Acometer Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

acometer means “to attack, to undertake” in English, and this page shows you how it actually sounds in everyday Spanish — not just the conjugation table, but the verb in real sentences, in short dialogues, and in the mistakes learners make with it. Acometer means to attack or to undertake, to launch an attack on someone, or to take on a big task such as a reform. It is a formal, fully regular -er verb used in news, history and business. Below you will find twelve example sentences grouped by tense, two short dialogues, the most common mistakes with corrections, and a ten-question quiz with explained answers. If you want the full tables first, start with the full conjugation of acometer; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the acometer present tense page.

acometer in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo acometo al enemigo al amanecer. — “I attack the enemy at dawn.”
  2. Él acomete la reforma del sistema. — “He attacks the reform of the system.”
  3. Nosotros acometemos el proyecto con mucha energía. — “We attack the project with a lot of energy.”
  4. Ellos acometen al rival en el campo de batalla. — “They attack the rival on the battlefield.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo acometí la reforma del sistema. — “Yesterday, I attacked the reform of the system.”
  2. Antes, nosotros acometíamos el proyecto con mucha energía. — “Before, we used to attack the project with a lot of energy.”
  3. Él acometió al rival en el campo de batalla. — “He attacked the rival on the battlefield.”
  4. Yo ya había acometido al enemigo al amanecer antes de salir. — “I had already attacked the enemy at dawn before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú acometerás al enemigo al amanecer. — “Tomorrow, you will attack the enemy at dawn.”
  2. Yo acometería la reforma del sistema si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would attack the reform of the system if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha acometido el proyecto con mucha energía. — “He has attacked the project with a lot of energy.”
  4. Espero que él acometa al rival en el campo de batalla. — “I hope he attacks the rival on the battlefield.”

acometer in conversation

Two short dialogues that use acometer the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo acometo al enemigo al amanecer. — “I attack the enemy at dawn.”
  • Bea: Él acomete la reforma del sistema. — “He attacks the reform of the system.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo acometí la reforma del sistema. — “Yesterday, I attacked the reform of the system.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú acometerás al enemigo al amanecer. — “Tomorrow, you will attack the enemy at dawn.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros acometemos el proyecto con mucha energía. — “We attack the project with a lot of energy.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros acometíamos el proyecto con mucha energía. — “Before, we used to attack the project with a lot of energy.”
  • Luis: Yo acometería la reforma del sistema si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would attack the reform of the system if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él acometa al rival en el campo de batalla. — “I hope he attacks the rival on the battlefield.”

A short scene with acometer

A short scene shows how acometer works across the day. In the morning: Acometo al enemigo al amanecer. In the afternoon: Acomete la reforma del sistema. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, acometí el proyecto con mucha energía. And tomorrow: Mañana, acometeré al rival en el campo de batalla. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how acometer sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with acometer

The errors learners actually make with acometer, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo acomete al enemigo al amanecer.

✓ Correct: Yo acometo al enemigo al amanecer.

The person matters: acomete is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acometo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo acometo la reforma del sistema.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo acometí la reforma del sistema.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: acometo is happening now, while acometí is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating acometer and atacar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Acometer means to attack, to undertake, while atacar means to attack.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: acometer fits sentences such as Acometo al enemigo al amanecer, while atacar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy acometido la reforma del sistema.

✓ Correct: Yo he acometido la reforma del sistema.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he acometido, has acometido, ha acometido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo acometí el proyecto con mucha energía todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo acometía el proyecto con mucha energía todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (acometía), not the preterite. The preterite (acometí) is for one finished action.

Quiz: acometer in use

Ten questions on acometer — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la reforma del sistema. — “He/she attacks the reform of the system.”

  • a) acomete
  • b) acometo
  • c) acometes
  • d) acometemos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ el proyecto con mucha energía. — “Yesterday, I attacked the project with a lot of energy.”

  • a) acometiste
  • b) acometió
  • c) acometieron
  • d) acometí

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ al rival en el campo de batalla cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to attack the rival on the battlefield when they were young.”

  • a) acometías
  • b) acometíamos
  • c) acometían
  • d) acometía

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ al enemigo al amanecer. — “Tomorrow, we will attack the enemy at dawn.”

  • a) acometerán
  • b) acometeremos
  • c) acometeré
  • d) acometerás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la reforma del sistema si pudiera. — “He would attack the reform of the system if he could.”

  • a) acometería
  • b) acometerías
  • c) acometeríamos
  • d) acometo

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el proyecto con mucha energía. — “I have attacked the project with a lot of energy.”

  • a) has acometido
  • b) ha acometido
  • c) han acometido
  • d) he acometido

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ al rival en el campo de batalla. — “I hope you attack the rival on the battlefield.”

  • a) acometamos
  • b) acometo
  • c) acometas
  • d) acometa

8. Which is the past participle of acometer, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) acometí
  • b) acometido
  • c) acometiendo
  • d) acometo

9. What does acometer mean in English?

  • a) to attack, to undertake
  • b) to attack
  • c) to condition, to fit out
  • d) to fit together, to couple

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él acomete la reforma del sistema.
  • b) Él acometo la reforma del sistema.
  • c) Nosotros acomete el proyecto con mucha energía.
  • d) Yo acomete al enemigo al amanecer.

Answer key

  1. a) acomete — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: acomete.

  2. d) acometí — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: acometí, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) acometían — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: acometían, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) acometeremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: acometeremos.

  5. a) acometería — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: acometería.

  6. d) he acometido — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he acometido, haber + acometido.

  7. c) acometas — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is acometas.

  8. b) acometido — The past participle is acometido: he acometido, has acometido, ha acometido. The gerund acometiendo is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to attack, to undertake — acometer means to attack, to undertake. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él acomete la reforma del sistema. — Él acomete la reforma del sistema. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use acometer in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Acometo al enemigo al amanecer and Acomete la reforma del sistema. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between acometer and atacar?

Acometer means “to attack, to undertake”, while atacar means “to attack”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use acometer when you mean “to attack, to undertake” and atacar when you mean “to attack”.

Which tense do I need most with acometer?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use acometer most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is acometer formal or informal?

Acometer is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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