Acometer Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of acometer — “to attack, to undertake” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for acometer with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. 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. To see it in a real sentence: Acometo al enemigo al amanecer. — “I attack the enemy at dawn.” Learn the six forms in the table below, and the present tense of acometer will be ready for everyday conversation.
Present tense conjugation table: acometer
Every person of acometer in the present tense. The gerund is acometiendo and the past participle is acometido.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acometo |
| tú | acometes |
| él/ella/Ud. | acomete |
| nosotros/as | acometemos |
| vosotros/as | acometéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acometen |
How the present indicative of acometer is formed
The present indicative of acometer is built from the stem plus the present indicative endings for -er verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -er ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | acometo |
| tú | -es | acometes |
| él/ella/Ud. | -e | acomete |
| nosotros/as | -emos | acometemos |
| vosotros/as | -éis | acometéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -en | acometen |
Acometer is a regular -er verb in the present tense, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is acomet- and the endings are the normal -er endings, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page.
The gerund of acometer is acometiendo and the past participle is acometido. Both are regular for this verb, and the participle is the form you need for all the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present tense of acometer
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and acometer appears in all of them. The five uses below are the ones you will meet most often, each with an example that shows the verb in a natural sentence.
Routines and habits
Use the present for things you do regularly, every day or every week. The present is the tense of routine, and acometer fits naturally into daily life.
“Yo acometo al enemigo al amanecer todos los días.” — “I attack the enemy at dawn every day.”
General facts
Use the present for facts that are true in general, not just today. When you state how something is, the present is the tense to use.
“Él acomete la reforma del sistema.” — “He/she attacks the reform of the system.”
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English uses the progressive, so acometo can mean both “I attack” and “I am attacking”.
“Ahora mismo, yo acometo el proyecto con mucha energía.” — “Right now, I attack the project with a lot of energy.”
Fixed plans in the near future
Use the present for a plan that is already fixed, such as something arranged for tomorrow. Spanish uses the present for near-future plans much more freely than English does.
“Mañana, yo acometo al rival en el campo de batalla.” — “Tomorrow, I will attack the rival on the battlefield.”
Questions and negatives
Use the present to ask about habits and to say what does not happen. The question and the negative use exactly the same forms as the statement.
“¿Tú acometes al enemigo al amanecer?” — “Do you attack the enemy at dawn?”
The present tense vs the closest tenses
Present — habit or general fact vs Preterite — one finished occasion
The present describes a habit, a routine or a general fact — something that happens again and again or that is true in general. The preterite reports one finished occasion in the past. Use the present when the action repeats or is still true, and the preterite when you are telling what happened once, on a specific day.
- Present — habit or general fact: Acomete la reforma del sistema. — “He/she attacks the reform of the system.”
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Acometió la reforma del sistema. — the same idea, placed in the preterite.
Present — now vs Imperfect — a past habit or background
The present talks about now. The imperfect talks about the past as a background — a repeated habit, an ongoing situation, something that used to happen. If you can add “used to” in English, the imperfect is usually the right choice; if it is happening now or always, use the present.
- Present — now: Acometen el proyecto con mucha energía. — “They attack the project with a lot of energy.”
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Acometían el proyecto con mucha energía. — the same idea, placed in the imperfect.
Present — now or a fixed plan vs Future — what will happen
The present describes what happens now, what you do regularly, or a plan that is already fixed. The future describes what will happen later — a promise, a prediction, a plan that is not yet under way. Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans, but the future is the form for a clear statement about tomorrow.
- Present — now or a fixed plan: Acometes al rival en el campo de batalla. — “You attack the rival on the battlefield.”
- Future — what will happen: Acometerás al rival en el campo de batalla. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: acometer in the present tense
Seven sentences that show acometer in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo acometo al enemigo al amanecer. — “I attack the enemy at dawn.”
- Tú acometes la reforma del sistema. — “You attack the reform of the system.”
