Having Fun in Spanish Using the Verb ‘Divertirse’
Let’s have some fun in Spanish!
Laughing, smiling, enjoying ourselves, and having fun with the people we love is both pleasant and important. It boosts our happiness and makes our lives more meaningful.
When learning Spanish, it’s natural to start with basic vocabulary and common verbs. Eventually, though, it’s crucial to move on to other verbs that are not as simple but still express important ideas, such as divertirse—“to have fun.”
Today, you’ll find out why having fun in Spanish is so easy. We’ll talk about pronominal verbs like divertirse and learn to conjugate them. Then you’ll discover other ways to talk about having fun in Spanish and a few slang words related to this concept.
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‘Having Fun’ in Spanish: Divertirse
If there’s one thing that you can say with certainty about Spanish-speaking people, it’s that they know how to have fun.
Just think about those guys “having fun” running in front of a group of bulls or “fun” Cinco de Mayo celebrations. In Spanish, you use the verb divertirse to express the idea of having fun. However, this verb is special. It’s a pronominal verb, meaning that it’s always accompanied by a pronoun.
Divertirse: A Pronominal Verb
Pronominal verbs are constructed in all their forms with reflexive pronouns that agree with the subject.
These pronouns don’t change the structure of the sentence.
| Subject Pronoun | Reflexive Pronoun |
| yo | me |
| tú | te |
| usted | se |
| él/ella | se |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos |
| ustedes | se |
| ellos/ellas | se |
Divertirse is also a reflexive verb, which is a subcategory of pronominal verbs.
Reflexive verbs express an action done by the subject to the same subject, and you can easily identify them by their unique ending.
In Spanish, most verbs end in -ar, -er, or -ir, but reflexive verbs include -se at the end, just like divertirse.
Just think of reflexive verbs as the Spanish equivalent of using the pronouns myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, and themselves, and you’ll quickly understand how these verbs work in Spanish.
Divertirse Conjugation Set
By now, you probably know that conjugating verbs in Spanish is one of the biggest challenges for new learners of the language.
Instead of studying the full conjugation set of divertirse, let’s start by looking at two of the main tenses.
Tense: Present Mood: Indicative
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation |
| yo | me divierto |
| tú | te diviertes |
| usted | se divierte |
| él/ella | se divierte |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos divertimos |
| ustedes | se divierten |
| ellos/ellas | se divierten |
Examples
Me divierto mucho jugando fútbol. – I have a lot of fun playing soccer.
Carlos se divierte escalando montañas. – Carlos has fun climbing mountains.
Divertirse
Tense: Past Mood: Indicative
| Subject Pronoun | Conjugation |
| yo | me divertí |
| tú | te divertiste |
| usted | se divirtió |
| él/ella | se divirtió |
| nosotros/nosotras | nos divertimos |
| ustedes | se divirtieron |
| ellos/ellas | se divirtieron |
Examples
¿Te divertiste anoche en la fiesta? – Did you have fun at the party last night?
Nos divertimos mucho cuando fuimos a Disneyland. – We had a lot of fun when we went to Disneyland.
Other Ways to Have Fun in Spanish
Using the verb divertirse is the most common way of saying that you’re having fun in Spanish.
But the idea of fun in Spanish is so diverse that there are plenty of ways to express it! Let’s see what they are.
Direct Translation
When the meaning of “fun” in the sentence derives from the noun diversión—such as divertido, divertirse, or divertir—its use is similar to the way you express fun in English.
Fun as a Noun
When you talk about fun itself as a separate idea, you translate it as la diversión, a feminine noun.
Aquí la diversión nunca se acaba. – Here, the fun never ends.
You may use these other nouns to express the idea of fun:
El entretenimiento – entertainment
El esparcimiento – entertainment
La broma – joke
La alegría – joy
El gusto – pleasure
El placer – pleasure
El recreo – playtime
Fun as an Adjective
To describe someone or something as fun in Spanish you can use the adjective divertido or divertida.
María es divertida. – María is fun.
Aprender español es divertido. – Learning Spanish is fun.
When someone or something is funny in an hilarious way, you can use the adjectives gracioso or graciosa.
Tu tío es muy gracioso. – Your uncle is very funny.
La película es graciosa. – The movie is funny.
Other adjectives that you can use to express the idea of someone or something being fun or funny are:
Cómico/a – funny
Bromista – joker
Grato/a – pleasant
Agradable – nice
Placentero/a – pleasant
Jovial – jovial
Encantador/a – charming
Animado/a – cheerful
Alegre – happy
Ameno/a – enjoyable
Festivo/a – cheerful
(Having) Fun as a Verb
This case we explored earlier with the verb divertirse. When you want to express that someone is having fun in Spanish, you use this reflexive verb in any of its conjugated forms.
Ellas se divierten cuando bailan. – They have fun when dancing.
(Having) Fun as a Command
You can even command someone to have fun in Spanish by using the imperative mood of the verb divertir, which is a slightly different form of divertirse.
The imperative mood is conjugated only in the second person (as in, you).
¡Diviértete en la fiesta! – Have fun at the party! (singular)
¡Diviértanse mañana! – Have fun tomorrow! (plural)
Related Expressions
In both English and Spanish, several expressions indicate the idea of fun. Here are some common ones:
Burlarse de – To make fun of
In the event that you make fun of something or someone, you use the reflexive verb burlarse.
Similar to the English equivalent “to make fun of + something/someone), the verb burlarse adds de + algo/alguien.
Jorge se burló de su primo. – Jorge made fun of his cousin.
¿Te burlas de mí? – Are you making fun of me?
Reírse de – To poke fun at, to laugh at
The verb reirse de is more specific to a situation when you can describe the action as “laughing at” someone. Also needs to be accompanied by the preposition de.
Me reí de tu amigo. – I laughed at your friend.
Decir algo en broma – To say something in jest
If you’re just joking and not talking seriously about something you tell your friend that you just “said it in jest” or lo dijiste en broma.
No hablábamos en serio, lo dijimos en broma. – We weren’t talking seriously, we said it in fun.
¡Que lo pases bien! – Have fun!
When you wish someone to have fun, you can use the expression que lo pases bien.
Espero que lo pases bien en tu viaje. – I hope you have fun on your trip.
Aguar la fiesta – To spoil the fun
When someone spoils the fun, you can say that he or she aguó la fiesta.
Tu hermano nos aguó la fiesta. – Your brother spoiled the fun we were having.
Common Slang
Last but not least, some common slang related to the idea of fun in Spanish accompanied by the country or region where these words are most used.
Chistoso/a – Funny
This adjective has the same meaning as gracioso, and it’s widely used in Mexico and some Central American countries.
Tomar el pelo – To make fun of
An expression used mostly in Spain to say that someone is making fun of you.
Chacotear – To have fun, to mock
This term originated in Mexico to say that you are mocking someone.
Bacano/a – Fun
In Colombia, everything that’s fun, good, or cool is simply bacano.
Are You Ready to Have Fun in Spanish?
Despite the many ways to say fun in Spanish, diversión and divertirse are the most common translations, even if not they’re always the most exact. With practice, you’ll be able to discern when to use one term or another. That’s why it’s so important to introduce this new vocabulary into real-life conversations in Spanish.
Start having fun in Spanish today by signing up for a free trial class with one of our native-speaking, certified teachers from Guatemala and use all the fun new words you’ve just learned!
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