Ajustar Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb ajustar means to adjust, to fit, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know 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. Like every Spanish verb, ajustar 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 ajusto el cinturón antes de salir, and in the preterite you say ajusté el plan a la realidad. 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: ajustar
- English: to adjust, to fit
- Verb type: regular -ar verb
- Ending: -ar
- Gerund: ajustando
- Past participle: ajustado
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + ajustado)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ajustar, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Ajustar is fully regular: ajusto, ajusta. It is a small, precise change; adaptar is changing something to suit a new situation.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for ajustar. 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 | ajusto |
| tú | ajustas |
| él/ella/Ud. | ajusta |
| nosotros/as | ajustamos |
| vosotros/as | ajustáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ajustan |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ajusté |
| tú | ajustaste |
| él/ella/Ud. | ajustó |
| nosotros/as | ajustamos |
| vosotros/as | ajustasteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ajustaron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ajustaba |
| tú | ajustabas |
| él/ella/Ud. | ajustaba |
| nosotros/as | ajustábamos |
| vosotros/as | ajustabais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ajustaban |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ajustaré |
| tú | ajustarás |
| él/ella/Ud. | ajustará |
| nosotros/as | ajustaremos |
| vosotros/as | ajustaréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ajustarán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ajustaría |
| tú | ajustarías |
| él/ella/Ud. | ajustaría |
| nosotros/as | ajustaríamos |
| vosotros/as | ajustaríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ajustarían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he ajustado |
| tú | has ajustado |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha ajustado |
| nosotros/as | hemos ajustado |
| vosotros/as | habéis ajustado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han ajustado |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había ajustado |
| tú | habías ajustado |
| él/ella/Ud. | había ajustado |
| nosotros/as | habíamos ajustado |
| vosotros/as | habíais ajustado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían ajustado |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré ajustado |
| tú | habrás ajustado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá ajustado |
| nosotros/as | habremos ajustado |
| vosotros/as | habréis ajustado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán ajustado |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría ajustado |
| tú | habrías ajustado |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría ajustado |
| nosotros/as | habríamos ajustado |
| vosotros/as | habríais ajustado |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían ajustado |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ajuste |
| tú | ajustes |
| él/ella/Ud. | ajuste |
| nosotros/as | ajustemos |
| vosotros/as | ajustéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ajusten |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | ajustara |
| tú | ajustaras |
| él/ella/Ud. | ajustara |
| nosotros/as | ajustáramos |
| vosotros/as | ajustarais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ajustaran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ajusta |
| él/ella/Ud. | ajuste |
| nosotros/as | ajustemos |
| vosotros/as | ajustad |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ajusten |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | ajustes |
| él/ella/Ud. | ajuste |
| nosotros/as | ajustemos |
| vosotros/as | ajustéis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | ajusten |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | ajustando | with estar for the progressive: estoy ajustando |
| Past participle | ajustado | with haber for the perfect tenses: he ajustado |
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 ajustar, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Ajusto el cinturón antes de salir. 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 ajustar, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, ajusté el precio a la demanda. 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 ajustar, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, ajustaba el plan a la realidad. 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 ajustar, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, ajustaré la silla a su altura. 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 ajustar, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Ajustaría el cinturón antes de salir 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 ajustar, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he ajustado el precio a la demanda. 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 ajustar, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había ajustado el plan a la realidad 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 ajustar, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré ajustado la silla a su altura. 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 ajustar, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría ajustado el cinturón antes de salir 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 ajustar, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él ajuste el precio a la demanda. 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 ajustar, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él ajustara el plan a la realidad, 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 ajustar, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡Ajusta la silla a su altura! 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 ajustar, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No ajustes el cinturón antes de salir. 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 ajustar, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Ajusto el cinturón antes de salir. — I adjust the belt before going out.
- Ajusta el precio a la demanda. — He/she adjusts the price to demand.
