Aceptar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb aceptar means to accept, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Aceptar means to accept, and it covers accepting a job offer, an invitation, a gift and the terms of a contract. It is the opposite of rechazar, and it is a fully regular -ar verb. Like every Spanish verb, aceptar 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 acepto la oferta de trabajo, and in the preterite you say acepté el regalo con una sonrisa. 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: aceptar
  • English: to accept
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: aceptando
  • Past participle: aceptado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + aceptado)

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for aceptar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Aceptar is fully regular: acepté, aceptaba, aceptaré. Aceptar una invitación is to accept it; rechazar is the opposite.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for aceptar. 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 acepto
tú aceptas
él/ella/Ud. acepta
nosotros/as aceptamos
vosotros/as aceptáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. aceptan

Preterite

Person Form
yo acepté
tú aceptaste
él/ella/Ud. aceptó
nosotros/as aceptamos
vosotros/as aceptasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. aceptaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo aceptaba
tú aceptabas
él/ella/Ud. aceptaba
nosotros/as aceptábamos
vosotros/as aceptabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. aceptaban

Future

Person Form
yo aceptaré
tú aceptarás
él/ella/Ud. aceptará
nosotros/as aceptaremos
vosotros/as aceptaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. aceptarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo aceptaría
tú aceptarías
él/ella/Ud. aceptaría
nosotros/as aceptaríamos
vosotros/as aceptaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. aceptarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he aceptado
tú has aceptado
él/ella/Ud. ha aceptado
nosotros/as hemos aceptado
vosotros/as habéis aceptado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han aceptado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había aceptado
tú habías aceptado
él/ella/Ud. había aceptado
nosotros/as habíamos aceptado
vosotros/as habíais aceptado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían aceptado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré aceptado
tú habrás aceptado
él/ella/Ud. habrá aceptado
nosotros/as habremos aceptado
vosotros/as habréis aceptado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán aceptado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría aceptado
tú habrías aceptado
él/ella/Ud. habría aceptado
nosotros/as habríamos aceptado
vosotros/as habríais aceptado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían aceptado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo acepte
tú aceptes
él/ella/Ud. acepte
nosotros/as aceptemos
vosotros/as aceptéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. acepten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo aceptara
tú aceptaras
él/ella/Ud. aceptara
nosotros/as aceptáramos
vosotros/as aceptarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. aceptaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú acepta
él/ella/Ud. acepte
nosotros/as aceptemos
vosotros/as aceptad
ellos/ellas/Uds. acepten

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú aceptes
él/ella/Ud. acepte
nosotros/as aceptemos
vosotros/as aceptéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. acepten

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund aceptando with estar for the progressive: estoy aceptando
Past participle aceptado with haber for the perfect tenses: he aceptado

