Acostar Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb acostar means to put to bed, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Acostar means to put to bed, and it is the verb parents use every night: you put a child to bed, you put a baby to bed, you lay someone down to rest. Its reflexive partner acostarse means to go to bed yourself, and confusing the two is one of the classic learner mistakes. Like every Spanish verb, acostar 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 acuesto a los niños a las nueve, and in the preterite you say acosté a mi padre después de comer. 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: acostar
  • English: to put to bed
  • Verb type: irregular verb
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: acostando
  • Past participle: acostado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + acostado)
  • Stem change: o → ue in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for acostar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Stem change o to ue: yo acuesto, tú acuestas, but nosotros acostamos keeps the o. And acostar puts someone else to bed — to go to bed yourself, use acostarse.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for acostar. 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 acuesto
tú acuestas
él/ella/Ud. acuesta
nosotros/as acostamos
vosotros/as acostáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. acuestan

Preterite

Person Form
yo acosté
tú acostaste
él/ella/Ud. acostó
nosotros/as acostamos
vosotros/as acostasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. acostaron

Imperfect

Person Form
yo acostaba
tú acostabas
él/ella/Ud. acostaba
nosotros/as acostábamos
vosotros/as acostabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. acostaban

Future

Person Form
yo acostaré
tú acostarás
él/ella/Ud. acostará
nosotros/as acostaremos
vosotros/as acostaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. acostarán

Conditional

Person Form
yo acostaría
tú acostarías
él/ella/Ud. acostaría
nosotros/as acostaríamos
vosotros/as acostaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. acostarían

Present perfect

Person Form
yo he acostado
tú has acostado
él/ella/Ud. ha acostado
nosotros/as hemos acostado
vosotros/as habéis acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds. han acostado

Pluperfect

Person Form
yo había acostado
tú habías acostado
él/ella/Ud. había acostado
nosotros/as habíamos acostado
vosotros/as habíais acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habían acostado

Future perfect

Person Form
yo habré acostado
tú habrás acostado
él/ella/Ud. habrá acostado
nosotros/as habremos acostado
vosotros/as habréis acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrán acostado

Conditional perfect

Person Form
yo habría acostado
tú habrías acostado
él/ella/Ud. habría acostado
nosotros/as habríamos acostado
vosotros/as habríais acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds. habrían acostado

Present subjunctive

Person Form
yo acueste
tú acuestes
él/ella/Ud. acueste
nosotros/as acostemos
vosotros/as acostéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. acuesten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Form
yo acostara
tú acostaras
él/ella/Ud. acostara
nosotros/as acostáramos
vosotros/as acostarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. acostaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Form
tú acuesta
él/ella/Ud. acueste
nosotros/as acostemos
vosotros/as acostad
ellos/ellas/Uds. acuesten

Imperative (negative)

Person Form
tú acuestes
él/ella/Ud. acueste
nosotros/as acostemos
vosotros/as acostéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. acuesten

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund acostando with estar for the progressive: estoy acostando
Past participle acostado with haber for the perfect tenses: he acostado

