Why Fijarse Is Everywhere in Spoken Spanish
Fijarse is the verb of noticing and paying attention. It is regular, and its command form fíjate is one of the most common words you will hear in conversation: it opens stories, excuses and instructions.
Without se, fijar means to set or fix something, like a date. Learn the six chunks below and you will understand both.
Pattern 1: Fijarse en… — "To notice / pay attention to…"
Use en for what you notice, or en que plus a clause. It is more active than simply seeing something; for that, see [Ver] Chunks.
- ¿Te fijaste en su vestido? — Did you notice her dress?
- Me fijé en que no llevaba anillo. — I noticed he wasn't wearing a ring.
- No me fijé en el precio. — I didn't pay attention to the price.
Chunk to learn:
Fijarse en + [algo] / Fijarse en que + [cláusula]
Pattern 2: ¡Fíjate! — "Just imagine! / Can you believe it?"
A conversational exclamation that sets up a surprising story. Use fíjate lo que… or fíjate qué… to introduce what happened, and fíjese with usted.
- ¡Fíjate! — Imagine that!
- Fíjate lo que me pasó ayer. — You won't believe what happened to me yesterday.
- Fíjate qué casualidad: era mi vecino. — What a coincidence: it was my neighbor.
Chunk to learn:
¡Fíjate! / Fíjate lo que… / Fíjate qué…
Pattern 3: Fíjate que… — "The thing is…"
Very common in Mexico and Central America to introduce an excuse, a refusal or news. It softens bad news by making it sound like something unexpected. In Spain you would hear es que… instead. For poder, see [Poder] Chunks.
- Fíjate que no puedo ir a la fiesta. — The thing is, I can't make it to the party.
- Fíjate que se me olvidó el dinero. — The thing is, I forgot the money.
- Fíjate que el coche no arrancó. — As it turns out, the car wouldn't start.
Chunk to learn:
Fíjate que + [excusa / noticia]
Pattern 4: Fíjate bien / cómo… — "Look closely / watch how…"
Use it to tell someone to pay close attention, to a detail or to the way something is done. For plain looking, see [Mirar] Chunks.
- Fíjate bien en las instrucciones. — Look carefully at the instructions.
- Fíjate cómo lo hace ella. — Watch how she does it.
- Fíjate bien antes de cruzar. — Look carefully before you cross.
Chunk to learn:
Fíjate bien (en…) / Fíjate cómo + [verbo]
Pattern 5: Fijar una fecha — "To set a date"
Without se, fijar means to fix, set or decide something. It is the chunk for dates, prices and appointments. For booking appointments, see [Pedir] Chunks.
- Fijamos la fecha para el viernes. — We set the date for Friday.
- Fijaron el precio en cien euros. — They set the price at a hundred euros.
- ¿Podemos fijar una cita? — Can we set up an appointment?
Chunk to learn:
Fijar + [una fecha / un precio / una cita]
Pattern 6: No te fijes… — "Don't mind… / Pay no attention to…"
What every host says when guests arrive and the house is not perfect. It literally means "don't notice," and it is a friendly way to excuse a mess.
- No te fijes en el desorden. — Don't mind the mess.
- No te fijes en lo que dicen. — Pay no attention to what they say.
- No te fijes, la casa está patas arriba. — Don't look, the house is upside down.
Chunk to learn:
No te fijes en + [el desorden / lo que dicen]
Fijarse vs. Notar vs. Darse Cuenta
Fijarse means to pay attention on purpose. Notar means to notice something that stands out. Darse cuenta means to realize; see [Dar] Chunks. The same mistake shows the difference: me fijé en el error (I looked closely and saw it), noté el error (it stood out), me di cuenta del error (I realized it).
Start with ¿te fijaste en…? and fíjate que…. You will hear both before the end of your first real conversation.
This post is part of the Spanish Chunk Series — a growing collection of chunk patterns for natural Spanish.