- Ayer, ajusté el plan a la realidad. — Yesterday, I adjusted the plan to reality.
- Antes, nosotros ajustábamos la silla a su altura. — Before, we used to adjust the chair to my height.
- Mañana, tú ajustarás el cinturón antes de salir. — Tomorrow, you will adjust the belt before going out.
- Yo ajustaría el precio a la demanda si tuviera más tiempo. — I would adjust the price to demand if I had more time.
- Él ha ajustado el plan a la realidad. — He has adjusted the plan to reality.
- Espero que él ajuste la silla a su altura. — I hope he adjusts the chair to my height.
- Yo ya había ajustado el cinturón antes de salir antes de salir. — I had already adjusted the belt before going out before leaving.
- Ellos ajustaban el precio a la demanda cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to adjust the price to demand when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo ajusta el cinturón antes de salir. — Right: 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.
- Wrong: Ayer yo ajusto el precio a la demanda. — Right: 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.
- Wrong: Treating ajustar and adaptar as identical in every context. — Right: 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.
- Wrong: Yo soy ajustado el precio a la demanda. — Right: 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.
- Wrong: De niño, yo ajusté el plan a la realidad todos los días. — Right: 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: test yourself
Ten questions on ajustar. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el cinturón antes de salir. (present tense) A. ajusto B. ajustas C. ajusta D. ajustamos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el precio a la demanda. (preterite) A. ajusté B. ajustaste C. ajustaron D. ajustó
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el plan a la realidad. (imperfect) A. ajustabas B. ajustaban C. ajustábamos D. ajustaba
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ la silla a su altura. (future) A. ajustaremos B. ajustarás C. ajustaré D. ajustará
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ el cinturón antes de salir si pudiera. (conditional) A. ajustaría B. ajustarías C. ajustarían D. ajusto
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el precio a la demanda. (present subjunctive) A. ajustes B. ajustemos C. ajusto D. ajuste
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el plan a la realidad, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. ajustáramos B. ajusto C. ajustara D. ajustaras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ la silla a su altura. (present perfect) A. han ajustado B. hemos ajustado C. he ajustado D. has ajustado
Complete the command: ¡___ el cinturón antes de salir! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. ajusta B. ajuste C. ajustemos D. ajustad
Which is the gerund of ajustar, used with estar for the progressive? A. ajustado B. ajusto C. ajusté D. ajustando
Answer key
- ajusto — The first-person present of ajustar is ajusto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- ajustó — The third-person preterite of ajustar is ajustó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- ajustábamos — The nosotros imperfect of ajustar is ajustábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- ajustarás — The second-person future of ajustar is ajustarás.
- ajustaría — The first-person conditional of ajustar is ajustaría, the form for what would happen.
- ajuste — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of ajustar is ajuste.
- ajustara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of ajustar is ajustara.
- hemos ajustado — The nosotros present perfect of ajustar is hemos ajustado: hemos + ajustado.
- ajusta — The affirmative tú imperative of ajustar is ajusta.
- ajustando — The gerund of ajustar is ajustando: estoy ajustando. The participle ajustado is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does ajustar mean in English?
Ajustar means to adjust, to fit. It is used in everyday situations such as Ajusto el cinturón antes de salir. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is ajustar regular or irregular?
Ajustar 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 ajusto in the present and ajusté in the preterite.
What is the difference between ajustar and adaptar?
Ajustar means to adjust, to fit, while adaptar means to adapt. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use ajustar when you mean to adjust, to fit, as in Ajusto el cinturón antes de salir, and use adaptar for to adapt. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I adjust” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo ajusté el precio a la demanda. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo ajustaba el plan a la realidad. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he ajustado el precio a la demanda.
How do I practise ajustar?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the ajustar examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Ajustar in the present tense — the full present-tense table for ajustar.
- Ajustar examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for ajustar.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Aislar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with ajustar.
- Alabar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with ajustar.
- Ahuyentar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with ajustar.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.