defenderse Present Conjugation
defenderse — to defend oneself
The present of defenderse is stem-changing (e-ie) in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
defenderse Present Forms
When to Use the Present
Use this to talk about how you stand up for yourself in general, or to describe your ability to handle a language or situation (e.g., 'me defiendo en español').
Notes on defenderse in the Present
This is a radical-changing verb where the 'e' in the stem becomes 'ie' when stressed. The reflexive pronouns (me, te, se, nos, os, se) must always precede the verb.
Example Sentences
Me defiendo bastante bien en inglés.
I get by (defend myself) quite well in English.
yo
Él siempre se defiende cuando lo critican.
He always defends himself when they criticize him.
él/ella/usted
Nos defendemos de los mosquitos con este spray.
We defend ourselves from the mosquitoes with this spray.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Yo me defendo.
Correct: Yo me defiendo.
Why: The verb follows the e-ie stem change pattern in the present tense.
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Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: me defendí
The preterite of defenderse is completely regular, following standard -er endings.
Imperfect
yo: me defendía
The imperfect of defenderse is regular: me defendía, te defendías, se defendía...
Future
yo: me defenderé
The future of defenderse is regular: me defenderé, te defenderás, se defenderá...
Conditional
yo: me defendería
The conditional is regular: me defendería, te defenderías, se defendería...
Present Subjunctive
yo: me defienda
The present subjunctive keeps the e-ie stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: me defendiera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'defendier-' stem: me defendiera, te defendieras...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: defiéndete
In the affirmative imperative, pronouns attach to the end: defiéndete, defiéndase.
Negative Imperative
yo: no te defiendas
The negative imperative uses 'no' + present subjunctive: no te defiendas.