Acariciar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

acariciar means "to caress" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows acariciar in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of acariciar, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.

Example sentences with acariciar

Everyday use

Acariciar means to caress. The sentences below show it in everyday use, in different tenses and persons.

  1. Yo acaricio a su perro — "I caress his dog"
  2. Él acaricia el pelo de su hija — "He caresses his daughter's hair"
  3. Yo acaricié con ternura — "I caressed tenderly"
  4. Yo acariciaba a su perro — "I used to caress his dog"
  5. Yo acariciaré el pelo de su hija — "I will caress his daughter's hair"
  6. Yo he acariciado con ternura — "I have caressed tenderly"

In the past and the future

The same verb in the past and the future: the form changes, but the meaning stays the same.

  1. Él acarició con ternura — "He caressed tenderly"
  2. Él acariciaba a su perro — "He used to caress his dog"
  3. Tú acariciarás el pelo de su hija — "You will caress his daughter's hair"
  4. Yo acariciaría con ternura — "I would caress tenderly"
  5. Yo había acariciado a su perro — "I had caressed his dog"
  6. Nosotros acariciamos el pelo de su hija — "We caress his daughter's hair"

Acariciar in conversation

The two dialogues below show acariciar in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú acaricias a su perro? — "Do you caress his dog?"
  • Sí, yo acaricio a su perro cada día. — "Yes, I caress his dog every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú acariciaste el pelo de su hija? — "And yesterday? Did you caress his daughter's hair?"
  • Sí, yo acaricié el pelo de su hija. — "Yes, I caressed his daughter's hair."
  • Mañana, yo acariciaré con ternura también. — "Tomorrow, I will caress tenderly too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros acariciáis a su perro? — "Do you caress his dog?"
  • Sí, nosotros acariciamos a su perro los fines de semana. — "Yes, We caress his dog at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos acarician el pelo de su hija? — "And them? Do they caress his daughter's hair?"
  • Sí, ellos acarician el pelo de su hija también. — "Yes, They caress his daughter's hair too."
  • Mañana nosotros acariciaremos el pelo de su hija otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will caress his daughter's hair again."

Useful phrases with acariciar

Four patterns you can use with acariciar in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a acariciar a su perro. — "I am going to caress his dog."
  • Quiero acariciar el pelo de su hija. — "I want to caress his daughter's hair."
  • Me gusta acariciar con ternura. — "I like to caress tenderly."
  • Acabo de acariciar a su perro. — "I have just caressed his dog."

Common mistakes with acariciar in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos acaricia a su perro.
  • Right: Ellos acarician a su perro.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form acarician. The singular acaricia belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo acaricié.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo acaricio.
  • Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Yo soy acariciado el pelo de su hija.
  • Right: Yo he acariciado el pelo de su hija.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he acariciado, has acariciado, ha acariciado.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo acaricio.
  • Right: Ayer, yo acaricié.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (acaricié). The present (acaricio) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él acaricia a su perro.
  • Right: Espero que él acaricie a su perro.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: acaricie. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: acariciar in use

Ten questions on acariciar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of acariciar in the present tense?

  • (a) acaricio
  • (b) acaricié
  • (c) acaricia
  • (d) habíais acariciado

Answer: (a) acaricio. The I form in the present is acaricio.

2. What is the he / she form of acariciar in the present tense?

  • (a) acaricia
  • (b) habías acariciado
  • (c) acaricie
  • (d) acariciarais

Answer: (a) acaricia. The he / she form in the present is acaricia.

3. What is the he / she form of acariciar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) acariciamos
  • (b) ha acariciado
  • (c) acarició
  • (d) habían acariciado

Answer: (c) acarició. The he / she form in the preterite is acarició.

4. What is the I form of acariciar in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) acariciáis
  • (b) acariciábamos
  • (c) acariciaba
  • (d) acariciaréis

Answer: (c) acariciaba. The I form in the imperfect is acariciaba.

5. What is the I form of acariciar in the future tense?

  • (a) acariciáis
  • (b) habéis acariciado
  • (c) acariciarían
  • (d) acariciaré

Answer: (d) acariciaré. The I form in the future is acariciaré.

6. What is the I form of acariciar in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) habíais acariciado
  • (b) acariciara
  • (c) habrías acariciado
  • (d) he acariciado

Answer: (d) he acariciado. The I form in the present perfect is he acariciado.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a su perro.

  • (a) acaricien
  • (b) acariciéis
  • (c) acaricie
  • (d) acaricies

Answer: (c) acaricie. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is acaricie.

8. What is the we form of acariciar in the present tense?

  • (a) acaricié
  • (b) acaricies
  • (c) acariciaríamos
  • (d) acariciamos

Answer: (d) acariciamos. The we form in the present is acariciamos.

9. What is the I form of acariciar in the preterite tense?

  • (a) acariciáis
  • (b) acariciaremos
  • (c) hemos acariciado
  • (d) acaricié

Answer: (d) acaricié. The I form in the preterite is acaricié.

10. What is the they form of acariciar in the present tense?

  • (a) acariciaría
  • (b) acariciarás
  • (c) acarician
  • (d) acariciaron

Answer: (c) acarician. The they form in the present is acarician.

Frequently asked questions about acariciar

Is acariciar regular?

Yes. Acariciar is a regular -ar verb: acaricio, acaricias, acaricia. See the full conjugation of acariciar for every tense.

What is the past participle of acariciar?

The past participle is acariciado, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he acariciado. The gerund is acariciando, used with estar: estoy acariciando.

How do I say “I caress” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo acaricié el pelo de su hija. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo acariciaba con ternura.

How can I practise acariciar?

Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.

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