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes o → ue in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For acostar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Acuesto a los niños a las nueve. 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 acostar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, acosté al bebé en su cuna. 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 acostar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, acostaba a mi padre después de comer. 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 acostar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, acostaré a mi abuela para la siesta. 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 acostar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Acostaría a los niños a las nueve 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 acostar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he acostado al bebé en su cuna. 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 acostar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había acostado a mi padre después de comer 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 acostar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré acostado a mi abuela para la siesta. 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 acostar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría acostado a los niños a las nueve 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes o → ue in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For acostar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él acueste al bebé en su cuna. 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 acostar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él acostara a mi padre después de comer, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes o → ue in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For acostar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡acuesta a mi abuela para la siesta! 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes o → ue in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For acostar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No acuestes a los niños a las nueve. 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 acostar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Acuesto a los niños a las nueve. — I put the children to bed at nine.
  2. Acuesta al bebé en su cuna. — He/she puts the baby to bed in his cot.
  3. Ayer, acosté a mi padre después de comer. — Yesterday, I put my father to bed after lunch.
  4. Antes, nosotros acostábamos a mi abuela para la siesta. — Before, we used to put my grandmother to bed for her nap.
  5. Mañana, tú acostarás a los niños a las nueve. — Tomorrow, you will put the children to bed at nine.
  6. Yo acostaría al bebé en su cuna si tuviera más tiempo. — I would put the baby to bed in his cot if I had more time.
  7. Él ha acostado a mi padre después de comer. — He has put my father to bed after lunch.
  8. Espero que él acueste a mi abuela para la siesta. — I hope he puts my grandmother to bed for her nap.
  9. Yo ya había acostado a los niños a las nueve antes de salir. — I had already put the children to bed at nine before leaving.
  10. Ellos acostaban al bebé en su cuna cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to put the baby to bed in his cot when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo acuesta a los niños a las nueve. — Right: Yo acuesto a los niños a las nueve. — The person matters: acuesta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is acuesto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Yo acosto al bebé en su cuna. — Right: Yo acuesto al bebé en su cuna. — Acostar is a stem-changing verb (o → ue), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural. The nosotros form keeps the original stem.
  3. Wrong: Treating acostar and acostarse as identical in every context. — Right: Acostar means to put to bed, while acostarse means to go to bed yourself. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: acostar fits sentences such as Acuesto a los niños a las nueve, while acostarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy acostado al bebé en su cuna. — Right: Yo he acostado al bebé en su cuna. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he acostado, has acostado, ha acostado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo acosté a mi padre después de comer todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo acostaba a mi padre después de comer todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (acostaba), not the preterite. The preterite (acosté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on acostar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los niños a las nueve. (present tense) A. acuesto B. acuestas C. acuesta D. acostamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ al bebé en su cuna. (preterite) A. acosté B. acostaste C. acostaron D. acostó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a mi padre después de comer. (imperfect) A. acostabas B. acostaban C. acostábamos D. acostaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a mi abuela para la siesta. (future) A. acostaremos B. acostarás C. acostaré D. acostará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a los niños a las nueve si pudiera. (conditional) A. acostaría B. acostarías C. acostarían D. acuesto

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ al bebé en su cuna. (present subjunctive) A. acuestes B. acostemos C. acuesto D. acueste

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a mi padre después de comer, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. acostáramos B. acuesto C. acostara D. acostaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a mi abuela para la siesta. (present perfect) A. han acostado B. hemos acostado C. he acostado D. has acostado

  9. Complete the command: ¡___ a los niños a las nueve! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. acuesta B. acueste C. acostemos D. acostad

  10. Which is the gerund of acostar, used with estar for the progressive? A. acostado B. acuesto C. acosté D. acostando

Answer key

  1. acuesto — The first-person present of acostar is acuesto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. acostó — The third-person preterite of acostar is acostó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. acostábamos — The nosotros imperfect of acostar is acostábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. acostarás — The second-person future of acostar is acostarás.
  5. acostaría — The first-person conditional of acostar is acostaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. acueste — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of acostar is acueste.
  7. acostara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of acostar is acostara.
  8. hemos acostado — The nosotros present perfect of acostar is hemos acostado: hemos + acostado.
  9. acuesta — The affirmative tú imperative of acostar is acuesta.
  10. acostando — The gerund of acostar is acostando: estoy acostando. The participle acostado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does acostar mean in English?

Acostar means to put to bed. It is used in everyday situations such as Acuesto a los niños a las nueve. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is acostar regular or irregular?

Acostar is a stem-changing verb (o → ue), so it is not fully regular: the stem changes in the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. The preterite and the imperfect are regular. Check the tables above for the exact forms in each tense.

What is the difference between acostar and acostarse?

Acostar means to put to bed, while acostarse means to go to bed yourself. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use acostar when you mean to put to bed, as in Acuesto a los niños a las nueve, and use acostarse for to go to bed yourself. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I put bed” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo acosté al bebé en su cuna. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo acostaba a mi padre después de comer. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he acostado al bebé en su cuna.

How do I practise acostar?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the acostar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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