Adoptar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of adoptar — “to adopt” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for adoptar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. 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. Adoptar is a regular -ar verb, so the notes below explain exactly where it follows the rules and where it breaks them. To see it in a real sentence: Adopto un niño de otro país.
Present tense conjugation table: adoptar
Every person of adoptar in the present tense. The gerund is adoptando and the past participle is adoptado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adopto |
| tú | adoptas |
| él/ella/Ud. | adopta |
| nosotros/as | adoptamos |
| vosotros/as | adoptáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adoptan |
How the present of adoptar is formed
The present of adoptar is built from the stem adopt- plus the present endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | adopto |
| tú | -as | adoptas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | adopta |
| nosotros/as | -amos | adoptamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | adoptáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | adoptan |
For adoptar there are no surprises in the present: every form is the stem adopt- plus the regular ending, so once you know the endings you know the whole tense.
When to use the present tense with adoptar
Habits and routines
Use the present for things you do regularly.
Yo adopto un niño de otro país. — I adopt a child from another country.
General facts
Use the present for facts and general truths that do not change.
Él/Ella adopta un perro del refugio. — He adopts a dog from the shelter.
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment.
Ahora, Nosotros/as adoptamos un nuevo hábito de lectura. — Right now, We adopt a new reading habit.
Near-future plans
Use the present for fixed plans in the near future, especially with mañana or la semana que viene.
Mañana, Tú adoptas una resolución en la reunión. — Tomorrow, You adopt a resolution in the meeting.
Instructions and timeless statements
Use the present for instructions, rules and statements that are always true.
Él/Ella adopta un niño de otro país. — He adopts a child from another country.
The present vs the preterite
The present and the preterite answer different questions: the present says what happens regularly or right now, while the preterite says what happened once and finished. Compare the same idea in both tenses with adoptar.
- Yo adopto un niño de otro país. — I adopt a child from another country. / Ayer, Yo adopté un niño de otro país. — Yesterday, I adopted a child from another country.
- Yo adopto un perro del refugio. — I adopt a dog from the shelter. / Ayer, Yo adopté un perro del refugio. — Yesterday, I adopted a dog from the shelter.
- Yo adopto un nuevo hábito de lectura. — I adopt a new reading habit. / Ayer, Yo adopté un nuevo hábito de lectura. — Yesterday, I adopted a new reading habit.
Example sentences in the present tense
Seven sentences with adoptar in the present tense only, covering all six persons.
- Yo adopto un niño de otro país. — I adopt a child from another country.
- Tú adoptas un perro del refugio. — You adopt a dog from the shelter.
- Él/Ella adopta un nuevo hábito de lectura. — He adopts a new reading habit.
- Nosotros/as adoptamos una resolución en la reunión. — We adopt a resolution in the meeting.
- Vosotros/as adoptáis un niño de otro país. — You adopt a child from another country.
- Ellos/as adoptan un perro del refugio. — They adopt a dog from the shelter.
- Yo adopto un nuevo hábito de lectura. — I adopt a new reading habit.
Common mistakes
- 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.
- Wrong: Ayer, yo adopto un perro del refugio. — Right: Ayer, yo adopté un perro del refugio. — With ayer, use the preterite (adopté), not the present. The present is for habits and for right now.
- Wrong: Using adoptar where acoger belongs. — Right: Adoptar means to adopt, while acoger means to take someone in, to foster. — Check the meaning before you choose: adoptar fits Adopto un niño de otro país.
- Wrong: Espero que él adopta un perro del refugio. — Right: Espero que él adopte un perro del refugio. — After espero que, Spanish needs the subjunctive: adopte, not the present indicative adopta.
Quiz: the present tense of adoptar
Eight questions on the present tense of adoptar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un niño de otro país. (present tense, yo) A. adopto B. adoptas C. adopta D. adoptamos
Complete the sentence: Tú ___ un perro del refugio. (present tense, tú) A. adopto B. adopta C. adoptamos D. adoptas
Complete the sentence: Él/Ella ___ un nuevo hábito de lectura. (present tense, él/ella/Ud.) A. adoptas B. adoptamos C. adopta D. adopto
Complete the sentence: Nosotros/as ___ una resolución en la reunión. (present tense, nosotros/as) A. adopta B. adoptamos C. adopto D. adoptas
Complete the sentence: Vosotros/as ___ un niño de otro país. (present tense, vosotros/as) A. adoptáis B. adopto C. adoptas D. adopta
Complete the sentence: Ellos/as ___ un perro del refugio. (present tense, ellos/ellas/Uds.) A. adopto B. adoptas C. adopta D. adoptan
Which is the gerund of adoptar? A. adopto B. adopté C. adoptando D. adoptado
Which is the past participle of adoptar, used with haber in the perfect tenses? A. adopté B. adoptado C. adoptando D. adopto
Answer key
- adopto — The yo present form of adoptar is adopto.
- adoptas — The tú present form of adoptar is adoptas.
- adopta — The él/ella/Ud. present form of adoptar is adopta.
- adoptamos — The nosotros/as present form of adoptar is adoptamos.
- adoptáis — The vosotros/as present form of adoptar is adoptáis.
- adoptan — The ellos/ellas/Uds. present form of adoptar is adoptan.
- adoptando — The gerund of adoptar is adoptando: estoy adoptando.
- adoptado — The past participle of adoptar is adoptado: he adoptado, has adoptado, ha adoptado.
Frequently asked questions
How is the present tense of adoptar formed?
Take the infinitive adoptar, drop the -ar ending to get the stem adopt-, then add the present endings: -o, -as, -a, -amos, -áis, -an. The full table is above, with every person. No, the present of adoptar is fully regular: the stem adopt- plus the standard -ar endings gives every form.
When do I use the present tense of adoptar?
Use the present for habits, facts and what is happening right now. For example: Adopto un niño de otro país.
What is the difference between the present and the preterite of adoptar?
The present (adopto) and the preterite (adopté) answer different questions: the present is for habits and for right now, while the preterite is for one finished action. Compare them in the contrast section above.
How do I practise the present of adoptar?
Drill the six forms in the table until you can say them without looking, then use the full conjugation of adoptar to see how the present fits with the other tenses, and the adoptar examples and quiz page for more sentences. The Spanish Verb Quiz tests the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Adoptar conjugation — the full conjugation tables for adoptar.
- Adoptar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for adoptar.
- Spanish present tense guide — when and how to use the present tense.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Present-Tense Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in the present tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.