Acampar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb acampar means to camp, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know 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. Like every Spanish verb, acampar changes its ending for each person and tense, and this page gives you the complete picture: every tense, every person, the gerund and the past participle, all from the verified conjugation tables. For example, in the present tense you say acampo en la playa en verano, and in the preterite you say acampé junto al río el fin de semana. Work through the tables below, read the notes for each tense, and then test yourself with the examples, the common mistakes and the quiz at the end of the page.
Quick facts
- Infinitive: acampar
- English: to camp
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: acampando
- Past participle: acampado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + acampado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for acampar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Acampar is fully regular: acampé, acampaba, acamparé. The only point to watch is the accent on acampé.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for acampar. The imperfect subjunctive is shown in its -ra forms; the -se forms use the same stem. For reflexive verbs, the pronoun column shows the reflexive pronoun that goes before each form.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acampo |
| tú | acampas |
| él/ella/Ud. | acampa |
| nosotros/as | acampamos |
| vosotros/as | acampáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acampan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acampé |
| tú | acampaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | acampó |
| nosotros/as | acampamos |
| vosotros/as | acampasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acamparon |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acampaba |
| tú | acampabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | acampaba |
| nosotros/as | acampábamos |
| vosotros/as | acampabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acampaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acamparé |
| tú | acamparás |
| él/ella/Ud. | acampará |
| nosotros/as | acamparemos |
| vosotros/as | acamparéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acamparán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acamparía |
| tú | acamparías |
| él/ella/Ud. | acamparía |
| nosotros/as | acamparíamos |
| vosotros/as | acamparíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acamparían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he acampado |
| tú | has acampado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha acampado |
| nosotros/as | hemos acampado |
| vosotros/as | habéis acampado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han acampado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había acampado |
| tú | habías acampado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había acampado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos acampado |
| vosotros/as | habíais acampado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían acampado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré acampado |
| tú | habrás acampado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá acampado |
| nosotros/as | habremos acampado |
| vosotros/as | habréis acampado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán acampado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría acampado |
| tú | habrías acampado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría acampado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos acampado |
| vosotros/as | habríais acampado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían acampado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acampe |
| tú | acampes |
| él/ella/Ud. | acampe |
| nosotros/as | acampemos |
| vosotros/as | acampéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acampen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acampara |
| tú | acamparas |
| él/ella/Ud. | acampara |
| nosotros/as | acampáramos |
| vosotros/as | acamparais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acamparan |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | acampa |
| él/ella/Ud. | acampe |
| nosotros/as | acampemos |
| vosotros/as | acampad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acampen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | acampes |
| él/ella/Ud. | acampe |
| nosotros/as | acampemos |
| vosotros/as | acampéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acampen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | acampando | with estar for the progressive: estoy acampando |
| Past participle | acampado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he acampado |
How to use each tense
Present indicative
Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Acampo en la playa en verano. Learn the present forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Preterite
Use the preterite for finished actions with a clear end, often with ayer, el año pasado or anoche. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, acampé en la montaña con amigos. Learn the preterite forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect
Use the imperfect for background, habits and actions in progress in the past, often with de niño, antes or mientras. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, acampaba junto al río el fin de semana. Learn the imperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future
Use the future for plans, predictions and promises, often with mañana, el año que viene or pronto. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, acamparé en el parque durante la protesta. Learn the future forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional
Use the conditional for polite requests, hypotheticals and what would happen, often with si clauses. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Acamparía en la playa en verano si pudiera. Learn the conditional forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present perfect
Use the present perfect for recent actions and experiences, often with hoy, esta semana or ya. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he acampado en la montaña con amigos. Learn the present perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Pluperfect
Use the pluperfect when one past action happened before another past action. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había acampado junto al río el fin de semana antes de salir. Learn the pluperfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Future perfect
Use the future perfect for something that will already be finished by a future time. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré acampado en el parque durante la protesta. Learn the future perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Conditional perfect
Use the conditional perfect for what would have happened under different conditions. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría acampado en la playa en verano con más tiempo. Learn the conditional perfect forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Present subjunctive
Use the present subjunctive after expressions of wish, doubt, emotion and hope, such as espero que or quiero que. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él acampe en la montaña con amigos. Learn the present subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
Use the imperfect subjunctive after past wishes and in si clauses about the past, and note the -ra forms shown here; the -se forms use the same stem. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él acampara junto al río el fin de semana, todo cambiaría. Learn the imperfect subjunctive forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (affirmative)
Use the affirmative imperative for direct commands, instructions and invitations. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡acampa en el parque durante la protesta! Learn the affirmative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Imperative (negative)
Use the negative imperative, always with no, to tell someone not to do something. For this verb the tense is regular, so the forms follow the standard endings for its verb class. For acampar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No acampes en la playa en verano. Learn the negative imperative forms in the table above alongside this example, and notice how the ending, not the stem, usually carries the meaning of the tense.
