Canviarse

Canviarse is a nonstandard or regional verb form that does not appear in normative Spanish dictionaries. It is sometimes encountered as a calque or respelling influenced by the Catalan verb canviar-se, and may appear in informal writing or speech in contexts where Catalan influence is strong. Because it is not widely recognized in standard Spanish, its meaning and acceptability vary and are not codified.

Typical interpretations, when canviarse is used, align with the reflexive sense of cambiarse, or with the idea of swapping or exchanging something. However, since there is no agreed-upon usage, readers and listeners should treat canviarse as nonstandard and prefer established forms in formal contexts. The standard equivalents are cambiarse (to change oneself or clothes) and intercambiar (to exchange).

Etymology and regional notes suggest a possible influence from Catalan canviar-se, adapted to Spanish spelling and pronunciation. As a result, the form may appear in bilingual or multilingual writing, or in dialect-rich areas, with varying accuracy.

Conjugation: there is no widely accepted, normative paradigm for canviarse. When encountered, it is typically treated as nonstandard, and speakers may default to cambiarse or to constructs that reflect the intended meaning (for example, me cambio de ropa, intercambiar). For clarity and correctness, standard Spanish forms should be used.

See also: cambiarse, canviar (Catalan), intercambiar, cambio de ropa.