The Subjunctive Mood of Probarse is used to express wishes, desires, or uncertainties about trying something on, for example: Es importante que te pruebes la ropa antes de comprarla. (It’s important that you try on the clothes before buying them.)

Probarse is an o to ue stem-changing verb, meaning the o changes to ue in certain conjugations. This pattern is common among Spanish verbs.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Probarse (to try on) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish):

Probarse generally means “to try on” or “to test”, but has several different meanings in the Subjunctive Mood, some of which might surprise you.

To try on clothes: for example, Es importante que te probes la ropa antes de comprarla. (It’s important that you try on the clothes before buying them.)

To test or sample food: for example, Que pruebes la comida antes de servirla. (That you sample the food before serving it.)

To test one’s abilities: for example, Es bueno que te probes en diferentes trabajos. (It’s good that you test your abilities in different jobs.)

To experience something (colloquial): for example, ¿Qué tal si te probes la vida de soltero? (How about you experience the single life?)

To try to seduce someone (vulgar): for example, No dejes que se te pruebe en la fiesta. (Don’t let anyone try to seduce you at the party.)

Examples

Examples of Probarse in the Subjunctive Mood

Antes de que me pruebe la nueva chaqueta, quiero asegurarme de que me quede bien. (Before I try on the new jacket, I want to make sure it fits me well.)

Es importante que te pruebes los zapatos antes de comprarlos para ver si son cómodos. (It’s important that you try on the shoes before buying them to see if they’re comfortable.)

El sastre insistió en que se pruebe el traje para hacer los ajustes necesarios. (The tailor insisted that he try on the suit to make the necessary adjustments.)

Sugiero que nos probemos varios estilos de ropa antes de decidir qué comprar. (I suggest that we try on various styles of clothing before deciding what to buy.)

Es una buena idea que os probéis los sombreros para ver cuál os queda mejor. (It’s a good idea that you try on the hats to see which one looks better on you.)

El entrenador recomienda que los atletas se prueben el equipo nuevo antes del partido. (The coach recommends that the athletes try on the new equipment before the game.)

Ojalá que me pruebe este vestido para la boda, a ver si me gusta cómo me queda. (I hope I try on this dress for the wedding, to see if I like how it looks on me.)

Tal vez te pruebes esos pantalones en otro color, por si acaso no te gustan los negros. (Maybe you should try on those pants in another color, just in case you don’t like the black ones.)

Es posible que se pruebe varios pares de gafas antes de encontrar las que mejor le quedan. (It’s possible that he tries on several pairs of glasses before finding the ones that suit him best.)

Sería bueno que nos probemos diferentes cortes de pelo para ver cuál nos favorece más. (It would be good if we tried different hairstyles to see which one suits us best.)

Quizás os probéis esas camisas de distintos talles, por si una os queda más cómoda. (Maybe you should try on those shirts in different sizes, in case one fits you more comfortably.)

Es una lástima que se prueben la ropa sin los accesorios adecuados, así no se ve el conjunto completo. (It’s a pity that they try on the clothes without the proper accessories, so you can’t see the full outfit.)

Aunque no estoy segura, quizás me pruebe esos vaqueros rotos, dicen que están de moda. (Although I’m not sure, maybe I’ll try on those ripped jeans, they say they’re in fashion.)

Tal vez convenga que te pruebes varios tonos de maquillaje para ver cuál resalta mejor tus facciones. (Maybe it’s a good idea that you try on various shades of makeup to see which one best highlights your features.)

Es fundamental que se pruebe el equipo de seguridad antes de comenzar a trabajar en el sitio de construcción. (It’s essential that he tries on the safety equipment before starting to work at the construction site.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Probarse (to try on) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Subjunctive mood is also known as the Simple Subjunctive, Subjunctive Present, or Present Subjunctive Mood in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Presente, Presente del Modo Subjuntivo, or Tiempo Presente del Subjuntivo in Spanish.