Acampar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

acampar means “to camp” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Acampar means to camp, and it is used for sleeping outdoors in a tent, whether on a beach, in the mountains or in a campsite. It also appears in protest language, as in acampar delante del parlamento, to camp outside parliament. It is a regular -ar verb and a classic holiday verb. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of acampar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the acampar present tense page.

acampar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

Four sentences with acampar in the present tense, for habits, facts and things happening right now.

  1. Yo acampo en la playa en verano. — I camp on the beach in summer.
  2. Él/Ella acampa en la montaña con amigos. — He camps in the mountains with friends.
  3. Nosotros/as acampamos junto al río el fin de semana. — We camp by the river at the weekend.
  4. Ellos/as acampan en el parque durante la protesta. — They camp in the park during the protest.

In the past

Four sentences with acampar in the past: the preterite for finished actions and the imperfect for habits and background.

  1. Ayer, Yo acampé junto al río el fin de semana. — Yesterday, I camped by the river at the weekend.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as acampábamos en el parque durante la protesta. — Before, We used to camp in the park during the protest.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella acampó en la playa en verano. — Yesterday, He camped on the beach in summer.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as acampaban en la montaña con amigos. — As children, They used to camp in the mountains with friends.

Plans, hopes and wishes

Four sentences with acampar in the future, the conditional, the subjunctive and the present perfect — for plans, hypotheticals and things that have just happened.

  1. Mañana, Tú acamparás en la playa en verano. — Tomorrow, You will camp on the beach in summer.
  2. Yo acamparía en la montaña con amigos. — I would camp in the mountains with friends.
  3. Espero que él acampe junto al río el fin de semana. — I hope he camps by the river at the weekend.
  4. Él/Ella ha acampado en el parque durante la protesta. — He has camped in the park during the protest.

acampar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú acampas en la playa en verano mañana? — Are you going to camp on the beach in summer tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo acampo en la playa en verano todos los días. — Yes, I camp on the beach in summer every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana acamparás en la montaña con amigos? — And tomorrow, will you camp in the mountains with friends? Luis: Claro, mañana acamparé en la montaña con amigos sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will camp in the mountains with friends without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo acamparé junto al río el fin de semana también. — Perfect. I will camp by the river at the weekend too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer acampé junto al río el fin de semana. — Yesterday, I camped by the river at the weekend. Ana: ¿Y antes acampabas en el parque durante la protesta? — And before, did you use to camp in the park during the protest? Luis: Sí, antes acampaba en el parque durante la protesta todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to camp in the park during the protest every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos acamparon en la playa en verano? — And did your brothers camped on the beach in summer? Luis: Sí, ellos acamparon en la playa en verano por la tarde. — Yes, they camped on the beach in summer in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo acampa en la playa en verano. — Right: Yo acampo en la playa en verano. — The person matters: acampa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acampo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating acampar and pernoctar as identical in every context. — Right: Acampar means to camp, while pernoctar means to spend the night somewhere. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: acampar fits sentences such as Acampo en la playa en verano, while pernoctar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy acampado en la montaña con amigos. — Right: Yo he acampado en la montaña con amigos. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he acampado, has acampado, ha acampado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo acampé junto al río el fin de semana todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo acampaba junto al río el fin de semana todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (acampaba), not the preterite. The preterite (acampé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on acampar in use. Choose the right answer, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ en el parque durante la protesta. (present tense) A. acampan B. acampo C. acampas D. acampa

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ en la playa en verano. (preterite tense) A. acampé B. acampaste C. acampó D. acampamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ en la montaña con amigos. (imperfect tense) A. acampábamos B. acampabais C. acampabas D. acampaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ junto al río el fin de semana. (future tense) A. acamparemos B. acampará C. acamparé D. acamparás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ en el parque durante la protesta. (conditional tense) A. acamparíamos B. acamparía C. acamparías D. acamparíais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ en la playa en verano. (present-perfect tense) A. has acampado B. ha acampado C. hemos acampado D. he acampado

  7. What does acampar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to camp D. to spend the night somewhere

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo acampé junto al río el fin de semana. B. Yo acampa en la playa en verano. C. Yo acampo en la playa en verano. D. Él/Ella acampa en la montaña con amigos.

  9. Which is the gerund of acampar, used with estar for the progressive? A. acampando B. acampado C. acampo D. acampé

  10. Which is the past participle of acampar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. acampando B. acampo C. acampé D. acampado

Answer key

  1. acampan — The correct form here is acampan.
  2. acampamos — The correct form here is acampamos.
  3. acampabas — The correct form here is acampabas.
  4. acampará — The correct form here is acampará.
  5. acamparíamos — The correct form here is acamparíamos.
  6. he acampado — The correct form here is he acampado.
  7. to camp — Acampar means to camp. Pernoctar means to spend the night somewhere, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo acampa en la playa en verano. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo acampo en la playa en verano.. The person matters: acampa is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acampo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. acampando — The gerund of acampar is acampando: estoy acampando.
  10. acampado — The past participle of acampar is acampado: he acampado, has acampado, ha acampado.

Frequently asked questions

What does acampar mean?

Acampar means to camp. Acampar means to camp, and it is used for sleeping outdoors in a tent, whether on a beach, in the mountains or in a campsite. It also appears in protest language, as in acampar delante del parlamento, to camp outside parliament. It is a regular -ar verb and a classic holiday verb.

When do people use acampar most?

People use acampar most in everyday situations such as Yo acampo en la playa en verano. and Ayer, Yo acampé junto al río el fin de semana.. Learn the present tense first, then the preterite and the imperfect, since those are the forms you will hear most often.

What is the difference between acampar and pernoctar?

Acampar means to camp, while pernoctar means to spend the night somewhere. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable — check the meaning you want before you choose.

How can I remember the forms of acampar?

Practise the present tense table first, then add the preterite and the imperfect. Use the full conjugation of acampar as your reference, the acampar present tense page for one tense in depth, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself.

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