Ajustarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb ajustarse means to adjust (oneself), to fit, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Ajustarse means to adjust oneself or to fit, for a garment fitting a body, a person adapting to a rule, or a budget fitting the money available. It is the reflexive partner of ajustar, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, ajustarse 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 me ajusto a las normas de la empresa, and in the preterite you say me ajusté el vestido a su cuerpo. 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: ajustarse
  • English: to adjust (oneself), to fit
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: ajustando
  • Past participle: ajustado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + ajustado)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for ajustarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Ajustarse is reflexive: me ajusto. It takes a: ajustarse a las normas, ajustarse al presupuesto.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for ajustarse. 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 Pronoun Form
yo me ajusto
tú te ajustas
él/ella/Ud. se ajusta
nosotros/as nos ajustamos
vosotros/as os ajustáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ajustan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ajusté
tú te ajustaste
él/ella/Ud. se ajustó
nosotros/as nos ajustamos
vosotros/as os ajustasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ajustaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ajustaba
tú te ajustabas
él/ella/Ud. se ajustaba
nosotros/as nos ajustábamos
vosotros/as os ajustabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ajustaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ajustaré
tú te ajustarás
él/ella/Ud. se ajustará
nosotros/as nos ajustaremos
vosotros/as os ajustaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ajustarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ajustaría
tú te ajustarías
él/ella/Ud. se ajustaría
nosotros/as nos ajustaríamos
vosotros/as os ajustaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ajustarían

Present perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me he ajustado
tú te has ajustado
él/ella/Ud. se ha ajustado
nosotros/as nos hemos ajustado
vosotros/as os habéis ajustado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se han ajustado

Pluperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me había ajustado
tú te habías ajustado
él/ella/Ud. se había ajustado
nosotros/as nos habíamos ajustado
vosotros/as os habíais ajustado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habían ajustado

Future perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habré ajustado
tú te habrás ajustado
él/ella/Ud. se habrá ajustado
nosotros/as nos habremos ajustado
vosotros/as os habréis ajustado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrán ajustado

Conditional perfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me habría ajustado
tú te habrías ajustado
él/ella/Ud. se habría ajustado
nosotros/as nos habríamos ajustado
vosotros/as os habríais ajustado
ellos/ellas/Uds. se habrían ajustado

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ajuste
tú te ajustes
él/ella/Ud. se ajuste
nosotros/as nos ajustemos
vosotros/as os ajustéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ajusten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me ajustara
tú te ajustaras
él/ella/Ud. se ajustara
nosotros/as nos ajustáramos
vosotros/as os ajustarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ajustaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te ajusta
él/ella/Ud. se ajuste
nosotros/as nos ajustemos
vosotros/as os ajustad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ajusten

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te ajustes
él/ella/Ud. se ajuste
nosotros/as nos ajustemos
vosotros/as os ajustéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se ajusten

