Acertar Present Tense in Spanish
Introduction
acertar means "to get right, to hit the target" in English, and the present tense is the form you use when you talk about what happens regularly, what is generally true, and what is happening now. This page gives you the full present-tense table for acertar, explains how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it, contrasts it with the closest tense, and finishes with examples, the mistakes learners actually make, a quiz and answers to the most common questions. A natural example is: Cada día, yo acierto la respuesta del examen. — "Every day, I get right the exam answer." Once you can say that sentence confidently, try changing the person and the complement using the table below.
The present tense of acertar: full table
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| Yo | acierto |
| Tú | aciertas |
| Él / Ella | acierta |
| Nosotros | acertamos |
| Vosotros | acertáis |
| Ellos | aciertan |
The gerund of acertar is acertando and the past participle is acertado. The gerund is used for the progressive (estoy acertando), and the participle is used with haber in all perfect tenses (he acertado).
How the present tense of acertar is formed
The present tense of acertar is built from the stem acert- plus the regular -ar endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. Take the infinitive, remove the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person: yo acierto, tú aciertas, él acierta, nosotros acertamos, vosotros acertáis and ellos aciertan. Once you know the pattern for one regular -ar verb, you can apply it to hundreds of others.
Acertar is a stem-changing verb: the stem vowel changes (e → ie) in the stressed forms — yo, tú, él and ellos. That is why you see acierto, aciertas, acierta and aciertan, while the nosotros and vosotros forms keep the original stem: acertamos and acertáis. This is the single most important thing to memorise about acertar: learn the four changed forms first, and the other two follow the regular pattern.
Two more forms belong with this tense. The gerund is acertando, used for the progressive with estar: estoy acertando. The past participle is acertado, used with haber in all perfect tenses: he acertado. Both forms appear constantly, so they are worth memorising on their own.
When to use the present tense with acertar
1. Correct answers
Acierto la respuesta del examen is the most satisfying use of this verb. It means you got the answer right, and it is the sentence students hope to say after every exam. For example: Yo acierto la respuesta del examen. — "I get right the exam answer."
2. Lottery numbers
Acierto el número de la lotería shows the verb with luck. It means you picked the winning number, and it is a sentence about chance as much as skill. For example: Tú aciertas el número de la lotería. — "You get right the lottery number."
3. Hitting the target
Acierto en el blanco con la flecha is the literal use: it means your arrow hit the centre of the target. It is the physical origin of the figurative meaning. For example: Él / Ella acierta en el blanco con la flecha. — "He / She gets right the target with the arrow."
4. Plans and the near future
The present tense is also used for plans that are already fixed, especially with a time expression. Spanish speakers often say the present where English would use a future: the plan is so certain that it feels like a fact. For example, to talk about tomorrow's plan you can use the future — Mañana, yo acertaré con el regalo perfecto. — "Tomorrow, I will get right with the perfect present." — but in conversation you will also hear the present used the same way.
5. General truths and routines
Finally, the present tense states general truths and routines: what usually happens, what is always true, what people normally do. It is the tense of habits and of facts that do not belong to one moment. For example: Normalmente, él / ella acierta la respuesta del examen. — "Normally, he / she gets right the exam answer."
Present vs preterite: acertar
The closest tense to the present is the preterite, and learners mix them up constantly. The rule is simple: the present describes habits, routines and general truths, while the preterite describes one action that started and finished in the past. The three pairs below show the difference with acertar.
Pair 1
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo acierto la respuesta del examen. — "Every day, I get right the exam answer."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo acerté la respuesta del examen. — "Yesterday, I got right the exam answer."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 2
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo acierto el número de la lotería. — "Every day, I get right the lottery number."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo acerté el número de la lotería. — "Yesterday, I got right the lottery number."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Pair 3
- Present (habit): Cada día, yo acierto en el blanco con la flecha. — "Every day, I get right the target with the arrow."
