protegerme
“protegerme” means “to protect myself” in Spanish (General action of self-defense or care).
to protect myself
Also: to shield myself, to guard myself
📝 In Action
Necesito protegerme del sol en verano.
A2I need to protect myself from the sun in summer.
Quiero protegerme de las malas influencias.
B1I want to protect myself from bad influences.
Ella me enseñó a protegerme emocionalmente.
B2She taught me how to protect myself emotionally.
🔄 Conjugations
subjunctive
imperfect
present
indicative
imperfect
present
preterite
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: protegerme
Question 1 of 1
Which sentence uses the pronoun 'me' correctly when the verb 'proteger' is conjugated?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
📚 Etymology▼
Comes from the Latin verb *protegere*, which is formed by combining the prefix *pro-* (meaning 'in front of' or 'for') and *tegere* (meaning 'to cover'). So, the word literally means 'to cover in front' or 'to shield'.
First recorded: 13th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'proteger' and 'protegerme'?
'Proteger' means 'to protect' someone or something else ('Yo protejo a mi familia'). 'Protegerme' means 'to protect myself'—the action comes back to the person speaking ('Yo me protejo del frío').
When do I need to add an accent mark to 'protegerme'?
Since 'protegerme' is the infinitive form, it does not need an accent mark. However, if you attach the pronoun to the gerund ('protegiendo') it becomes 'protegiéndome' (needs an accent) or an affirmative command ('protege') it becomes 'protégeme' (needs an accent).