Adaptar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

adaptar means “to adapt” 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. Adaptar means to adapt, and it is used for adjusting to a new place, a new job, a new climate or a new situation, and for adapting a book into a film or a play. It takes a for the new situation, as in adaptarse a la vida en Madrid, its reflexive partner. 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 adaptar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the adaptar present tense page.

adaptar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

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

  1. Yo adapto la novela al cine. — I adapt the novel for the cinema.
  2. Él/Ella adapta el horario al nuevo trabajo. — He adapts the timetable to the new job.
  3. Nosotros/as adaptamos la casa al clima frío. — We adapt the house to the cold climate.
  4. Ellos/as adaptan el plan a las circunstancias. — They adapt the plan to the circumstances.

In the past

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

  1. Ayer, Yo adapté la casa al clima frío. — Yesterday, I adapted the house to the cold climate.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as adaptábamos el plan a las circunstancias. — Before, We used to adapt the plan to the circumstances.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella adaptó la novela al cine. — Yesterday, He adapted the novel for the cinema.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as adaptaban el horario al nuevo trabajo. — As children, They used to adapt the timetable to the new job.

Plans, hopes and wishes

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

  1. Mañana, Tú adaptarás la novela al cine. — Tomorrow, You will adapt the novel for the cinema.
  2. Yo adaptaría el horario al nuevo trabajo. — I would adapt the timetable to the new job.
  3. Espero que él adapte la casa al clima frío. — I hope he adapts the house to the cold climate.
  4. Él/Ella ha adaptado el plan a las circunstancias. — He has adapted the plan to the circumstances.

adaptar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú adaptas la novela al cine mañana? — Are you going to adapt the novel for the cinema tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo adapto la novela al cine todos los días. — Yes, I adapt the novel for the cinema every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana adaptarás el horario al nuevo trabajo? — And tomorrow, will you adapt the timetable to the new job? Luis: Claro, mañana adaptaré el horario al nuevo trabajo sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will adapt the timetable to the new job without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo adaptaré la casa al clima frío también. — Perfect. I will adapt the house to the cold climate too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer adapté la casa al clima frío. — Yesterday, I adapted the house to the cold climate. Ana: ¿Y antes adaptabas el plan a las circunstancias? — And before, did you use to adapt the plan to the circumstances? Luis: Sí, antes adaptaba el plan a las circunstancias todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to adapt the plan to the circumstances every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos adaptaron la novela al cine? — And did your brothers adapted the novel for the cinema? Luis: Sí, ellos adaptaron la novela al cine por la tarde. — Yes, they adapted the novel for the cinema in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo adapta la novela al cine. — Right: Yo adapto la novela al cine. — The person matters: adapta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is adapto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating adaptar and ajustar as identical in every context. — Right: Adaptar means to adapt, while ajustar means to adjust something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: adaptar fits sentences such as Adapto la novela al cine, while ajustar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy adaptado el horario al nuevo trabajo. — Right: Yo he adaptado el horario al nuevo trabajo. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he adaptado, has adaptado, ha adaptado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo adapté la casa al clima frío todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo adaptaba la casa al clima frío todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (adaptaba), not the preterite. The preterite (adapté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ el plan a las circunstancias. (present tense) A. adaptan B. adapto C. adaptas D. adapta

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ la novela al cine. (preterite tense) A. adapté B. adaptaste C. adaptó D. adaptamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ el horario al nuevo trabajo. (imperfect tense) A. adaptábamos B. adaptabais C. adaptabas D. adaptaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ la casa al clima frío. (future tense) A. adaptaremos B. adaptará C. adaptaré D. adaptarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ el plan a las circunstancias. (conditional tense) A. adaptaríamos B. adaptaría C. adaptarías D. adaptaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ la novela al cine. (present-perfect tense) A. has adaptado B. ha adaptado C. hemos adaptado D. he adaptado

  7. What does adaptar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to adapt D. to adjust something

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo adapté la casa al clima frío. B. Yo adapta la novela al cine. C. Yo adapto la novela al cine. D. Él/Ella adapta el horario al nuevo trabajo.

  9. Which is the gerund of adaptar, used with estar for the progressive? A. adaptando B. adaptado C. adapto D. adapté

  10. Which is the past participle of adaptar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. adaptando B. adapto C. adapté D. adaptado

Answer key

  1. adaptan — The correct form here is adaptan.
  2. adaptamos — The correct form here is adaptamos.
  3. adaptabas — The correct form here is adaptabas.
  4. adaptará — The correct form here is adaptará.
  5. adaptaríamos — The correct form here is adaptaríamos.
  6. he adaptado — The correct form here is he adaptado.
  7. to adapt — Adaptar means to adapt. Ajustar means to adjust something, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo adapta la novela al cine. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo adapto la novela al cine.. The person matters: adapta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is adapto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. adaptando — The gerund of adaptar is adaptando: estoy adaptando.
  10. adaptado — The past participle of adaptar is adaptado: he adaptado, has adaptado, ha adaptado.

Frequently asked questions

What does adaptar mean?

Adaptar means to adapt. Adaptar means to adapt, and it is used for adjusting to a new place, a new job, a new climate or a new situation, and for adapting a book into a film or a play. It takes a for the new situation, as in adaptarse a la vida en Madrid, its reflexive partner.

When do people use adaptar most?

People use adaptar most in everyday situations such as Yo adapto la novela al cine. and Ayer, Yo adapté la casa al clima frío.. 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 adaptar and ajustar?

Adaptar means to adapt, while ajustar means to adjust something. 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 adaptar?

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

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