- Preterite (one finished action): Ayer, yo acerté en el blanco con la flecha. — "Yesterday, I got right the target with the arrow."
The first sentence describes something that happens regularly. The second describes something that happened once, yesterday, and is now finished. If you can add cada día, use the present; if you can add ayer, use the preterite.
Examples: acertar in the present tense
These six sentences show acertar in the present tense with a different person each time. Read them aloud, then try changing the person and the complement to make your own versions.
- Yo acierto la respuesta del examen. — "I get right the exam answer."
- Tú aciertas el número de la lotería. — "You get right the lottery number."
- Él / Ella acierta en el blanco con la flecha. — "He / She gets right the target with the arrow."
- Nosotros acertamos con el regalo perfecto. — "We get right with the perfect present."
- Vosotros acertáis la respuesta del examen. — "You get right the exam answer."
- Ellos aciertan el número de la lotería. — "They get right the lottery number."
Common mistakes with acertar in the present tense
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: Ayer, yo acierto la respuesta del examen.
- Right: Ayer, yo acerté la respuesta del examen.
- Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite. The present tense is for habits and routines, not for yesterday.
Mistake 5
- Wrong: Yo acertais la respuesta del examen.
- Right: Yo acertáis la respuesta del examen.
- Why: The form is acertáis, with a written accent. The accent is part of the spelling, and without it the word is misspelled.
Quiz: the present tense of acertar
Test yourself with eight questions on the present tense of acertar. 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) acierto
- (b) aciertas
- (c) acierta
- (d) acertamos
Answer: (a) acierto. The i form is acierto. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
2. What is the you form of acertar in the present tense?
- (a) acierto
- (b) acierta
- (c) acertamos
- (d) aciertas
Answer: (d) aciertas. The you form is aciertas. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
3. What is the he / she form of acertar in the present tense?
- (a) aciertas
- (b) acertamos
- (c) acierta
- (d) acierto
Answer: (c) acierta. The he / she form is acierta. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
4. What is the we form of acertar in the present tense?
- (a) acierta
- (b) acertamos
- (c) acierto
- (d) aciertas
Answer: (b) acertamos. The we form is acertamos. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
5. What is the they form of acertar in the present tense?
- (a) aciertan
- (b) acierto
- (c) aciertas
- (d) acierta
Answer: (a) aciertan. The they form is aciertan. The other options are the yo, tu, el forms, so check the person before you answer.
6. Complete the sentence: Cada día, yo ___ la respuesta del examen.
- (a) acierta
- (b) acertamos
- (c) acierto
- (d) aciertas
Answer: (c) acierto. The sentence needs the yo form acierto (Every day, I get right the exam answer.)
7. What is the gerund of acertar?
- (a) acertado
- (b) acertar
- (c) acierta
- (d) acertando
Answer: (d) acertando. The gerund is acertando, used for the progressive: estoy acertando.
8. Which sentence describes a habit, something you do regularly?
- (a) Cada día, yo acierto el número de la lotería.
- (b) Antes, yo acertaba el número de la lotería.
- (c) Ayer, yo acerté el número de la lotería.
- (d) Mañana, yo acertaré el número de la lotería.
Answer: (a) Cada día, yo acierto el número de la lotería.. Cada día, yo acierto el número de la lotería. (Every day, I get right the lottery number.) describes a habit, so it uses the present tense. Ayer, yo acerté el número de la lotería. is a single completed action, and Mañana, yo acertaré el número de la lotería. is in the future.
Frequently asked questions about the present tense of 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.
When do I use the present tense instead of the preterite with acertar?
Use the present for habits and routines: Cada día, yo acierto la respuesta del examen. — "Every day, I get right the exam answer." Use the preterite for one finished action: Ayer, yo acerté la respuesta del examen. — "Yesterday, I got right the exam answer." If the action happens regularly, choose the present; if it happened once and is finished, choose the preterite.