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund ajustando with estar for the progressive: estoy ajustando (or me estoy ajustando for this reflexive verb)
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 ajustarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me ajusto a las normas de la empresa. 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 ajustarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me ajusté al presupuesto del mes. 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 ajustarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me ajustaba el vestido a su cuerpo. 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 ajustarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me ajustaré a la nueva situación. 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 ajustarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me ajustaría a las normas de la empresa 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 ajustarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he ajustado al presupuesto del mes. 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 ajustarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había ajustado el vestido a su cuerpo 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 ajustarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré ajustado a la nueva situación. 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 ajustarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría ajustado a las normas de la empresa 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 ajustarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se ajuste al presupuesto del mes. 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 ajustarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se ajustara el vestido a su cuerpo, 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 ajustarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se ajuste a la nueva situación. 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 ajustarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te ajustes a las normas de la empresa. 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 ajustarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me ajusto a las normas de la empresa. — I adjust the company's rules.
  2. Se ajusta al presupuesto del mes. — He/she adjusts the monthly budget.
  3. Ayer, me ajusté el vestido a su cuerpo. — Yesterday, I adjusted the dress to her body.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos ajustábamos a la nueva situación. — Before, we used to adjust the new situation.
  5. Mañana, tú te ajustarás a las normas de la empresa. — Tomorrow, you will adjust the company's rules.
  6. Yo me ajustaría al presupuesto del mes si tuviera más tiempo. — I would adjust the monthly budget if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha ajustado el vestido a su cuerpo. — He has adjusted the dress to her body.
  8. Espero que él se ajuste a la nueva situación. — I hope he adjusts the new situation.
  9. Yo ya me había ajustado a las normas de la empresa antes de salir. — I had already adjusted the company's rules before leaving.
  10. Ellos se ajustaban al presupuesto del mes cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to adjust the monthly budget when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo ajusto a las normas de la empresa. — Right: Yo me ajusto a las normas de la empresa. — Ajustarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo ajusto al presupuesto del mes. — Right: Ayer yo ajusté al presupuesto del mes. — 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.
  3. Wrong: Treating ajustarse and adaptarse as identical in every context. — Right: Ajustarse means to adjust (oneself), to fit, while adaptarse means to adapt oneself. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: ajustarse fits sentences such as Me ajusto a las normas de la empresa, while adaptarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy ajustado al presupuesto del mes. — Right: Yo he ajustado al presupuesto del mes. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he ajustado, has ajustado, ha ajustado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo ajusté el vestido a su cuerpo todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo ajustaba el vestido a su cuerpo 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 ajustarse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las normas de la empresa. (present tense) A. me ajusto B. te ajustas C. se ajusta D. nos ajustamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ al presupuesto del mes. (preterite) A. me ajusté B. te ajustaste C. se ajustaron D. se ajustó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el vestido a su cuerpo. (imperfect) A. te ajustabas B. se ajustaban C. nos ajustábamos D. me ajustaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a la nueva situación. (future) A. nos ajustaremos B. te ajustarás C. me ajustaré D. se ajustará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a las normas de la empresa si pudiera. (conditional) A. me ajustaría B. te ajustarías C. se ajustaría D. se ajustarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ al presupuesto del mes. (present subjunctive) A. me ajuste B. te ajustes C. nos ajustemos D. se ajuste

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el vestido a su cuerpo, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se ajustara B. nos ajustáramos C. me ajustara D. te ajustaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a la nueva situación. (present perfect) A. se han ajustado B. nos hemos ajustado C. me he ajustado D. te has ajustado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ a las normas de la empresa. (negative imperative, tú) A. te ajustes B. se ajuste C. nos ajustemos D. os ajustéis

  10. Which is the gerund of ajustarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. ajustado B. ajusto C. ajusté D. ajustando

Answer key

  1. me ajusto — The first-person present of ajustarse is me ajusto. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se ajustó — The third-person preterite of ajustarse is se ajustó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos ajustábamos — The nosotros imperfect of ajustarse is nos ajustábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te ajustarás — The second-person future of ajustarse is te ajustarás.
  5. me ajustaría — The first-person conditional of ajustarse is me ajustaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se ajuste — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of ajustarse is se ajuste.
  7. me ajustara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of ajustarse is me ajustara.
  8. nos hemos ajustado — The nosotros present perfect of ajustarse is nos hemos ajustado: hemos + ajustado.
  9. te ajustes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te ajustes.
  10. ajustando — The gerund of ajustarse is ajustando: estoy ajustando. The participle ajustado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does ajustarse mean in English?

Ajustarse means to adjust (oneself), to fit. It is used in everyday situations such as Me ajusto a las normas de la empresa. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is ajustarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Ajustarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me ajusto a las normas de la empresa and él se ajusta al presupuesto del mes. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between ajustarse and adaptarse?

Ajustarse means to adjust (oneself), to fit, while adaptarse means to adapt oneself. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use ajustarse when you mean to adjust (oneself), to fit, as in Me ajusto a las normas de la empresa, and use adaptarse for to adapt oneself. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I adjust (oneself)” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me ajusté al presupuesto del mes. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me ajustaba el vestido a su cuerpo. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he ajustado al presupuesto del mes.

How do I practise ajustarse?

Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the ajustarse examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.

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