A simplified human figure or character is standing next to an easel, looking down in mild frustration at a canvas. The canvas shows a large, messy, misplaced paint splotch, clearly indicating an error in painting.

equivoqué

eh-kee-boh-KAY

verbA2regular (reflexive, with spelling change in yo preterite) ar

I made a mistake?past action,I was wrong?past state/realization

Also:I messed up?informal

Quick Reference

infinitiveequivocarse

gerundequivocándose

past Participleequivocado

📝 In Action

Lo siento, me equivoqué de número de teléfono.

I'm sorry, I dialed the wrong phone number (I made a mistake with the phone number).

Pensé que era martes, pero me equivoqué.

I thought it was Tuesday, but I was wrong.

Cuando me equivoqué en el examen, mi profesor me ayudó a corregirlo.

When I made a mistake on the test, my teacher helped me correct it.

Word Connections

Synonyms

fallé (I failed/I missed)
erré (I erred)

Antonyms

acerté (I got it right)
atiné (I guessed correctly)

Common Collocations

equivocarse de camino – to take the wrong road
equivocarse por completo – to be completely wrong

💡 Grammar Points

The Reflexive 'Se'

The verb equivocar must almost always be used with a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, etc.). This pronoun shows that the action (making a mistake) happens to the person doing it.

The C to QU Spelling Change

In the simple past tense (Preterite) for 'yo,' the 'c' changes to 'qu' (equivoqué) to keep the hard 'k' sound. This happens in all -car verbs!

❌ Common Pitfalls

Forgetting the Reflexive Pronoun

Mistake: "Yo equivoqué el número."

Correction: Yo me equivoqué el número. (You need 'me' because the mistake happened to you.)

⭐ Usage Tips

Expressing Regret

To apologize for an error, start with 'Lo siento, me equivoqué...' (I'm sorry, I made a mistake...)

🔄 Conjugations

indicative

present

él/ella/ustedse equivoca

yome equivoco

túte equivocas

ellos/ellas/ustedesse equivocan

nosotrosnos equivocamos

vosotrosos equivocáis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedse equivocaba

yome equivocaba

túte equivocabas

ellos/ellas/ustedesse equivocaban

nosotrosnos equivocábamos

vosotrosos equivocabais

preterite

él/ella/ustedse equivocó

yome equivoqué

túte equivocaste

ellos/ellas/ustedesse equivocaron

nosotrosnos equivocamos

vosotrosos equivocasteis

subjunctive

present

él/ella/ustedse equivoque

yome equivoque

túte equivoques

ellos/ellas/ustedesse equivoquen

nosotrosnos equivoquemos

vosotrosos equivoquéis

imperfect

él/ella/ustedse equivocara

yome equivocara

túte equivocaras

ellos/ellas/ustedesse equivocaran

nosotrosnos equivocáramos

vosotrosos equivocarais

View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: equivoqué

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses 'equivoqué'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

equivocarse(to make a mistake) - verb

el error(the error/mistake) - noun

la equivocación(the mistake/blunder) - noun

equivocado(mistaken/wrong) - adjective

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 'equivoqué' the same as 'me equivoqué'?

'Equivoqué' is technically the verb form, but in Spanish, the verb *equivocarse* (to be mistaken) requires the reflexive pronoun 'me' to indicate 'I' made the mistake. So, you must always say 'Me equivoqué' to mean 'I made a mistake'.

How do I say 'I made a mistake' in the present perfect tense?

You would use the auxiliary verb *haber* plus the past participle: 'Me he equivocado.' This is used for mistakes that happened recently or whose consequences are still relevant now.