A friendly cartoon child standing and holding a large, round red shield firmly in front of their body, demonstrating self-protection.

protegerte

proh-teh-HER-teh

Verb (Infinitive + Pronoun)A2irregular (G-to-J change in 'yo' present and subjunctive) er

to protect yourself?Used reflexively, informal 'you',to protect you?Used after a conjugated verb, e.g., 'I must protect you'

Also:to safeguard you?Slightly more formal equivalent

Quick Reference

infinitiveproteger

gerundprotegiendo

past Participleprotegido

📝 In Action

Tienes que protegerte del sol en la playa.

You have to protect yourself from the sun at the beach.

Mi único objetivo es protegerte de cualquier daño.

My only goal is to protect you from any harm.

Es importante aprender a protegerte en línea.

It is important to learn how to protect yourself online.

Word Connections

Synonyms

cuidarte (to take care of yourself)
defenderte (to defend yourself)

Antonyms

exponerte (to expose yourself)
descuidarte (to neglect yourself)

Common Collocations

intentar protegerte – to try to protect you/yourself
deber protegerte – must protect you/yourself

💡 Grammar Points

The Attached Pronoun

The '-te' means 'you' (informal). When the action of the verb bounces back to the person doing it (like protecting yourself), we call it reflexive. The pronoun attaches to the end of infinitives ('protegerte'), gerunds ('protegiéndote'), and affirmative commands ('¡Protégete!').

Placement Rule

You have two choices: either attach the 'te' to the infinitive (protegerte) OR place it before the conjugated verb that controls the infinitive (Te voy a proteger).

❌ Common Pitfalls

Misplacing the Accent

Mistake: "Protegerte (no written accent)"

Correction: Only add an accent when the pronoun attachment creates a word of four or more syllables, like the gerund: 'protegiéndote'.

⭐ Usage Tips

Using the Base Verb

If you are protecting someone else (not 'you'), you use the base verb 'proteger': 'Ella protege a su hijo' (She protects her son).

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: protegerte

Question 1 of 1

Which sentence correctly uses the base verb *proteger* instead of *protegerte*?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

protección(protection (noun)) - noun

protector(protective, protector) - adjective/noun

proteger(to protect (base infinitive)) - verb

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does 'protegerte' have the 'te' at the end, and not before the verb?

The 'te' (the pronoun meaning 'you') attaches to the end of the infinitive form ('proteger') when it is combined with another verb, or when it acts as an imperative command. This is a common pattern in Spanish for verbs that haven't been fully conjugated yet (like infinitives and gerunds).

Is 'protegerte' the same as 'te proteger'?

They are nearly the same in meaning, but they are used in different sentence structures. 'Protegerte' is used when the verb is governed by another verb (e.g., 'Necesito protegerte'). 'Te proteger' is not grammatically correct; the pronoun must either attach to the infinitive (protegerte) or be placed before the fully conjugated verb (Te voy a proteger).