Ajustar Examples, Sentences & Quiz in Spanish

ajustar means “to adjust, to fit” 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. Ajustar means to adjust or to fit, to make a small change so something works or fits, such as a belt, a price or a plan. It is a fully regular verb used in everyday life, work and machines. 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 ajustar; if you want to study one tense in depth, see the ajustar present tense page.

ajustar in everyday use: examples with translations

In the present tense

  1. Yo ajusto el cinturón antes de salir. — “I adjust the belt before going out.”
  2. Él ajusta el precio a la demanda. — “He adjusts the price to demand.”
  3. Nosotros ajustamos el plan a la realidad. — “We adjust the plan to reality.”
  4. Ellos ajustan la silla a su altura. — “They adjust the chair to my height.”

In the past

  1. Ayer, yo ajusté el precio a la demanda. — “Yesterday, I adjusted the price to demand.”
  2. Antes, nosotros ajustábamos el plan a la realidad. — “Before, we used to adjust the plan to reality.”
  3. Él ajustó la silla a su altura. — “He adjusted the chair to my height.”
  4. Yo ya había ajustado el cinturón antes de salir antes de salir. — “I had already adjusted the belt before going out before leaving.”

Plans, hopes and possibilities

  1. Mañana, tú ajustarás el cinturón antes de salir. — “Tomorrow, you will adjust the belt before going out.”
  2. Yo ajustaría el precio a la demanda si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would adjust the price to demand if I had more time.”
  3. Él ha ajustado el plan a la realidad. — “He has adjusted the plan to reality.”
  4. Espero que él ajuste la silla a su altura. — “I hope he adjusts the chair to my height.”

ajustar in conversation

Two short dialogues that use ajustar the way people really speak it. Notice how the verb changes with the person, and how the same verb fits different situations.

Two friends talk about their day.

  • Ana: Yo ajusto el cinturón antes de salir. — “I adjust the belt before going out.”
  • Bea: Él ajusta el precio a la demanda. — “He adjusts the price to demand.”
  • Ana: Ayer, yo ajusté el precio a la demanda. — “Yesterday, I adjusted the price to demand.”
  • Bea: Mañana, tú ajustarás el cinturón antes de salir. — “Tomorrow, you will adjust the belt before going out.”

At home, talking about tomorrow.

  • Luis: Nosotros ajustamos el plan a la realidad. — “We adjust the plan to reality.”
  • Marta: Antes, nosotros ajustábamos el plan a la realidad. — “Before, we used to adjust the plan to reality.”
  • Luis: Yo ajustaría el precio a la demanda si tuviera más tiempo. — “I would adjust the price to demand if I had more time.”
  • Marta: Espero que él ajuste la silla a su altura. — “I hope he adjusts the chair to my height.”

A short scene with ajustar

A short scene shows how ajustar works across the day. In the morning: Ajusto el cinturón antes de salir. In the afternoon: Ajusta el precio a la demanda. Yesterday it was different: Ayer, ajusté el plan a la realidad. And tomorrow: Mañana, ajustaré la silla a su altura. Four small moments, four tenses, one verb — that is how ajustar sounds in real life. Try changing the person in each sentence: say it about yourself, about a friend, and about your family, and the forms will start to feel automatic.

Common mistakes with ajustar

The errors learners actually make with ajustar, each with the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.

✗ Yo ajusta el cinturón antes de salir.

✓ Correct: Yo ajusto el cinturón antes de salir.

The person matters: ajusta is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is ajusto. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.

✗ Ayer yo ajusto el precio a la demanda.

✓ Correct: Ayer yo ajusté el precio a la demanda.

The present and the preterite are different tenses: ajusto is happening now, while ajusté is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.

✗ Treating ajustar and adaptar as identical in every context.

✓ Correct: Ajustar means to adjust, to fit, while adaptar means to adapt.

They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: ajustar fits sentences such as Ajusto el cinturón antes de salir, while adaptar belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.

✗ Yo soy ajustado el precio a la demanda.

✓ Correct: Yo he ajustado el precio a la demanda.

Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he ajustado, has ajustado, ha ajustado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.

✗ De niño, yo ajusté el plan a la realidad todos los días.

