Acoplar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb acoplar means to fit together, to couple, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Acoplar means to fit together or to couple, to join two parts so they work as one, such as a trailer to a car or a piece to a machine. It is a fully regular verb used in workshops and transport. Like every Spanish verb, acoplar 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 acoplo el remolque al coche, and in the preterite you say acoplé el vagón a la locomotora. 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: acoplar
- English: to fit together, to couple
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: acoplando
- Past participle: acoplado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + acoplado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for acoplar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Acoplar is fully regular: acoplo, acopla. It is joining parts so they fit and work together; ajustar is making a small change so something fits.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for acoplar. 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 | acoplo |
| tú | acoplas |
| él/ella/Ud. | acopla |
| nosotros/as | acoplamos |
| vosotros/as | acopláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acoplan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acoplé |
| tú | acoplaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | acopló |
| nosotros/as | acoplamos |
| vosotros/as | acoplasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acoplaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acoplaba |
| tú | acoplabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | acoplaba |
| nosotros/as | acoplábamos |
| vosotros/as | acoplabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acoplaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acoplaré |
| tú | acoplarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | acoplará |
| nosotros/as | acoplaremos |
| vosotros/as | acoplaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acoplarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acoplaría |
| tú | acoplarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | acoplaría |
| nosotros/as | acoplaríamos |
| vosotros/as | acoplaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acoplarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he acoplado |
| tú | has acoplado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha acoplado |
| nosotros/as | hemos acoplado |
| vosotros/as | habéis acoplado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han acoplado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había acoplado |
| tú | habías acoplado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había acoplado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos acoplado |
| vosotros/as | habíais acoplado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían acoplado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré acoplado |
| tú | habrás acoplado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá acoplado |
| nosotros/as | habremos acoplado |
| vosotros/as | habréis acoplado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán acoplado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría acoplado |
| tú | habrías acoplado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría acoplado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos acoplado |
| vosotros/as | habríais acoplado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían acoplado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acople |
| tú | acoples |
| él/ella/Ud. | acople |
| nosotros/as | acoplemos |
| vosotros/as | acopléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acoplen |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | acoplara |
| tú | acoplaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | acoplara |
| nosotros/as | acopláramos |
| vosotros/as | acoplarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acoplaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | acopla |
| él/ella/Ud. | acople |
| nosotros/as | acoplemos |
| vosotros/as | acoplad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acoplen |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | acoples |
| él/ella/Ud. | acople |
| nosotros/as | acoplemos |
| vosotros/as | acopléis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | acoplen |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | acoplando | with estar for the progressive: estoy acoplando |
| Past participle | acoplado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he acoplado |
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 acoplar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Acoplo el remolque al coche. 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 acoplar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, acoplé las piezas del mueble. 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 acoplar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, acoplaba el vagón a la locomotora. 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 acoplar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, acoplaré la manguera al grifo. 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 acoplar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Acoplaría el remolque al coche 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 acoplar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he acoplado las piezas del mueble. 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 acoplar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había acoplado el vagón a la locomotora 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 acoplar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré acoplado la manguera al grifo. 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 acoplar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría acoplado el remolque al coche 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 acoplar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él acople las piezas del mueble. 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 acoplar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él acoplara el vagón a la locomotora, 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 acoplar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Acopla la manguera al grifo! 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 acoplar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No acoples el remolque al coche. 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 acoplar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Acoplo el remolque al coche. — I fit together the trailer to the car.
- Acopla las piezas del mueble. — He/she fits together the pieces of the furniture.
- Ayer, acoplé el vagón a la locomotora. — Yesterday, I fitted together the carriage to the locomotive.
- Antes, nosotros acoplábamos la manguera al grifo. — Before, we used to fit together the hose to the tap.
- Mañana, tú acoplarás el remolque al coche. — Tomorrow, you will fit together the trailer to the car.
- Yo acoplaría las piezas del mueble si tuviera más tiempo. — I would fit together the pieces of the furniture if I had more time.
- Él ha acoplado el vagón a la locomotora. — He has fitted together the carriage to the locomotive.
- Espero que él acople la manguera al grifo. — I hope he fits together the hose to the tap.
- Yo ya había acoplado el remolque al coche antes de salir. — I had already fitted together the trailer to the car before leaving.
- Ellos acoplaban las piezas del mueble cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to fit together the pieces of the furniture when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo acopla el remolque al coche. — Right: Yo acoplo el remolque al coche. — The person matters: acopla is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acoplo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Ayer yo acoplo las piezas del mueble. — Right: Ayer yo acoplé las piezas del mueble. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: acoplo is happening now, while acoplé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
- Wrong: Treating acoplar and ajustar as identical in every context. — Right: Acoplar means to fit together, to couple, while ajustar means to adjust. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: acoplar fits sentences such as Acoplo el remolque al coche, while ajustar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy acoplado las piezas del mueble. — Right: Yo he acoplado las piezas del mueble. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he acoplado, has acoplado, ha acoplado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo acoplé el vagón a la locomotora todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo acoplaba el vagón a la locomotora todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (acoplaba), not the preterite. The preterite (acoplé) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on acoplar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el remolque al coche. (present tense) A. acoplo B. acoplas C. acopla D. acoplamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ las piezas del mueble. (preterite) A. acoplé B. acoplaste C. acoplaron D. acopló
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el vagón a la locomotora. (imperfect) A. acoplabas B. acoplaban C. acoplábamos D. acoplaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la manguera al grifo. (future) A. acoplaremos B. acoplarás C. acoplaré D. acoplará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el remolque al coche si pudiera. (conditional) A. acoplaría B. acoplarías C. acoplarían D. acoplo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ las piezas del mueble. (present subjunctive) A. acoples B. acoplemos C. acoplo D. acople
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el vagón a la locomotora, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. acopláramos B. acoplo C. acoplara D. acoplaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la manguera al grifo. (present perfect) A. han acoplado B. hemos acoplado C. he acoplado D. has acoplado
Complete the command: ¡___ el remolque al coche! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. acopla B. acople C. acoplemos D. acoplad
Which is the gerund of acoplar, used with estar for the progressive? A. acoplado B. acoplo C. acoplé D. acoplando
Answer key
- acoplo — The first-person present of acoplar is acoplo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- acopló — The third-person preterite of acoplar is acopló, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- acoplábamos — The nosotros imperfect of acoplar is acoplábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- acoplarás — The second-person future of acoplar is acoplarás.
- acoplaría — The first-person conditional of acoplar is acoplaría, the form for what would happen.
- acople — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of acoplar is acople.
- acoplara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of acoplar is acoplara.
- hemos acoplado — The nosotros present perfect of acoplar is hemos acoplado: hemos + acoplado.
- acopla — The affirmative tú imperative of acoplar is acopla.
- acoplando — The gerund of acoplar is acoplando: estoy acoplando. The participle acoplado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does acoplar mean in English?
Acoplar means to fit together, to couple. It is used in everyday situations such as Acoplo el remolque al coche. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is acoplar regular or irregular?
Acoplar 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 acoplo in the present and acoplé in the preterite.
What is the difference between acoplar and ajustar?
Acoplar means to fit together, to couple, while ajustar means to adjust. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use acoplar when you mean to fit together, to couple, as in Acoplo el remolque al coche, and use ajustar for to adjust. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I fit together” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo acoplé las piezas del mueble. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo acoplaba el vagón a la locomotora. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he acoplado las piezas del mueble.
How do I practise acoplar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the acoplar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Acoplar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for acoplar.
- Acoplar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for acoplar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Acondicionar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with acoplar.
- Acosar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with acoplar.
- Acuñar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with acoplar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.