Example sentences
Ten natural sentences with acampar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Acampo en la playa en verano. — I camp on the beach in summer.
- Acampa en la montaña con amigos. — He/she camps in the mountains with friends.
- Ayer, acampé junto al río el fin de semana. — Yesterday, I camped by the river at the weekend.
- Antes, nosotros acampábamos en el parque durante la protesta. — Before, we used to camp in the park during the protest.
- Mañana, tú acamparás en la playa en verano. — Tomorrow, you will camp on the beach in summer.
- Yo acamparía en la montaña con amigos si tuviera más tiempo. — I would camp in the mountains with friends if I had more time.
- Él ha acampado junto al río el fin de semana. — He has camped by the river at the weekend.
- Espero que él acampe en el parque durante la protesta. — I hope he camps in the park during the protest.
- Yo ya había acampado en la playa en verano antes de salir. — I had already camped on the beach in summer before leaving.
- Ellos acampaban en la montaña con amigos cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to camp in the mountains with friends when they were young.
Common mistakes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en la playa en verano. (present tense) A. acampo B. acampas C. acampa D. acampamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en la montaña con amigos. (preterite) A. acampé B. acampaste C. acamparon D. acampó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ junto al río el fin de semana. (imperfect) A. acampabas B. acampaban C. acampábamos D. acampaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en el parque durante la protesta. (future) A. acamparemos B. acamparás C. acamparé D. acampará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en la playa en verano si pudiera. (conditional) A. acamparía B. acamparías C. acamparían D. acampo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en la montaña con amigos. (present subjunctive) A. acampes B. acampemos C. acampo D. acampe
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ junto al río el fin de semana, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. acampáramos B. acampo C. acampara D. acamparas
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en el parque durante la protesta. (present perfect) A. han acampado B. hemos acampado C. he acampado D. has acampado
Complete the command: ¡___ en la playa en verano! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. acampa B. acampe C. acampemos D. acampad
Which is the gerund of acampar, used with estar for the progressive? A. acampado B. acampo C. acampé D. acampando
Answer key
- acampo — The first-person present of acampar is acampo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- acampó — The third-person preterite of acampar is acampó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- acampábamos — The nosotros imperfect of acampar is acampábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- acamparás — The second-person future of acampar is acamparás.
- acamparía — The first-person conditional of acampar is acamparía, the form for what would happen.
- acampe — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of acampar is acampe.
- acampara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of acampar is acampara.
- hemos acampado — The nosotros present perfect of acampar is hemos acampado: hemos + acampado.
- acampa — The affirmative tú imperative of acampar is acampa.
- acampando — The gerund of acampar is acampando: estoy acampando. The participle acampado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does acampar mean in English?
Acampar means to camp. It is used in everyday situations such as Acampo en la playa en verano. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is acampar regular or irregular?
Acampar is a fully regular -ar verb, so every tense follows the standard endings for its class. Once you know the regular pattern, you can produce every form on this page, including acampo in the present and acampé in the preterite.
What is the difference between acampar and pernoctar?
Acampar means to camp, while pernoctar means to spend the night somewhere. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use acampar when you mean to camp, as in Acampo en la playa en verano, and use pernoctar for to spend the night somewhere. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I camp” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo acampé en la montaña con amigos. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo acampaba junto al río el fin de semana. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he acampado en la montaña con amigos.
How do I practise acampar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the acampar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Acampar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for acampar.
- Acampar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for acampar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Abusar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with acampar.
- Accionar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with acampar.
- Acercar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with acampar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.