Introduction

Acariciar means “to caress”, and this page covers exactly one thing: acariciar in the present tense. The present is the tense Spanish speakers reach for when they talk about what happens regularly and what is happening now. On this page you will find the full present table for acariciar, how the tense is formed for this verb, the situations where it is used, how it differs from the preterite, worked examples, the mistakes learners make most often, an eight-question quiz with explained answers, and answers to the questions students ask about acariciar in the present. Acariciar in the present describes a habit, a fact or something happening right now. For example: “Yo acaricio a su perro” — "I caress his dog". Everything on this page uses the forms of acariciar exactly as they are conjugated in the present, so you can trust every form you see here.

Acariciar in the Present Tense — full table

Person Form
yo acaricio
tú acaricias
él/ella/Ud. acaricia
nosotros/as acariciamos
vosotros/as acariciáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. acarician

Gerund: acariciando · Past participle: acariciado

The gerund is acariciando, which you use with estar to say what is happening right now: “Estoy acariciando” means the action of acariciar is in progress at this very moment. The past participle is acariciado, which you use with haber in the perfect tenses: “he acariciado” is the present perfect, used for a completed action. Keep both forms in mind as you read the examples below, because the present is only one part of how acariciar is used.

How the present of acariciar is formed

Acariciar is a regular -ar verb in the present. Take the stem acarici and add the present endings for -ar verbs: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an, giving acaricio, acaricias, acaricia, acariciamos, acariciáis, acarician. Watch the accents: the vosotros form, acariciáis, carries an accent on the á, é or í. The present of acariciar is fully regular, but two details deserve attention. First, the accents: the vosotros form acariciáis carries a written accent. Second, the yo form acaricio is the form the present subjunctive is built from, so learn it well — it unlocks the subjunctive too.

When to use the present of acariciar

The present is not a single-purpose tense. Below are the five situations where you will use acariciar in the present most often. Each one comes with a real example, so read the rule, then say the example out loud.

1. Routines and habits

The present is the tense of what you do regularly. When something happens todos los días, cada semana or los fines de semana, acariciar goes in the present. Example: “Yo acaricio el pelo de su hija” — "I caress his daughter's hair".

2. General facts

Use the present for things that are true in general, not just today. A fact about acariciar does not need a time word at all. Example: “Él acaricia con ternura” — "He caresses tenderly".

3. What is happening now

The present also covers what is happening at this very moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English would use the -ing form, so acaricio can mean both "I caress" and "I am caressing". Example: “Yo acaricio a su perro” — "I caress his dog".

4. Timetables and fixed plans

For a fixed plan or a timetable, Spanish uses the present: the plan is already decided, so the present states it as a fact. This is common with travel, lessons and appointments. Example: “Nosotros acariciamos el pelo de su hija” — "We caress his daughter's hair".

5. Telling a story

Stories are sometimes told in the present to make them feel immediate, even when they happened in the past. This is the historical present, and it works with acariciar just as it does with any other verb. Example: “Él acaricia con ternura” — "He caresses tenderly".

Present Tense vs Preterite: how to choose

The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and choosing between them is one of the first decisions in Spanish. The rule is simple: the present reports what happens regularly or what is happening now, while the preterite reports one finished action in the past. The three pairs below use the same verb, so the only thing that changes is whether the action is a habit or a finished event. Time words help: todos los días and cada semana point to the present, while ayer and la semana pasada point to the preterite.

  • Present Tense: “Yo acaricio a su perro” — "I caress his dog".

  • Preterite: “Yo acaricié a su perro” — "I caressed his dog".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Él acaricia el pelo de su hija” — "He caresses his daughter's hair".

  • Preterite: “Él acarició el pelo de su hija” — "He caressed his daughter's hair".

  • The present sentence describes a habit or something happening now; the preterite sentence reports one finished action in the past. That difference — routine versus finished event — is the whole decision.

  • Present Tense: “Nosotros acariciamos con ternura” — "We caress tenderly".

  • Preterite: “Nosotros acariciamos con ternura” — "We caressed tenderly".

  • The two sentences look identical: acariciamos is the same in the present and the preterite. Only the time words around it tell you which tense is meant.

