Adaptar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb adaptar means to adapt, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know 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. Like every Spanish verb, adaptar 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 adapto la novela al cine, and in the preterite you say adapté la casa al clima frío. 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: adaptar
- English: to adapt
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: adaptando
- Past participle: adaptado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + adaptado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for adaptar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Adaptar is fully regular. To say you adapt yourself, use the reflexive adaptarse with a: me adapto a la ciudad.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for adaptar. 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 | adapto |
| tú | adaptas |
| él/ella/Ud. | adapta |
| nosotros/as | adaptamos |
| vosotros/as | adaptáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adaptan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adapté |
| tú | adaptaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | adaptó |
| nosotros/as | adaptamos |
| vosotros/as | adaptasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adaptaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adaptaba |
| tú | adaptabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | adaptaba |
| nosotros/as | adaptábamos |
| vosotros/as | adaptabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adaptaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adaptaré |
| tú | adaptarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | adaptará |
| nosotros/as | adaptaremos |
| vosotros/as | adaptaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adaptarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adaptaría |
| tú | adaptarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | adaptaría |
| nosotros/as | adaptaríamos |
| vosotros/as | adaptaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adaptarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he adaptado |
| tú | has adaptado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha adaptado |
| nosotros/as | hemos adaptado |
| vosotros/as | habéis adaptado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han adaptado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había adaptado |
| tú | habías adaptado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había adaptado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos adaptado |
| vosotros/as | habíais adaptado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían adaptado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré adaptado |
| tú | habrás adaptado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá adaptado |
| nosotros/as | habremos adaptado |
| vosotros/as | habréis adaptado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán adaptado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría adaptado |
| tú | habrías adaptado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría adaptado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos adaptado |
| vosotros/as | habríais adaptado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían adaptado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adapte |
| tú | adaptes |
| él/ella/Ud. | adapte |
| nosotros/as | adaptemos |
| vosotros/as | adaptéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adapten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adaptara |
| tú | adaptaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | adaptara |
| nosotros/as | adaptáramos |
| vosotros/as | adaptarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adaptaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | adapta |
| él/ella/Ud. | adapte |
| nosotros/as | adaptemos |
| vosotros/as | adaptad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adapten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | adaptes |
| él/ella/Ud. | adapte |
| nosotros/as | adaptemos |
| vosotros/as | adaptéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adapten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | adaptando | with estar for the progressive: estoy adaptando |
| Past participle | adaptado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he adaptado |
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 adaptar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Adapto la novela al cine. 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 adaptar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, adapté el horario al nuevo trabajo. 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 adaptar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, adaptaba la casa al clima frío. 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 adaptar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, adaptaré el plan a las circunstancias. 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 adaptar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Adaptaría la novela al cine 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 adaptar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he adaptado el horario al nuevo trabajo. 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 adaptar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había adaptado la casa al clima frío 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 adaptar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré adaptado el plan a las circunstancias. 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 adaptar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría adaptado la novela al cine 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 adaptar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él adapte el horario al nuevo trabajo. 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 adaptar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él adaptara la casa al clima frío, 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 adaptar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡adapta el plan a las circunstancias! 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 adaptar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No adaptes la novela al cine. 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 adaptar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Adapto la novela al cine. — I adapt the novel for the cinema.
- Adapta el horario al nuevo trabajo. — He/she adapts the timetable to the new job.
- Ayer, adapté la casa al clima frío. — Yesterday, I adapted the house to the cold climate.
- Antes, nosotros adaptábamos el plan a las circunstancias. — Before, we used to adapt the plan to the circumstances.
- Mañana, tú adaptarás la novela al cine. — Tomorrow, you will adapt the novel for the cinema.
- Yo adaptaría el horario al nuevo trabajo si tuviera más tiempo. — I would adapt the timetable to the new job if I had more time.
- Él ha adaptado la casa al clima frío. — He has adapted the house to the cold climate.
- Espero que él adapte el plan a las circunstancias. — I hope he adapts the plan to the circumstances.
- Yo ya había adaptado la novela al cine antes de salir. — I had already adapted the novel for the cinema before leaving.
- Ellos adaptaban el horario al nuevo trabajo cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to adapt the timetable to the new job when they were young.
Common mistakes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la novela al cine. (present tense) A. adapto B. adaptas C. adapta D. adaptamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el horario al nuevo trabajo. (preterite) A. adapté B. adaptaste C. adaptaron D. adaptó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ la casa al clima frío. (imperfect) A. adaptabas B. adaptaban C. adaptábamos D. adaptaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ el plan a las circunstancias. (future) A. adaptaremos B. adaptarás C. adaptaré D. adaptará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la novela al cine si pudiera. (conditional) A. adaptaría B. adaptarías C. adaptarían D. adapto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el horario al nuevo trabajo. (present subjunctive) A. adaptes B. adaptemos C. adapto D. adapte
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ la casa al clima frío, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. adaptáramos B. adapto C. adaptara D. adaptaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ el plan a las circunstancias. (present perfect) A. han adaptado B. hemos adaptado C. he adaptado D. has adaptado
Complete the command: ¡___ la novela al cine! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. adapta B. adapte C. adaptemos D. adaptad
Which is the gerund of adaptar, used with estar for the progressive? A. adaptado B. adapto C. adapté D. adaptando
Answer key
- adapto — The first-person present of adaptar is adapto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- adaptó — The third-person preterite of adaptar is adaptó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- adaptábamos — The nosotros imperfect of adaptar is adaptábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- adaptarás — The second-person future of adaptar is adaptarás.
- adaptaría — The first-person conditional of adaptar is adaptaría, the form for what would happen.
- adapte — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of adaptar is adapte.
- adaptara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of adaptar is adaptara.
- hemos adaptado — The nosotros present perfect of adaptar is hemos adaptado: hemos + adaptado.
- adapta — The affirmative tú imperative of adaptar is adapta.
- adaptando — The gerund of adaptar is adaptando: estoy adaptando. The participle adaptado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does adaptar mean in English?
Adaptar means to adapt. It is used in everyday situations such as Adapto la novela al cine. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is adaptar regular or irregular?
Adaptar 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 adapto in the present and adapté in the preterite.
What is the difference between adaptar and ajustar?
Adaptar means to adapt, while ajustar means to adjust something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use adaptar when you mean to adapt, as in Adapto la novela al cine, and use ajustar for to adjust something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I adapt” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo adapté el horario al nuevo trabajo. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo adaptaba la casa al clima frío. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he adaptado el horario al nuevo trabajo.
How do I practise adaptar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the adaptar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Adaptar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for adaptar.
- Adaptar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for adaptar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Acumular conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with adaptar.
- Adoptar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with adaptar.
- Acostumbrar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with adaptar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.