- Él acomete el proyecto con mucha energía. — “He attacks the project with a lot of energy.”
- Nosotros acometemos al rival en el campo de batalla. — “We attack the rival on the battlefield.”
- Vosotros acometéis al enemigo al amanecer. — “You (plural) attack the enemy at dawn.”
- Ellos acometen la reforma del sistema. — “They attack the reform of the system.”
- ¿Tú acometes el proyecto con mucha energía? — “Do you attack the project with a lot of energy?”
Common mistakes with acometer in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with acometer in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ Yo acometer al enemigo al amanecer. (using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form).
✓ Correct: Yo acometo al enemigo al amanecer.
The infinitive is not a conjugated form. With yo, the present tense of acometer is acometo, not the infinitive acometer.
✗ Vosotros acometeis al enemigo al amanecer. (forgetting the accent on the vosotros form).
✓ Correct: Vosotros acometéis al enemigo al amanecer.
The vosotros present form carries a written accent: acometéis, not acometeis. The accent marks the stressed vowel, and leaving it out is a spelling mistake.
✗ Ayer, yo acometo la reforma del sistema. (using the present for a finished past action).
✓ 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. (confusing acometer with atacar).
✓ 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.
Quiz: acometer in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of acometer. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below — every answer is explained.
1. Which is the correct present tense form of acometer for tú?
- a) acometes
- b) acometo
- c) acomete
- d) acometen
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ al enemigo al amanecer. — “I attack the enemy at dawn.”
- a) acomete
- b) acometemos
- c) acometes
- d) acometo
3. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la reforma del sistema. — “He/she attacks the reform of the system.” (present tense)
- a) acometía
- b) acometerá
- c) acomete
- d) acometió
4. Which is the correct present tense form of acometer for nosotros?
- a) acometen
- b) acometemos
- c) acometo
- d) acomete
5. Which sentence uses acometer correctly in the present tense?
- a) Él acometió la reforma del sistema.
- b) Él acomete la reforma del sistema.
- c) Él acometerá la reforma del sistema.
- d) Ellos acomete la reforma del sistema.
6. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ el proyecto con mucha energía. — “They attack the project with a lot of energy.”
- a) acometo
- b) acomete
- c) acometemos
- d) acometen
7. Complete the question: ¿Tú ______ al rival en el campo de batalla? — “Do you attack the rival on the battlefield?”
- a) acomete
- b) acometerás
- c) acometes
- d) acometo
8. What is the gerund of acometer?
- a) acometí
- b) acometiendo
- c) acometido
- d) acometo
Answer key
a) acometes — The tú form is acometes. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; acometo is yo, acomete is él/ella and acometen is ellos/ellas.
d) acometo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: acometo. The other options are the wrong person.
c) acomete — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: acomete. The other options are the preterite, the imperfect and the future.
b) acometemos — Nosotros takes acometemos. In the present the nosotros ending for -er verbs is -emos, attached to the stem.
b) Él acomete la reforma del sistema. — Él acomete la reforma del sistema. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) acometen — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is acometen.
c) acometes — The question needs the tú form in the present: acometes.
b) acometiendo — The gerund is acometiendo. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle acometido.
Frequently asked questions
Is acometer regular in the present tense?
Yes. Acometer is a regular -er verb in the present tense, so the forms follow the standard endings: acometo, acometes, acomete, acometemos, acometéis and acometen.
What is the gerund and the past participle of acometer?
The gerund is acometiendo and the past participle is acometido. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say “I attack” in Spanish?
Say acometo. For example: Acometo al enemigo al amanecer. — “I attack the enemy at dawn.”
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”. The full conjugation of acometer is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of acometer — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- acometer examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a longer quiz.
- Spanish Present tense guide — how the present tense works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Acoger conjugation — another -er verb to compare with acometer.
- Absorber conjugation — another -er verb to compare with acometer.
- Ceder conjugation — another -er verb to compare with acometer.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise this verb in the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on Spanish verbs.