Acechar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb acechar means to watch, to lurk, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Acechar means to watch or to lurk, to observe someone secretly, waiting for the right moment. It is used for hunters, animals and people spying, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, acechar 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 acecho a su presa en silencio, and in the preterite you say aceché la oportunidad durante meses. 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: acechar
- English: to watch, to lurk
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: acechando
- Past participle: acechado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + acechado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for acechar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Acechar is fully regular: acecho, acecha. It is watching in secret, waiting to act; observar is watching openly and carefully.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for acechar. 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 | acecho |
| tú | acechas |
| él/ella/Ud. | acecha |
| nosotros/as | acechamos |
| vosotros/as | acecháis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acechan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aceché |
| tú | acechaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | acechó |
| nosotros/as | acechamos |
| vosotros/as | acechasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acecharon |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acechaba |
| tú | acechabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | acechaba |
| nosotros/as | acechábamos |
| vosotros/as | acechabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acechaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acecharé |
| tú | acecharás |
| él/ella/Ud. | acechará |
| nosotros/as | acecharemos |
| vosotros/as | acecharéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acecharán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acecharía |
| tú | acecharías |
| él/ella/Ud. | acecharía |
| nosotros/as | acecharíamos |
| vosotros/as | acecharíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acecharían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he acechado |
| tú | has acechado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha acechado |
| nosotros/as | hemos acechado |
| vosotros/as | habéis acechado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han acechado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había acechado |
| tú | habías acechado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había acechado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos acechado |
| vosotros/as | habíais acechado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían acechado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré acechado |
| tú | habrás acechado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá acechado |
| nosotros/as | habremos acechado |
| vosotros/as | habréis acechado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán acechado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría acechado |
| tú | habrías acechado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría acechado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos acechado |
| vosotros/as | habríais acechado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían acechado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | aceche |
| tú | aceches |
| él/ella/Ud. | aceche |
| nosotros/as | acechemos |
| vosotros/as | acechéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acechen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acechara |
| tú | acecharas |
| él/ella/Ud. | acechara |
| nosotros/as | acecháramos |
| vosotros/as | acecharais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acecharan |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | acecha |
| él/ella/Ud. | aceche |
| nosotros/as | acechemos |
| vosotros/as | acechad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acechen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | aceches |
| él/ella/Ud. | aceche |
| nosotros/as | acechemos |
| vosotros/as | acechéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acechen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | acechando | with estar for the progressive: estoy acechando |
| Past participle | acechado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he acechado |
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 acechar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Acecho a su presa en silencio. 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 acechar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, aceché desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. 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 acechar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, acechaba la oportunidad durante meses. 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 acechar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, acecharé al enemigo en la oscuridad. 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 acechar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Acecharía a su presa en silencio 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 acechar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he acechado desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. 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 acechar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había acechado la oportunidad durante meses 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 acechar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré acechado al enemigo en la oscuridad. 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 acechar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría acechado a su presa en silencio 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 acechar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él aceche desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. 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 acechar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él acechara la oportunidad durante meses, 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 acechar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Acecha al enemigo en la oscuridad! 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 acechar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No aceches a su presa en silencio. 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 acechar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Acecho a su presa en silencio. — I watch its prey in silence.
- Acecha desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. — He/she watches from the corner without making a noise.
- Ayer, aceché la oportunidad durante meses. — Yesterday, I watched the opportunity for months.
- Antes, nosotros acechábamos al enemigo en la oscuridad. — Before, we used to watch the enemy in the dark.
- Mañana, tú acecharás a su presa en silencio. — Tomorrow, you will watch its prey in silence.
- Yo acecharía desde la esquina sin hacer ruido si tuviera más tiempo. — I would watch from the corner without making a noise if I had more time.
- Él ha acechado la oportunidad durante meses. — He has watched the opportunity for months.
- Espero que él aceche al enemigo en la oscuridad. — I hope he watches the enemy in the dark.
- Yo ya había acechado a su presa en silencio antes de salir. — I had already watched its prey in silence before leaving.
- Ellos acechaban desde la esquina sin hacer ruido cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to watch from the corner without making a noise when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo acecha a su presa en silencio. — Right: Yo acecho a su presa en silencio. — The person matters: acecha is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acecho. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo acecho desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. — Right: Ayer yo aceché desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: acecho is happening now, while aceché is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating acechar and observar as identical in every context. — Right: Acechar means to watch, to lurk, while observar means to observe. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: acechar fits sentences such as Acecho a su presa en silencio, while observar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy acechado desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. — Right: Yo he acechado desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he acechado, has acechado, ha acechado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo aceché la oportunidad durante meses todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo acechaba la oportunidad durante meses todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (acechaba), not the preterite. The preterite (aceché) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on acechar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a su presa en silencio. (present tense) A. acecho B. acechas C. acecha D. acechamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. (preterite) A. aceché B. acechaste C. acecharon D. acechó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la oportunidad durante meses. (imperfect) A. acechabas B. acechaban C. acechábamos D. acechaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ al enemigo en la oscuridad. (future) A. acecharemos B. acecharás C. acecharé D. acechará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a su presa en silencio si pudiera. (conditional) A. acecharía B. acecharías C. acecharían D. acecho
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. (present subjunctive) A. aceches B. acechemos C. acecho D. aceche
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la oportunidad durante meses, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. acecháramos B. acecho C. acechara D. acecharas
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ al enemigo en la oscuridad. (present perfect) A. han acechado B. hemos acechado C. he acechado D. has acechado
Complete the command: ¡___ a su presa en silencio! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. acecha B. aceche C. acechemos D. acechad
Which is the gerund of acechar, used with estar for the progressive? A. acechado B. acecho C. aceché D. acechando
Answer key
- acecho — The first-person present of acechar is acecho. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- acechó — The third-person preterite of acechar is acechó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- acechábamos — The nosotros imperfect of acechar is acechábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- acecharás — The second-person future of acechar is acecharás.
- acecharía — The first-person conditional of acechar is acecharía, the form for what would happen.
- aceche — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of acechar is aceche.
- acechara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of acechar is acechara.
- hemos acechado — The nosotros present perfect of acechar is hemos acechado: hemos + acechado.
- acecha — The affirmative tú imperative of acechar is acecha.
- acechando — The gerund of acechar is acechando: estoy acechando. The participle acechado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does acechar mean in English?
Acechar means to watch, to lurk. It is used in everyday situations such as Acecho a su presa en silencio. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is acechar regular or irregular?
Acechar 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 acecho in the present and aceché in the preterite.
What is the difference between acechar and observar?
Acechar means to watch, to lurk, while observar means to observe. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use acechar when you mean to watch, to lurk, as in Acecho a su presa en silencio, and use observar for to observe. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I watch” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo aceché desde la esquina sin hacer ruido. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo acechaba la oportunidad durante meses. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he acechado desde la esquina sin hacer ruido.
How do I practise acechar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the acechar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Acechar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for acechar.
- Acechar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for acechar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Acarrear conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with acechar.
- Achacar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with acechar.
- Abrochar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with acechar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.