Adoptar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

adoptar means “to adopt” 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. Adoptar means to adopt, and it covers adopting a child, adopting a pet, adopting a new habit and adopting a resolution. It is a formal verb with a strong sense of taking something as your own, and it is fully regular. 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 adoptar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the adoptar present tense page.

adoptar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present

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

  1. Yo adopto un niño de otro país. — I adopt a child from another country.
  2. Él/Ella adopta un perro del refugio. — He adopts a dog from the shelter.
  3. Nosotros/as adoptamos un nuevo hábito de lectura. — We adopt a new reading habit.
  4. Ellos/as adoptan una resolución en la reunión. — They adopt a resolution in the meeting.

In the past

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

  1. Ayer, Yo adopté un nuevo hábito de lectura. — Yesterday, I adopted a new reading habit.
  2. Antes, Nosotros/as adoptábamos una resolución en la reunión. — Before, We used to adopt a resolution in the meeting.
  3. Ayer, Él/Ella adoptó un niño de otro país. — Yesterday, He adopted a child from another country.
  4. De niños, Ellos/as adoptaban un perro del refugio. — As children, They used to adopt a dog from the shelter.

Plans, hopes and wishes

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

  1. Mañana, Tú adoptarás un niño de otro país. — Tomorrow, You will adopt a child from another country.
  2. Yo adoptaría un perro del refugio. — I would adopt a dog from the shelter.
  3. Espero que él adopte un nuevo hábito de lectura. — I hope he adopts a new reading habit.
  4. Él/Ella ha adoptado una resolución en la reunión. — He has adopted a resolution in the meeting.

adoptar in context: two short dialogues

Making plans

Ana: ¿Tú adoptas un niño de otro país mañana? — Are you going to adopt a child from another country tomorrow? Luis: Sí, yo adopto un niño de otro país todos los días. — Yes, I adopt a child from another country every day. Ana: ¿Y mañana adoptarás un perro del refugio? — And tomorrow, will you adopt a dog from the shelter? Luis: Claro, mañana adoptaré un perro del refugio sin falta. — Of course, tomorrow I will adopt a dog from the shelter without fail. Ana: Perfecto. Yo adoptaré un nuevo hábito de lectura también. — Perfect. I will adopt a new reading habit too. Luis: Entonces quedamos mañana. ¡Hasta luego! — Then see you tomorrow. Bye!

Yesterday

Ana: ¿Qué hiciste ayer? — What did you do yesterday? Luis: Ayer adopté un nuevo hábito de lectura. — Yesterday, I adopted a new reading habit. Ana: ¿Y antes adoptabas una resolución en la reunión? — And before, did you use to adopt a resolution in the meeting? Luis: Sí, antes adoptaba una resolución en la reunión todos los días. — Yes, before, I used to adopt a resolution in the meeting every day. Ana: ¿Y tus hermanos adoptaron un niño de otro país? — And did your brothers adopted a child from another country? Luis: Sí, ellos adoptaron un niño de otro país por la tarde. — Yes, they adopted a child from another country in the afternoon.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo adopta un niño de otro país. — Right: Yo adopto un niño de otro país. — The person matters: adopta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is adopto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  2. Wrong: Treating adoptar and acoger as identical in every context. — Right: Adoptar means to adopt, while acoger means to take someone in, to foster. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: adoptar fits sentences such as Adopto un niño de otro país, while acoger belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  3. Wrong: Yo soy adoptado un perro del refugio. — Right: Yo he adoptado un perro del refugio. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he adoptado, has adoptado, ha adoptado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  4. Wrong: De niño, yo adopté un nuevo hábito de lectura todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo adoptaba un nuevo hábito de lectura todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (adoptaba), not the preterite. The preterite (adopté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ una resolución en la reunión. (present tense) A. adoptan B. adopto C. adoptas D. adopta

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, Nosotros/as ___ un niño de otro país. (preterite tense) A. adopté B. adoptaste C. adoptó D. adoptamos

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, Tú ___ un perro del refugio. (imperfect tense) A. adoptábamos B. adoptabais C. adoptabas D. adoptaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, Él/Ella ___ un nuevo hábito de lectura. (future tense) A. adoptaremos B. adoptará C. adoptaré D. adoptarás

  5. Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ una resolución en la reunión. (conditional tense) A. adoptaríamos B. adoptaría C. adoptarías D. adoptaríais

  6. Complete the sentence: Hoy, Yo ___ un niño de otro país. (present-perfect tense) A. has adoptado B. ha adoptado C. hemos adoptado D. he adoptado

  7. What does adoptar mean in English? A. to disturb B. to address as tú C. to adopt D. to take someone in, to foster

  8. Which of these sentences is WRONG? A. Ayer, Yo adopté un nuevo hábito de lectura. B. Yo adopta un niño de otro país. C. Yo adopto un niño de otro país. D. Él/Ella adopta un perro del refugio.

  9. Which is the gerund of adoptar, used with estar for the progressive? A. adoptando B. adoptado C. adopto D. adopté

  10. Which is the past participle of adoptar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. adoptando B. adopto C. adopté D. adoptado

Answer key

  1. adoptan — The correct form here is adoptan.
  2. adoptamos — The correct form here is adoptamos.
  3. adoptabas — The correct form here is adoptabas.
  4. adoptará — The correct form here is adoptará.
  5. adoptaríamos — The correct form here is adoptaríamos.
  6. he adoptado — The correct form here is he adoptado.
  7. to adopt — Adoptar means to adopt. Acoger means to take someone in, to foster, which is a different verb.
  8. Yo adopta un niño de otro país. — The first sentence is wrong: the correct form is Yo adopto un niño de otro país.. The person matters: adopta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is adopto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
  9. adoptando — The gerund of adoptar is adoptando: estoy adoptando.
  10. adoptado — The past participle of adoptar is adoptado: he adoptado, has adoptado, ha adoptado.

Frequently asked questions

What does adoptar mean?

Adoptar means to adopt. Adoptar means to adopt, and it covers adopting a child, adopting a pet, adopting a new habit and adopting a resolution. It is a formal verb with a strong sense of taking something as your own, and it is fully regular.

When do people use adoptar most?

People use adoptar most in everyday situations such as Yo adopto un niño de otro país. and Ayer, Yo adopté un nuevo hábito de lectura.. 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 adoptar and acoger?

Adoptar means to adopt, while acoger means to take someone in, to foster. 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 adoptar?

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

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