-ar verb irregular · o>ue stem-change C1 · Advanced

Conjugate esforzarse in Spanish

to make an effort

esforzarse is an irregular -ar verb ranked #2180 among the most common Spanish verbs. For example: "Hay que esforzarse para lograr los objetivos." (You have to make an effort to achieve your goals.). Use the tables below for full conjugation across all 7 tenses.

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⚡ Irregular verb — esforzarse (o>ue stem-change) does not follow standard -ar patterns. Pay close attention to the stems in each tense.

Describes current actions, habits, and general truths. The most frequently used tense — master it first.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo me esfuerzo *
te esfuerzas *
él/ella/Ud. se esfuerza *
nosotros nos esforzamos *
vosotros os esforzáis *
ellos/ellas/Uds. se esfuerzan *
Example

Yo me esfuerzo todos los días.

I make an effort every day.

Describes completed past actions with a clear start and end. Key signals: ayer, el lunes pasado, de repente.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo me esforcé *
te esforzaste *
él/ella/Ud. se esforzó *
nosotros nos esforzamos *
vosotros os esforzasteis *
ellos/ellas/Uds. se esforzaron *
Example

Ayer yo me esforcé.

Yesterday I make an effort.

Describes habitual past actions, background context, and ongoing states. Key signals: siempre, normalmente, cuando era niño.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo me esforzaba *
te esforzabas *
él/ella/Ud. se esforzaba *
nosotros nos esforzábamos *
vosotros os esforzabais *
ellos/ellas/Uds. se esforzaban *
Example

Antes yo me esforzaba con frecuencia.

Before, I used to make an effort often.

Describes future events and predictions. In everyday speech, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for planned events.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo me esforzaré *
te esforzarás *
él/ella/Ud. se esforzará *
nosotros nos esforzaremos *
vosotros os esforzaréis *
ellos/ellas/Uds. se esforzarán *
Example

Mañana yo me esforzaré.

Tomorrow I will make an effort.

Expresses what would happen under certain conditions — equivalent to "would" in English. Also used for polite requests.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo me esforzaría *
te esforzarías *
él/ella/Ud. se esforzaría *
nosotros nos esforzaríamos *
vosotros os esforzaríais *
ellos/ellas/Uds. se esforzarían *
Example

Si pudiera, yo me esforzaría.

If I could, I would make an effort.

Used in clauses expressing wishes, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty — typically after que. Triggers: querer, esperar, dudar, ojalá.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo me esfuerce *
te esfuerces *
él/ella/Ud. se esfuerce *
nosotros nos esforcemos *
vosotros os esforcéis *
ellos/ellas/Uds. se esfuercen *
Example

Espero que tú te esfuerces.

I hope that you make an effort.

Used to give commands and direct requests. Affirmative and negative forms differ significantly in Spanish.

Pronoun Conjugation
yo -
esfuérzate *
él/ella/Ud. esfuércese *
nosotros esforcémonos *
vosotros esforzaos *
ellos/ellas/Uds. esfuércense *
Example

¡Esfuérzate!

Make an effort!

Test yourself

Type the correct conjugation for each prompt.

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Example sentences

Common phrases with esforzarse

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