Acortar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

acortar means “to shorten” 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. Acortar means to shorten, and it is used for making things shorter in length or in time: you shorten a skirt, a journey, a meeting or a holiday. It is the opposite of alargar, and it appears in sewing, travel and work contexts. 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 acortar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the acortar present tense page.

acortar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

Four sentences with acortar in the present tense, for habits, facts and things happening right now.

  1. Yo acorto la falda dos centímetros. — I shorten the skirt by two centimetres.
  2. Él/Ella acorta el viaje por la autopista. — He shortens the journey via the motorway.
  3. Nosotros/as acortamos la reunión a media hora. — We shorten the meeting to half an hour.
  4. Ellos/as acortan las vacaciones por el trabajo. — They shorten the holidays because of work.

In the past

Four sentences with acortar in the past: the preterite for finished actions and the imperfect for habits and background.

  1. Ayer, Yo acorté la reunión a media hora. — Yesterday, I shortened the meeting to half an hour.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as acortábamos las vacaciones por el trabajo. — Before, We used to shorten the holidays because of work.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella acortó la falda dos centímetros. — Yesterday, He shortened the skirt by two centimetres.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as acortaban el viaje por la autopista. — As children, They used to shorten the journey via the motorway.

Plans, hopes and wishes

Four sentences with acortar in the future, the conditional, the subjunctive and the present perfect — for plans, hypotheticals and things that have just happened.

  1. Mañana, Tú acortarás la falda dos centímetros. — Tomorrow, You will shorten the skirt by two centimetres.
  2. Yo acortaría el viaje por la autopista. — I would shorten the journey via the motorway.
  3. Espero que él acorte la reunión a media hora. — I hope he shortens the meeting to half an hour.
  4. Él/Ella ha acortado las vacaciones por el trabajo. — He has shortened the holidays because of work.

acortar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú acortas la falda dos centímetros mañana? — Are you going to shorten the skirt by two centimetres tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo acorto la falda dos centímetros todos los días. — Yes, I shorten the skirt by two centimetres every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana acortarás el viaje por la autopista? — And tomorrow, will you shorten the journey via the motorway? Luis: Claro, mañana acortaré el viaje por la autopista sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will shorten the journey via the motorway without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo acortaré la reunión a media hora también. — Perfect. I will shorten the meeting to half an hour too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer acorté la reunión a media hora. — Yesterday, I shortened the meeting to half an hour. Ana: ¿Y antes acortabas las vacaciones por el trabajo? — And before, did you use to shorten the holidays because of work? Luis: Sí, antes acortaba las vacaciones por el trabajo todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to shorten the holidays because of work every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos acortaron la falda dos centímetros? — And did your brothers shortened the skirt by two centimetres? Luis: Sí, ellos acortaron la falda dos centímetros por la tarde. — Yes, they shortened the skirt by two centimetres in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo acorta la falda dos centímetros. — Right: Yo acorto la falda dos centímetros. — The person matters: acorta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acorto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating acortar and alargar as identical in every context. — Right: Acortar means to shorten, while alargar means to lengthen something, its opposite. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: acortar fits sentences such as Acorto la falda dos centímetros, while alargar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy acortado el viaje por la autopista. — Right: Yo he acortado el viaje por la autopista. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he acortado, has acortado, ha acortado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo acorté la reunión a media hora todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo acortaba la reunión a media hora todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (acortaba), not the preterite. The preterite (acorté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on acortar in use. Choose the right answer, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ las vacaciones por el trabajo. (present tense) A. acortan B. acorto C. acortas D. acorta

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ la falda dos centímetros. (preterite tense) A. acorté B. acortaste C. acortó D. acortamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ el viaje por la autopista. (imperfect tense) A. acortábamos B. acortabais C. acortabas D. acortaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ la reunión a media hora. (future tense) A. acortaremos B. acortará C. acortaré D. acortarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ las vacaciones por el trabajo. (conditional tense) A. acortaríamos B. acortaría C. acortarías D. acortaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ la falda dos centímetros. (present-perfect tense) A. has acortado B. ha acortado C. hemos acortado D. he acortado

  7. What does acortar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to shorten D. to lengthen something, its opposite

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo acorté la reunión a media hora. B. Yo acorta la falda dos centímetros. C. Yo acorto la falda dos centímetros. D. Él/Ella acorta el viaje por la autopista.

  9. Which is the gerund of acortar, used with estar for the progressive? A. acortando B. acortado C. acorto D. acorté

  10. Which is the past participle of acortar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. acortando B. acorto C. acorté D. acortado

Answer key

  1. acortan — The correct form here is acortan.
  2. acortamos — The correct form here is acortamos.
  3. acortabas — The correct form here is acortabas.
  4. acortará — The correct form here is acortará.
  5. acortaríamos — The correct form here is acortaríamos.
  6. he acortado — The correct form here is he acortado.
  7. to shorten — Acortar means to shorten. Alargar means to lengthen something, its opposite, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo acorta la falda dos centímetros. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo acorto la falda dos centímetros.. The person matters: acorta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acorto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. acortando — The gerund of acortar is acortando: estoy acortando.
  10. acortado — The past participle of acortar is acortado: he acortado, has acortado, ha acortado.

Frequently asked questions

What does acortar mean?

Acortar means to shorten. Acortar means to shorten, and it is used for making things shorter in length or in time: you shorten a skirt, a journey, a meeting or a holiday. It is the opposite of alargar, and it appears in sewing, travel and work contexts.

When do people use acortar most?

People use acortar most in everyday situations such as Yo acorto la falda dos centímetros. and Ayer, Yo acorté la reunión a media hora.. Learn the present tense first, then the preterite and the imperfect, since those are the forms you will hear most often.

What is the difference between acortar and alargar?

Acortar means to shorten, while alargar means to lengthen something, its opposite. They appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable — check the meaning you want before you choose.

How can I remember the forms of acortar?

Practise the present tense table first, then add the preterite and the imperfect. Use the full conjugation of acortar as your reference, the acortar present tense page for one tense in depth, and the Spanish Verb Quiz to test yourself.

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