Adoptar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb adoptar means to adopt, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know 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. Like every Spanish verb, adoptar 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 adopto un niño de otro país, and in the preterite you say adopté un nuevo hábito de lectura. 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: adoptar
- English: to adopt
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: adoptando
- Past participle: adoptado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + adoptado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for adoptar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Adoptar is fully regular: adopté, adoptaba, adoptaré. Do not confuse it with adaptar, to adapt — the two differ by one letter.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for adoptar. 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 | adopto |
| tú | adoptas |
| él/ella/Ud. | adopta |
| nosotros/as | adoptamos |
| vosotros/as | adoptáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adoptan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adopté |
| tú | adoptaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | adoptó |
| nosotros/as | adoptamos |
| vosotros/as | adoptasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adoptaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adoptaba |
| tú | adoptabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | adoptaba |
| nosotros/as | adoptábamos |
| vosotros/as | adoptabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adoptaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adoptaré |
| tú | adoptarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | adoptará |
| nosotros/as | adoptaremos |
| vosotros/as | adoptaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adoptarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adoptaría |
| tú | adoptarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | adoptaría |
| nosotros/as | adoptaríamos |
| vosotros/as | adoptaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adoptarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he adoptado |
| tú | has adoptado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha adoptado |
| nosotros/as | hemos adoptado |
| vosotros/as | habéis adoptado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han adoptado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había adoptado |
| tú | habías adoptado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había adoptado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos adoptado |
| vosotros/as | habíais adoptado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían adoptado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré adoptado |
| tú | habrás adoptado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá adoptado |
| nosotros/as | habremos adoptado |
| vosotros/as | habréis adoptado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán adoptado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría adoptado |
| tú | habrías adoptado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría adoptado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos adoptado |
| vosotros/as | habríais adoptado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían adoptado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adopte |
| tú | adoptes |
| él/ella/Ud. | adopte |
| nosotros/as | adoptemos |
| vosotros/as | adoptéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adopten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | adoptara |
| tú | adoptaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | adoptara |
| nosotros/as | adoptáramos |
| vosotros/as | adoptarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adoptaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | adopta |
| él/ella/Ud. | adopte |
| nosotros/as | adoptemos |
| vosotros/as | adoptad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adopten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | adoptes |
| él/ella/Ud. | adopte |
| nosotros/as | adoptemos |
| vosotros/as | adoptéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | adopten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | adoptando | with estar for the progressive: estoy adoptando |
| Past participle | adoptado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he adoptado |
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 adoptar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Adopto un niño de otro país. 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 adoptar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, adopté un perro del refugio. 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 adoptar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, adoptaba un nuevo hábito de lectura. 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 adoptar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, adoptaré una resolución en la reunión. 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 adoptar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Adoptaría un niño de otro país 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 adoptar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he adoptado un perro del refugio. 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 adoptar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había adoptado un nuevo hábito de lectura 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 adoptar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré adoptado una resolución en la reunión. 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 adoptar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría adoptado un niño de otro país 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 adoptar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él adopte un perro del refugio. 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 adoptar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él adoptara un nuevo hábito de lectura, 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 adoptar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡adopta una resolución en la reunión! 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 adoptar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No adoptes un niño de otro país. 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 adoptar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Adopto un niño de otro país. — I adopt a child from another country.
- Adopta un perro del refugio. — He/she adopts a dog from the shelter.
- Ayer, adopté un nuevo hábito de lectura. — Yesterday, I adopted a new reading habit.
- Antes, nosotros adoptábamos una resolución en la reunión. — Before, we used to adopt a resolution in the meeting.
- Mañana, tú adoptarás un niño de otro país. — Tomorrow, you will adopt a child from another country.
- Yo adoptaría un perro del refugio si tuviera más tiempo. — I would adopt a dog from the shelter if I had more time.
- Él ha adoptado un nuevo hábito de lectura. — He has adopted a new reading habit.
- Espero que él adopte una resolución en la reunión. — I hope he adopts a resolution in the meeting.
- Yo ya había adoptado un niño de otro país antes de salir. — I had already adopted a child from another country before leaving.
- Ellos adoptaban un perro del refugio cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to adopt a dog from the shelter when they were young.
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. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un niño de otro país. (present tense) A. adopto B. adoptas C. adopta D. adoptamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ un perro del refugio. (preterite) A. adopté B. adoptaste C. adoptaron D. adoptó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ un nuevo hábito de lectura. (imperfect) A. adoptabas B. adoptaban C. adoptábamos D. adoptaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ una resolución en la reunión. (future) A. adoptaremos B. adoptarás C. adoptaré D. adoptará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ un niño de otro país si pudiera. (conditional) A. adoptaría B. adoptarías C. adoptarían D. adopto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ un perro del refugio. (present subjunctive) A. adoptes B. adoptemos C. adopto D. adopte
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ un nuevo hábito de lectura, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. adoptáramos B. adopto C. adoptara D. adoptaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ una resolución en la reunión. (present perfect) A. han adoptado B. hemos adoptado C. he adoptado D. has adoptado
Complete the command: ¡___ un niño de otro país! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. adopta B. adopte C. adoptemos D. adoptad
Which is the gerund of adoptar, used with estar for the progressive? A. adoptado B. adopto C. adopté D. adoptando
Answer key
- adopto — The first-person present of adoptar is adopto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- adoptó — The third-person preterite of adoptar is adoptó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- adoptábamos — The nosotros imperfect of adoptar is adoptábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- adoptarás — The second-person future of adoptar is adoptarás.
- adoptaría — The first-person conditional of adoptar is adoptaría, the form for what would happen.
- adopte — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of adoptar is adopte.
- adoptara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of adoptar is adoptara.
- hemos adoptado — The nosotros present perfect of adoptar is hemos adoptado: hemos + adoptado.
- adopta — The affirmative tú imperative of adoptar is adopta.
- adoptando — The gerund of adoptar is adoptando: estoy adoptando. The participle adoptado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does adoptar mean in English?
Adoptar means to adopt. It is used in everyday situations such as Adopto un niño de otro país. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is adoptar regular or irregular?
Adoptar 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 adopto in the present and adopté in the preterite.
What is the difference between adoptar and acoger?
Adoptar means to adopt, while acoger means to take someone in, to foster. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use adoptar when you mean to adopt, as in Adopto un niño de otro país, and use acoger for to take someone in, to foster. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I adopt” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo adopté un perro del refugio. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo adoptaba un nuevo hábito de lectura. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he adoptado un perro del refugio.
How do I practise adoptar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the adoptar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Adoptar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for adoptar.
- Adoptar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for adoptar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Adorar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with adoptar.
- Adaptar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with adoptar.
- Adornar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with adoptar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.