Acertar Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish
Introduction
acertar means "to get right, to hit the target" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows acertar 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 acertar, 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 acertar
Getting an answer right
Acertar means to get something right: acierto la respuesta. It is the verb of correct answers, and it is the opposite of equivocarse.
- Cada día, yo acierto la respuesta del examen. — "Every day, I get right the exam answer."
- Hoy, él / ella acierta el número de la lotería. — "Today, he / she gets right the lottery number."
- Ayer, yo acerté en el blanco con la flecha. — "Yesterday, I got right the target with the arrow."
- Antes, yo acertaba con el regalo perfecto. — "Before, I used to get right with the perfect present."
- Mañana, yo acertaré la respuesta del examen. — "Tomorrow, I will get right the exam answer."
- Hoy, yo he acertado el número de la lotería. — "Today, I have got right the lottery number."
Hitting a target
Acertar en el blanco means to hit the target. It is the literal, physical use, from archery and shooting, and it is the origin of the figurative meaning.
- Cada día, yo acierto en el blanco con la flecha. — "Every day, I get right the target with the arrow."
- Hoy, él / ella acierta con el regalo perfecto. — "Today, he / she gets right with the perfect present."
- Ayer, yo acerté la respuesta del examen. — "Yesterday, I got right the exam answer."
- Antes, yo acertaba el número de la lotería. — "Before, I used to get right the lottery number."
- Mañana, yo acertaré en el blanco con la flecha. — "Tomorrow, I will get right the target with the arrow."
- Hoy, yo he acertado con el regalo perfecto. — "Today, I have got right with the perfect present."
Acertar in conversation
The two dialogues below show acertar in natural conversation. The first is about getting an answer right, and the second is about hitting a target. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.
Dialogue 1
- ¿Tú aciertas la respuesta del examen? — "Do you get right the exam answer?"
- Sí, yo acierto la respuesta del examen cada día. — "Yes, I get right the exam answer every day."
- ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú acertaste el número de la lotería? — "And yesterday? Did you get right the lottery number?"
- Sí, ayer yo acerté el número de la lotería. — "Yes, yesterday I got right the lottery number."
- Mañana yo acertaré en el blanco con la flecha también. — "Tomorrow I will get right the target with the arrow too."
Dialogue 2
- ¿Vosotros acertáis en el blanco con la flecha? — "Do you get right the target with the arrow?"
- Sí, nosotros acertamos en el blanco con la flecha los fines de semana. — "Yes, we get right the target with the arrow at the weekends."
- ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos aciertan con el regalo perfecto? — "And them? Do they get right with the perfect present?"
- Sí, ellos aciertan con el regalo perfecto también. — "Yes, they get right with the perfect present too."
- Mañana nosotros acertaremos en el blanco con la flecha otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will get right the target with the arrow again."
Common mistakes with acertar in everyday use
Mistake 1
- Wrong: Yo acerto la respuesta.
- Right: Yo acierto la respuesta.
- Why: Acertar is a stem-changing verb: e becomes ie in the stressed forms. The yo form is acierto, not acerto.
Mistake 2
- Wrong: Yo acierto con la respuesta.
- Right: Yo acierto la respuesta.
- Why: With an answer, acertar takes a direct object and no preposition: acierto la respuesta. Con is used with people and choices: acierto con el regalo.
Mistake 3
- Wrong: Acertar es lo mismo que adivinar.
- Right: Acertar means to get it right; adivinar means to guess.
- Why: Adivinar is the act of guessing. Acertar is the result of guessing correctly. You can adivinar without acertar.
Mistake 4
- Wrong: Cada día, yo acerté la respuesta del examen.
- Right: Cada día, yo acierto la respuesta del examen.
- Why: Cada día 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 5
- Wrong: Yo acierto la respuesta del examen ayer por la mañana.
- Right: Ayer por la mañana yo acerté la respuesta del examen.
- Why: Ayer por la mañana means yesterday morning, so the action is finished and needs the preterite, not the present.
Quiz: acertar in use
Ten questions on acertar across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.
1. What is the i form of acertar in the present tense?
- (a) acierta
- (b) acertamos
- (c) acierto
- (d) aciertas
Answer: (c) acierto. The i form in the present is acierto.
2. What is the he / she form of acertar in the present tense?
- (a) acertamos
- (b) acierta
- (c) acierto
- (d) aciertas
Answer: (b) acierta. The he / she form in the present is acierta.
3. What is the he / she form of acertar in the preterite tense?
- (a) acertó
- (b) acerté
- (c) acertaste
- (d) acertamos
Answer: (a) acertó. The he / she form in the preterite is acertó.
4. What is the i form of acertar in the imperfect tense?
- (a) acierto
- (b) acerté
- (c) acertaré
- (d) acertaba
Answer: (d) acertaba. The i form in the imperfect is acertaba. The other options are the same person in the present, preterite and future.
5. What is the i form of acertar in the future tense?
- (a) acertará
- (b) acertaremos
- (c) acertaré
- (d) acertarás
Answer: (c) acertaré. The i form in the future is acertaré.
6. Which is the correct present perfect form for i?
- (a) acerté
- (b) acertaba
- (c) acierto
- (d) he acertado
Answer: (d) he acertado. The present perfect is haber + the past participle: he acertado.
7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ la respuesta del examen.
- (a) acertaba
- (b) acierte
- (c) acierta
- (d) acertó
Answer: (b) acierte. After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: acierte. The indicative form would be wrong here.
8. What is the we form of acertar in the present tense?
- (a) acierto
- (b) aciertas
- (c) acierta
- (d) acertamos
Answer: (d) acertamos. The we form in the present is acertamos.
9. What is the i form of acertar in the preterite tense?
- (a) acertó
- (b) acertamos
- (c) acerté
- (d) acertaste
Answer: (c) acerté. The i form in the preterite is acerté.
10. What is the they form of acertar in the present tense?
- (a) acierta
- (b) aciertan
- (c) acierto
- (d) aciertas
Answer: (b) aciertan. The they form in the present is aciertan.
Frequently asked questions about acertar
Is acertar a stem-changing verb?
Yes. The stem changes from e to ie in the stressed present forms: acierto, aciertas, acierta, aciertan. The nosotros and vosotros forms keep e: acertamos, acertáis.
What is the difference between acertar and adivinar?
Adivinar is guessing. Acertar is getting it right. You adivinar the answer and then, if you are lucky, you acertar it.
Does acertar take en or con?
Both, in different uses: acierto en el blanco (hitting a target) and acierto con el regalo (choosing the right present). With an answer, no preposition: acierto la respuesta.
How can I practise acertar?
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.