ropa por colores. Separarse means to split up or separate yourself from someone: me separo de mi marido. The pronoun -se changes the meaning.

Is separarse regular?

Yes, it is a regular -ar reflexive verb: me separo, te separas, se separa, nos separamos, os separáis, se separan.

Is separarse regular in the present?

Yes. separarse is regular in the present: the six forms are the stem separ- plus the regular endings, with no stem change. The only thing to watch is the written accent on the stressed endings, for example separo.

What are the gerund and the past participle of separarse?

The gerund is separando, used with estar for the progressive (estoy separando), and the past participle is separado, used with haber for the perfect tenses (he separado).

How to remember separarse

Four small habits will fix separarse in your memory. First, say the present tense out loud, in order, three times: me separo, te separas, se separa, nos separamos, os separáis, se separan. Saying the forms is far more effective than reading them silently, because you hear the endings and the stem at the same time. Second, write three sentences about your own life: one about today with the present (me separo), one about yesterday with the preterite (me separé), and one about tomorrow with the future (me separaré). Personal sentences stick because they are about you, not about a textbook. Third, remember the difference from divorciarse: Separarse is splitting up; divorciarse is the legal divorce. A couple se separa first and later se divorcia, if they were married. Finally, learn the two key forms by heart: the gerund separando and the past participle separado. With those two and the present tense, you can already build the progressive (estoy separando) and the present perfect (he separado), which covers most everyday conversation.

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