Separarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb separarse means to separate, to split up, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Separarse means to separate or to split up, and it covers couples splitting up, groups dividing and people parting ways. It is reflexive and regular, and it appears in both personal and practical contexts, from separarse en dos grupos to separarse de su marido. Like every Spanish verb, separarse changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say me separo de su marido el año pasado, and in the preterite you say me separé del grupo al final del día. 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: separarse
  • English: to separate, to split up
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: separando
  • Past participle: separado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + separado)
  • 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 separarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Separarse is reflexive: se separaron. Separar without the pronoun means to separate things, not people.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for separarse. 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.

Present indicative

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

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me separé
tú te separaste
él/ella/Ud. se separó
nosotros/as nos separamos
vosotros/as os separasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se separaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me separaba
tú te separabas
él/ella/Ud. se separaba
nosotros/as nos separábamos
vosotros/as os separabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se separaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me separaré
tú te separarás
él/ella/Ud. se separará
nosotros/as nos separaremos
vosotros/as os separaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se separarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me separaría
tú te separarías
él/ella/Ud. se separaría
nosotros/as nos separaríamos
vosotros/as os separaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se separarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me separe
tú te separes
él/ella/Ud. se separe
nosotros/as nos separemos
vosotros/as os separéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se separen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me separara
tú te separaras
él/ella/Ud. se separara
nosotros/as nos separáramos
vosotros/as os separarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se separaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te separa
él/ella/Ud. se separe
nosotros/as nos separemos
vosotros/as os separad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se separen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te separes
él/ella/Ud. se separe
nosotros/as nos separemos
vosotros/as os separéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se separen

Gerund and past participle

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

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me separo de su marido el año pasado. Learn the present 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 with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me separé en dos grupos para el juego. 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 de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me separaba del grupo al final del día. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me separaré tras diez años juntos. 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 with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me separaría de su marido el año pasado si pudiera. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he separado en dos grupos para el juego. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había separado del grupo al final del día antes de salir. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré separado tras diez años juntos. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría separado de su marido el año pasado con más tiempo. 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se separe en dos grupos para el juego. 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 this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se separara del grupo al final del día, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se separe tras diez años juntos. Learn the affirmative imperative 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. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For separarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te separes de su marido el año pasado. Learn the negative imperative 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 separarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me separo de su marido el año pasado. — I separate from her husband last year.
  2. Se separa en dos grupos para el juego. — He/she separates into two groups for the game.
  3. Ayer, me separé del grupo al final del día. — Yesterday, I separated from the group at the end of the day.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos separábamos tras diez años juntos. — Before, we used to separate after ten years together.
  5. Mañana, tú te separarás de su marido el año pasado. — Tomorrow, you will separate from her husband last year.
  6. Yo me separaría en dos grupos para el juego si tuviera más tiempo. — I would separate into two groups for the game if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha separado del grupo al final del día. — He has separated from the group at the end of the day.
  8. Espero que él se separe tras diez años juntos. — I hope he separates after ten years together.
  9. Yo ya me había separado de su marido el año pasado antes de salir. — I had already separated from her husband last year before leaving.
  10. Ellos se separaban en dos grupos para el juego cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to separate into two groups for the game when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo separo de su marido el año pasado. — Right: Yo me separo de su marido el año pasado. — Separarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo separo en dos grupos para el juego. — Right: Ayer yo separé en dos grupos para el juego. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: separo is happening now, while separé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating separarse and divorciarse as identical in every context. — Right: Separarse means to separate, to split up, while divorciarse means to get divorced, the legal step. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: separarse fits sentences such as Me separo de su marido el año pasado, while divorciarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy separado en dos grupos para el juego. — Right: Yo he separado en dos grupos para el juego. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he separado, has separado, ha separado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo separé del grupo al final del día todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo separaba del grupo al final del día todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (separaba), not the preterite. The preterite (separé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de su marido el año pasado. (present tense) A. me separo B. te separas C. se separa D. nos separamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en dos grupos para el juego. (preterite) A. me separé B. te separaste C. se separaron D. se separó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ del grupo al final del día. (imperfect) A. te separabas B. se separaban C. nos separábamos D. me separaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ tras diez años juntos. (future) A. nos separaremos B. te separarás C. me separaré D. se separará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ de su marido el año pasado si pudiera. (conditional) A. me separaría B. te separarías C. se separaría D. se separarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en dos grupos para el juego. (present subjunctive) A. me separe B. te separes C. nos separemos D. se separe

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ del grupo al final del día, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se separara B. nos separáramos C. me separara D. te separaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ tras diez años juntos. (present perfect) A. se han separado B. nos hemos separado C. me he separado D. te has separado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ de su marido el año pasado. (negative imperative, tú) A. te separes B. se separe C. nos separemos D. os separéis

  10. Which is the gerund of separarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. separado B. separo C. separé D. separando

Answer key

  1. me separo — The first-person present of separarse is me separo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se separó — The third-person preterite of separarse is se separó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos separábamos — The nosotros imperfect of separarse is nos separábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te separarás — The second-person future of separarse is te separarás.
  5. me separaría — The first-person conditional of separarse is me separaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se separe — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of separarse is se separe.
  7. me separara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of separarse is me separara.
  8. nos hemos separado — The nosotros present perfect of separarse is nos hemos separado: hemos + separado.
  9. te separes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te separes.
  10. separando — The gerund of separarse is separando: estoy separando. The participle separado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does separarse mean in English?

Separarse means to separate, to split up. It is used in everyday situations such as Me separo de su marido el año pasado. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is separarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Separarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me separo de su marido el año pasado and él se separa en dos grupos para el juego. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between separarse and divorciarse?

Separarse means to separate, to split up, while divorciarse means to get divorced, the legal step. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use separarse when you mean to separate, to split up, as in Me separo de su marido el año pasado, and use divorciarse for to get divorced, the legal step. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I separate” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me separé en dos grupos para el juego. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me separaba del grupo al final del día. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he separado en dos grupos para el juego.

How do I practise separarse?

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

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