Example sentences: acariciar in the present

Read these eight sentences out loud. They cover all six persons, so by the end you will have seen every form in the table used in a real sentence. Pay attention to the words around the verb — the time expressions, the objects, the other verbs — because those are what make each sentence sound natural.

  1. “Yo acaricio el pelo de su hija” — "I caress his daughter's hair"

  2. “Tú acaricias con ternura” — "You caress tenderly"

  3. “Él acaricia a su perro” — "He caresses his dog"

  4. “Nosotros acariciamos el pelo de su hija” — "We caress his daughter's hair"

  5. “Vosotros acariciáis con ternura” — "You caress tenderly"

  6. “Ellos acarician a su perro” — "They caress his dog"

  7. “Yo acaricio el pelo de su hija” — "I caress his daughter's hair"

  8. “Él acaricia con ternura” — "He caresses tenderly"

Common mistakes with acariciar in the present

These are the errors learners actually make with this verb in this tense. Each one shows the wrong version, the right version, and why the correction matters.

  • 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.

  • Wrong: “Todos los días, yo acaricié” Right: “Todos los días, yo acaricio” Why: Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. The preterite (acaricié) is for one finished action, not for routines.

  • Wrong: “Yo acaricia a su perro.” Right: “Yo acaricio a su perro” Why: Yo needs the yo form acaricio. The él form acaricia belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

  • Wrong: “Ayer, yo acaricio” Right: “Ayer, yo acaricié” Why: The present tense cannot describe a finished action yesterday. Ayer forces the preterite, so the form must change to acaricié.

Quiz: acariciar in the present

Choose the correct answer for each question, then check the answer key. Every answer is explained, so a wrong answer still teaches you something.

1. Complete the sentence: “Yo ___ con ternura.” (yo form)

A. acaricia B. acaricias C. acaricio D. acariciamos

2. Complete the sentence: “Tú ___ a su perro.” (tú form)

A. acaricias B. acariciamos C. acarician D. acaricio

3. Complete the sentence: “Él ___ el pelo de su hija.” (él/ella/Ud. form)

A. acarician B. acaricio C. acariciamos D. acaricia

4. Complete the sentence: “Nosotros ___ con ternura.” (nosotros/as form)

A. acarician B. acaricia C. acaricias D. acariciamos

5. Complete the sentence: “Vosotros ___ a su perro.” (vosotros/as form)

A. acaricio B. acariciáis C. acarician D. acaricias

6. Complete the sentence: “Ellos ___ el pelo de su hija.” (ellos/ellas/Uds. form)

A. acaricio B. acaricias C. acarician D. acariciamos

7. Which time expression points to the present tense?

A. todos los días B. ayer C. la semana pasada D. anoche

8. Which sentence is correct?

A. Todos los días, yo acaricio B. Todos los días, yo acaricié

Answer key

  1. acaricio — The yo present of acariciar is acaricio.
  2. acaricias — The tú present of acariciar is acaricias.
  3. acaricia — The él/ella/Ud. present of acariciar is acaricia.
  4. acariciamos — The nosotros/as present of acariciar is acariciamos.
  5. acariciáis — The vosotros/as present of acariciar is acariciáis.
  6. acarician — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present of acariciar is acarician.
  7. todos los días — Todos los días describes a habit, so the present is right. Ayer, la semana pasada and anoche all point to the preterite.
  8. Todos los días, yo acaricio — Todos los días is a habit, so the present is correct. The preterite is for one finished action.

Frequently asked questions

When do I use the present of acariciar?

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening now. For example: Yo acaricio a su perro. If the action is a habit or happening now, the present is the right choice.

How is the present of acariciar formed?

Take the stem acarici- and add the present endings for -ar verbs (-o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an), giving acaricio, acaricias, acaricia, acariciamos, acariciáis, acarician.

What is the difference between the present and the preterite for acariciar?

The present (acaricio) describes a habit or something happening now, while the preterite (acaricié) counts one finished action in the past. Compare the two sentences in the contrast section above: the verb is the same, only the tense changes.

How can I practise acariciar in the present?

Say the six forms out loud — acaricio, acaricias, acaricia, acariciamos, acariciáis, acarician — then use them in the example sentences above, changing the person each time. Then try the acariciar examples and quiz page, and the full conjugation of acariciar when you want to compare the present with the other tenses.

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