juntarse

Juntarse is a Spanish reflexive verb meaning to come together, to meet, or to join efforts. Used primarily to describe people gathering—socially or for a project—it emphasizes the action among the participants. The reflexive pronoun denotes that the action is mutual or directed at the group.

Etymology: derived from juntar (to bring together) plus the reflexive se, which marks the action as a mutual or self-directed act. The phrase is often interchangeable with reunirse in informal contexts, but reunirse is generally more formal or institutional.

Usage: Common with con to indicate meeting with someone (juntarse con alguien) and with para to indicate a purpose (juntarse para estudiar). It can also describe spontaneous gatherings (Nos juntamos en la plaza) or planned meetings (Vamos a juntarnos a las cinco).

Conjugation: Juntarse follows regular pronominal conjugation. Present indicative: me junto, te juntas, se junta, nos juntamos, os juntáis, se juntan. Preterite: me junté, te juntaste, se juntó, nos juntamos, os juntasteis, se juntaron. Other tenses use standard endings in combination with the reflexive pronoun.

Regional notes: The term is widely used across Spanish-speaking countries, often preferred in informal speech, with reunirse remaining common in formal writing or official contexts. Some regions may favor junte as a noun in related phrases (la junta/juntarse para trabajar).

See also: reunirse, reunión, congregarse, quedar.