presentarse

Presentarse is a Spanish pronominal verb with two common senses. It can mean to introduce oneself to someone, for example in social, academic, or professional contexts (presentarse ante alguien). It can also mean to appear or show up at a place or event (presentarse en un lugar, presentarse a una convocatoria). In the first sense it emphasizes the act of introducing the speaker to others; in the second, the act of arriving or reporting for a duty or appointment.

As a reflexive verb, presentarse follows the regular -ar conjugation patterns, with the reflexive pronoun attached. In the present indicative the forms are: me presento, te presentas, se presenta, nos presentamos, os presentáis, se presentan. The preterite forms are: me presenté, te presentaste, se presentó, nos presentamos, os presentasteis, se presentaron. The imperfect: me presentaba, te presentabas, se presentaba, nos presentábamos, os presentabais, se presentaban. The imperative forms include preséntate (tú), preséntese (usted), presentémonos (nosotros), presentáos (vosotros), preséntense (ustedes). The perfect tenses use haber, as in me he presentado; you can also say se ha presentado for “he/she has introduced himself/herself.”

Usage notes and examples: presentarse is often followed by a or ante when signaling whom one is addressing, as in presentarse ante el comité. For arrival, use presentarse en, presentarse en la oficina, o presentarse a una entrevista. Examples: “Me presentaré ante el comité mañana.” “Hola, me presento, soy Ana.” “Llegué temprano y me presenté a la recepcionista.” The verb is neutral and widely used in formal, semiformal, and informal contexts.