Exponerse

Exponerse is a reflexive verb in Spanish that means to place oneself in a situation where one is exposed to something, typically risks, harm, adverse conditions, or public scrutiny. The action can be voluntary or involuntary and often implies a potential impact on health, safety, or well‑being. The phrase is commonly followed by the preposition a, as in exponerse a algo, to indicate the source of exposure.

In everyday language, exponerse is used with physical or environmental factors, such as exponerse al sol (to sun one’s skin), exponerse al frío (to expose oneself to the cold), or exponerse a un peligro (to expose oneself to danger). It is also used with abstract risks, for example exponerse a críticas (to expose oneself to criticism) or exponerse a pérdidas (to risk losses). In health and safety contexts, it describes occupational or environmental exposure, for instance exposición ocupacional a sustancias químicas or exposición a radiación, often accompanied by measures to assess and reduce risk.

Grammatically, exponerse is a pronominal verb: me expongo, te expones, se expone, nos exponemos, os exponéis, se exponen. It contrasts with exponer, a non-reflexive verb meaning to expose something or someone else, or to present information.

The related noun exposición denotes the act or state of being exposed and is used in phrases like nivel de exposición (level of exposure) or exposición prolongada (prolonged exposure). Etymologically, exponerse derives from exponer, with the reflexive suffix -se indicating the subject’s involvement in the action.