Anticiparse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb anticiparse means to anticipate, to get ahead, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Anticiparse means to anticipate or to get ahead, to act before others or before an event. It is the reflexive partner of anticipar, used for people who move first, and it is fully regular. Like every Spanish verb, anticiparse 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 anticipo a sus rivales en la carrera, and in the preterite you say me anticipé a la competencia con una oferta. 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: anticiparse
  • English: to anticipate, to get ahead
  • Verb type: regular -ar verb, reflexive
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: anticipando
  • Past participle: anticipado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + anticipado)
  • 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 anticiparse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Anticiparse is reflexive: me anticipo. It takes a: anticiparse a los problemas, anticiparse a la competencia.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for anticiparse. 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 anticipo
tú te anticipas
él/ella/Ud. se anticipa
nosotros/as nos anticipamos
vosotros/as os anticipáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se anticipan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me anticipé
tú te anticipaste
él/ella/Ud. se anticipó
nosotros/as nos anticipamos
vosotros/as os anticipasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se anticiparon

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me anticipaba
tú te anticipabas
él/ella/Ud. se anticipaba
nosotros/as nos anticipábamos
vosotros/as os anticipabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se anticipaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me anticiparé
tú te anticiparás
él/ella/Ud. se anticipará
nosotros/as nos anticiparemos
vosotros/as os anticiparéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se anticiparán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me anticiparía
tú te anticiparías
él/ella/Ud. se anticiparía
nosotros/as nos anticiparíamos
vosotros/as os anticiparíais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se anticiparían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me anticipe
tú te anticipes
él/ella/Ud. se anticipe
nosotros/as nos anticipemos
vosotros/as os anticipéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se anticipen

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me anticipara
tú te anticiparas
él/ella/Ud. se anticipara
nosotros/as nos anticipáramos
vosotros/as os anticiparais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se anticiparan

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te anticipa
él/ella/Ud. se anticipe
nosotros/as nos anticipemos
vosotros/as os anticipad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se anticipen

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te anticipes
él/ella/Ud. se anticipe
nosotros/as nos anticipemos
vosotros/as os anticipéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se anticipen

Gerund and past participle

Form Spanish Use
Gerund anticipando with estar for the progressive: estoy anticipando (or me estoy anticipando for this reflexive verb)
Past participle anticipado with haber for the perfect tenses: he anticipado

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 anticiparse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me anticipo a sus rivales en la carrera. 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 anticiparse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me anticipé a los problemas con un plan. 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 anticiparse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me anticipaba a la competencia con una oferta. 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 anticiparse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me anticiparé a la crisis con medidas. 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 anticiparse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me anticiparía a sus rivales en la carrera 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 anticiparse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he anticipado a los problemas con un plan. 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 anticiparse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había anticipado a la competencia con una oferta 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 anticiparse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré anticipado a la crisis con medidas. 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 anticiparse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría anticipado a sus rivales en la carrera 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 anticiparse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se anticipe a los problemas con un plan. 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 anticiparse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se anticipara a la competencia con una oferta, 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 anticiparse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se anticipe a la crisis con medidas. 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 anticiparse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te anticipes a sus rivales en la carrera. 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 anticiparse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me anticipo a sus rivales en la carrera. — I get ahead his rivals in the race.
  2. Se anticipa a los problemas con un plan. — He/she gets ahead problems with a plan.
  3. Ayer, me anticipé a la competencia con una oferta. — Yesterday, I got ahead the competition with an offer.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos anticipábamos a la crisis con medidas. — Before, we used to get ahead the crisis with measures.
  5. Mañana, tú te anticiparás a sus rivales en la carrera. — Tomorrow, you will get ahead his rivals in the race.
  6. Yo me anticiparía a los problemas con un plan si tuviera más tiempo. — I would get ahead problems with a plan if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha anticipado a la competencia con una oferta. — He has got ahead the competition with an offer.
  8. Espero que él se anticipe a la crisis con medidas. — I hope he gets ahead the crisis with measures.
  9. Yo ya me había anticipado a sus rivales en la carrera antes de salir. — I had already got ahead his rivals in the race before leaving.
  10. Ellos se anticipaban a los problemas con un plan cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to get ahead problems with a plan when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo anticipo a sus rivales en la carrera. — Right: Yo me anticipo a sus rivales en la carrera. — Anticiparse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Ayer yo anticipo a los problemas con un plan. — Right: Ayer yo anticipé a los problemas con un plan. — The present and the preterite are different tenses: anticipo is happening now, while anticipé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
  3. Wrong: Treating anticiparse and adelantarse as identical in every context. — Right: Anticiparse means to anticipate, to get ahead, while adelantarse means to move ahead. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: anticiparse fits sentences such as Me anticipo a sus rivales en la carrera, while adelantarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy anticipado a los problemas con un plan. — Right: Yo he anticipado a los problemas con un plan. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he anticipado, has anticipado, ha anticipado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo anticipé a la competencia con una oferta todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo anticipaba a la competencia con una oferta todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (anticipaba), not the preterite. The preterite (anticipé) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

