imaginarse
verbCEFR B1
What does “imaginarse” mean in English?
1.to imagine, to picture
to imagine, to picture (imaginarse que + clause, often subjunctive if hypothetical)
2.¡Imagínate! — discourse marker of reaction or emphasis
¡Imagínate! — discourse marker of reaction or emphasis (can you imagine! / I bet!)
Example sentences
Me imagino que la reunión durará más de dos horas, así que no reserves nada para después.
I imagine the meeting will last more than two hours, so don't book anything for afterwards.
Imagínate que tuvieras que trabajar sin ordenador durante una semana entera.
Imagine having to work without a computer for an entire week.
¿Le contó que había perdido el pasaporte el día antes del vuelo? ¡Imagínate!
She told him she'd lost her passport the day before the flight? Can you imagine!
How to use it
Imaginarse is the reflexive form of imaginar meaning 'to picture' or 'to imagine'. It takes que + indicative for something treated as real ('Me imagino que estará cansado') or que + subjunctive for hypothetical/unreal scenarios ('Imagínate que pudieras volar'). The imperative ¡Imagínate! / ¡Imagínese! functions as a standalone discourse marker meaning 'I bet!' or 'Can you imagine!' — very common in spoken Spanish across all regions.
Common mistake
¡Imagínate! as a discourse marker does not mean 'imagine yourself' — it expresses empathetic reaction or emphasis, roughly equivalent to 'I know, right!' or 'can you imagine!'. Don't confuse imaginarse (reflexive, picturing in one's mind) with imaginar (non-reflexive, more formal/literary).