✓ Correct: De niño, yo ajustaba el plan a la realidad todos los días.

For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (ajustaba), not the preterite. The preterite (ajusté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: ajustar in use

Ten questions on ajustar — its forms, its tenses and its everyday use. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below, where every answer is explained.

1. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el precio a la demanda. — “He/she adjusts the price to demand.”

  • a) ajusta
  • b) ajusto
  • c) ajustas
  • d) ajustamos

2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, yo ______ el plan a la realidad. — “Yesterday, I adjusted the plan to reality.”

  • a) ajustaste
  • b) ajustó
  • c) ajustaron
  • d) ajusté

3. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ la silla a su altura cuando eran jóvenes. — “They used to adjust the chair to my height when they were young.”

  • a) ajustabas
  • b) ajustábamos
  • c) ajustaban
  • d) ajustaba

4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, nosotros ______ el cinturón antes de salir. — “Tomorrow, we will adjust the belt before going out.”

  • a) ajustarán
  • b) ajustaremos
  • c) ajustaré
  • d) ajustarás

5. Complete the sentence: Él ______ el precio a la demanda si pudiera. — “He would adjust the price to demand if he could.”

  • a) ajustaría
  • b) ajustarías
  • c) ajustaríamos
  • d) ajusto

6. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ el plan a la realidad. — “I have adjusted the plan to reality.”

  • a) has ajustado
  • b) ha ajustado
  • c) han ajustado
  • d) he ajustado

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que tú ______ la silla a su altura. — “I hope you adjust the chair to my height.”

  • a) ajustemos
  • b) ajusto
  • c) ajustes
  • d) ajuste

8. Which is the past participle of ajustar, used with haber in the perfect tenses?

  • a) ajusté
  • b) ajustado
  • c) ajustando
  • d) ajusto

9. What does ajustar mean in English?

  • a) to adjust, to fit
  • b) to adapt
  • c) to adjust (oneself), to fit
  • d) to praise

10. Which sentence is correct?

  • a) Él ajusta el precio a la demanda.
  • b) Él ajusto el precio a la demanda.
  • c) Nosotros ajusta el plan a la realidad.
  • d) Yo ajusta el cinturón antes de salir.

Answer key

  1. a) ajusta — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: ajusta.

  2. d) ajusté — The sentence needs the yo form in the preterite: ajusté, for one finished action yesterday.

  3. c) ajustaban — The sentence needs the ellos/ellas form in the imperfect: ajustaban, for a repeated past habit.

  4. b) ajustaremos — The sentence needs the nosotros form in the future: ajustaremos.

  5. a) ajustaría — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the conditional: ajustaría.

  6. d) he ajustado — The sentence needs the yo form in the present perfect: he ajustado, haber + ajustado.

  7. c) ajustes — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the tú present subjunctive is ajustes.

  8. b) ajustado — The past participle is ajustado: he ajustado, has ajustado, ha ajustado. The gerund ajustando is used with estar instead.

  9. a) to adjust, to fit — ajustar means to adjust, to fit. The other options are the meanings of different verbs.

  10. a) Él ajusta el precio a la demanda. — Él ajusta el precio a la demanda. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences mix up the person and the form.

Frequently asked questions

How do I use ajustar in everyday conversation?

Start with the phrases in the examples above — especially the common combinations such as Ajusto el cinturón antes de salir and Ajusta el precio a la demanda. Use the present tense for habits and general facts, and the preterite for things that happened once. Say the sentences aloud until the forms feel automatic, then swap in your own details: your own town, your own family, your own routine.

What is the difference between ajustar and adaptar?

Ajustar means “to adjust, to fit”, while adaptar means “to adapt”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use ajustar when you mean “to adjust, to fit” and adaptar when you mean “to adapt”.

Which tense do I need most with ajustar?

The present tense, for habits, routines and general facts — that is where you will use ajustar most. The preterite comes next, for things that happened once and ended. The examples on this page use both, plus the imperfect, the future and the present perfect, so you can see the verb across the tenses you actually need.

Is ajustar formal or informal?

Ajustar is neutral — it is used in both formal and informal Spanish, at home, at work and at school. There is no special formal version of it; the same forms work in a conversation with a friend and in a letter to a company. What changes is the situation, not the verb.

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