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 aceptar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Acepto la oferta de trabajo. 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 aceptar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, acepté una invitación a cenar. 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 aceptar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, aceptaba el regalo con una sonrisa. 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 aceptar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, aceptaré las condiciones del contrato. 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 aceptar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Aceptaría la oferta de trabajo 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 aceptar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he aceptado una invitación a cenar. 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 aceptar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había aceptado el regalo con una sonrisa 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 aceptar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré aceptado las condiciones del contrato. 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 aceptar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría aceptado la oferta de trabajo 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 aceptar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él acepte una invitación a cenar. 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 aceptar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él aceptara el regalo con una sonrisa, 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 aceptar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Acepta las condiciones del contrato! 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 aceptar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No aceptes la oferta de trabajo. 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 aceptar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Acepto la oferta de trabajo. — I accept the job offer.
  2. Acepta una invitación a cenar. — He/she accepts an invitation to dinner.
  3. Ayer, acepté el regalo con una sonrisa. — Yesterday, I accepted the gift with a smile.
  4. Antes, nosotros aceptábamos las condiciones del contrato. — Before, we used to accept the terms of the contract.
  5. Mañana, tú aceptarás la oferta de trabajo. — Tomorrow, you will accept the job offer.
  6. Yo aceptaría una invitación a cenar si tuviera más tiempo. — I would accept an invitation to dinner if I had more time.
  7. Él ha aceptado el regalo con una sonrisa. — He has accepted the gift with a smile.
  8. Espero que él acepte las condiciones del contrato. — I hope he accepts the terms of the contract.
  9. Yo ya había aceptado la oferta de trabajo antes de salir. — I had already accepted the job offer before leaving.
  10. Ellos aceptaban una invitación a cenar cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to accept an invitation to dinner when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo acepta la oferta de trabajo. — Right: Yo acepto la oferta de trabajo. — The person matters: acepta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acepto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Vosotros aceptais una invitación a cenar. — Right: Vosotros aceptáis una invitación a cenar. — The vosotros present form carries a written accent: aceptáis, not aceptais. The accent marks the stressed vowel.
  3. Wrong: Treating aceptar and rechazar as identical in every context. — Right: Aceptar means to accept, while rechazar means to reject, its opposite. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: aceptar fits sentences such as Acepto la oferta de trabajo, while rechazar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy aceptado una invitación a cenar. — Right: Yo he aceptado una invitación a cenar. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he aceptado, has aceptado, ha aceptado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo acepté el regalo con una sonrisa todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo aceptaba el regalo con una sonrisa todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (aceptaba), not the preterite. The preterite (acepté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on aceptar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la oferta de trabajo. (present tense) A. acepto B. aceptas C. acepta D. aceptamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ una invitación a cenar. (preterite) A. acepté B. aceptaste C. aceptaron D. aceptó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el regalo con una sonrisa. (imperfect) A. aceptabas B. aceptaban C. aceptábamos D. aceptaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ las condiciones del contrato. (future) A. aceptaremos B. aceptarás C. aceptaré D. aceptará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la oferta de trabajo si pudiera. (conditional) A. aceptaría B. aceptarías C. aceptarían D. acepto

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una invitación a cenar. (present subjunctive) A. aceptes B. aceptemos C. acepto D. acepte

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el regalo con una sonrisa, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. aceptáramos B. acepto C. aceptara D. aceptaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ las condiciones del contrato. (present perfect) A. han aceptado B. hemos aceptado C. he aceptado D. has aceptado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ la oferta de trabajo! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. acepta B. acepte C. aceptemos D. aceptad

  10. Which is the gerund of aceptar, used with estar for the progressive? A. aceptado B. acepto C. acepté D. aceptando

Answer key

  1. acepto — The first-person present of aceptar is acepto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. aceptó — The third-person preterite of aceptar is aceptó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. aceptábamos — The nosotros imperfect of aceptar is aceptábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. aceptarás — The second-person future of aceptar is aceptarás.
  5. aceptaría — The first-person conditional of aceptar is aceptaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. acepte — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of aceptar is acepte.
  7. aceptara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of aceptar is aceptara.
  8. hemos aceptado — The nosotros present perfect of aceptar is hemos aceptado: hemos + aceptado.
  9. acepta — The affirmative tú imperative of aceptar is acepta.
  10. aceptando — The gerund of aceptar is aceptando: estoy aceptando. The participle aceptado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does aceptar mean in English?

Aceptar means to accept. It is used in everyday situations such as Acepto la oferta de trabajo. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is aceptar regular or irregular?

Aceptar 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 acepto in the present and acepté in the preterite.

What is the difference between aceptar and rechazar?

Aceptar means to accept, while rechazar means to reject, its opposite. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use aceptar when you mean to accept, as in Acepto la oferta de trabajo, and use rechazar for to reject, its opposite. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I accept” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo acepté una invitación a cenar. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo aceptaba el regalo con una sonrisa. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he aceptado una invitación a cenar.

How do I practise aceptar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the aceptar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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