Ten questions on anticiparse. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a sus rivales en la carrera. (present tense) A. me anticipo B. te anticipas C. se anticipa D. nos anticipamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ a los problemas con un plan. (preterite) A. me anticipé B. te anticipaste C. se anticiparon D. se anticipó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ a la competencia con una oferta. (imperfect) A. te anticipabas B. se anticipaban C. nos anticipábamos D. me anticipaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ a la crisis con medidas. (future) A. nos anticiparemos B. te anticiparás C. me anticiparé D. se anticipará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ a sus rivales en la carrera si pudiera. (conditional) A. me anticiparía B. te anticiparías C. se anticiparía D. se anticiparían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ a los problemas con un plan. (present subjunctive) A. me anticipe B. te anticipes C. nos anticipemos D. se anticipe

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ a la competencia con una oferta, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se anticipara B. nos anticipáramos C. me anticipara D. te anticiparas

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ a la crisis con medidas. (present perfect) A. se han anticipado B. nos hemos anticipado C. me he anticipado D. te has anticipado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ a sus rivales en la carrera. (negative imperative, tú) A. te anticipes B. se anticipe C. nos anticipemos D. os anticipéis

  10. Which is the gerund of anticiparse, used with estar for the progressive? A. anticipado B. anticipo C. anticipé D. anticipando

Answer key

  1. me anticipo — The first-person present of anticiparse is me anticipo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se anticipó — The third-person preterite of anticiparse is se anticipó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos anticipábamos — The nosotros imperfect of anticiparse is nos anticipábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te anticiparás — The second-person future of anticiparse is te anticiparás.
  5. me anticiparía — The first-person conditional of anticiparse is me anticiparía, the form for what would happen.
  6. se anticipe — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of anticiparse is se anticipe.
  7. me anticipara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of anticiparse is me anticipara.
  8. nos hemos anticipado — The nosotros present perfect of anticiparse is nos hemos anticipado: hemos + anticipado.
  9. te anticipes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te anticipes.
  10. anticipando — The gerund of anticiparse is anticipando: estoy anticipando. The participle anticipado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does anticiparse mean in English?

Anticiparse means to anticipate, to get ahead. It is used in everyday situations such as Me anticipo a sus rivales en la carrera. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is anticiparse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Anticiparse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me anticipo a sus rivales en la carrera and él se anticipa a los problemas con un plan. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between anticiparse and adelantarse?

Anticiparse means to anticipate, to get ahead, while adelantarse means to move ahead. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use anticiparse when you mean to anticipate, to get ahead, as in Me anticipo a sus rivales en la carrera, and use adelantarse for to move ahead. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I anticipate” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me anticipé a los problemas con un plan. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me anticipaba a la competencia con una oferta. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he anticipado a los problemas con un plan.

How do I practise anticiparse?

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

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