Asentarse Conjugation in Spanish

The Spanish verb asentarse means to settle (down), and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Asentarse means to settle down, for a person or a family making a home in a place, or for dust settling. It is the reflexive partner of asentar, and it is a stem-changing verb (e to ie) in the present, the present subjunctive and the imperative. Like every Spanish verb, asentarse 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 asiento en el pueblo con su familia, and in the preterite you say me asenté en la casa nueva en verano. 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: asentarse
  • English: to settle (down)
  • Verb type: irregular verb, reflexive, stem-changing (e → ie)
  • Ending: -ar
  • Gerund: asentando
  • Past participle: asentado
  • Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + asentado)
  • Reflexive pronouns: me, te, se, nos, os, se — one before every conjugated form, matching the person.
  • Stem change: e → ie in the present, present subjunctive and imperative; nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem.

Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for asentarse, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Asentarse is reflexive and stem-changing: me asiento. It is settling down in a place; instalarse is the close synonym for moving in.

Full conjugation tables

Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for asentarse. 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 asiento
tú te asientas
él/ella/Ud. se asienta
nosotros/as nos asentamos
vosotros/as os asentáis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se asientan

Preterite

Person Pronoun Form
yo me asenté
tú te asentaste
él/ella/Ud. se asentó
nosotros/as nos asentamos
vosotros/as os asentasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se asentaron

Imperfect

Person Pronoun Form
yo me asentaba
tú te asentabas
él/ella/Ud. se asentaba
nosotros/as nos asentábamos
vosotros/as os asentabais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se asentaban

Future

Person Pronoun Form
yo me asentaré
tú te asentarás
él/ella/Ud. se asentará
nosotros/as nos asentaremos
vosotros/as os asentaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se asentarán

Conditional

Person Pronoun Form
yo me asentaría
tú te asentarías
él/ella/Ud. se asentaría
nosotros/as nos asentaríamos
vosotros/as os asentaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se asentarían

Present perfect

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

Pluperfect

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

Future perfect

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

Conditional perfect

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

Present subjunctive

Person Pronoun Form
yo me asiente
tú te asientes
él/ella/Ud. se asiente
nosotros/as nos asentemos
vosotros/as os asentéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se asienten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)

Person Pronoun Form
yo me asentara
tú te asentaras
él/ella/Ud. se asentara
nosotros/as nos asentáramos
vosotros/as os asentarais
ellos/ellas/Uds. se asentaran

Imperative (affirmative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te asienta
él/ella/Ud. se asiente
nosotros/as nos asentemos
vosotros/as os asentad
ellos/ellas/Uds. se asienten

Imperative (negative)

Person Pronoun Form
tú te asientes
él/ella/Ud. se asiente
nosotros/as nos asentemos
vosotros/as os asentéis
ellos/ellas/Uds. se asienten

Gerund and past participle

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

How to use each tense

Present indicative

Use the present for routines, general facts and what is happening right now. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For asentarse, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Me asiento en el pueblo con su familia. 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 asentarse, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, me asenté en Madrid después de años de viaje. 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 asentarse, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, me asentaba en la casa nueva en verano. 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 asentarse, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, me asentaré en el campo para siempre. 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 asentarse, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Me asentaría en el pueblo con su familia 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 asentarse, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, me he asentado en Madrid después de años de viaje. 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 asentarse, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me había asentado en la casa nueva en verano 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 asentarse, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, me habré asentado en el campo para siempre. 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 asentarse, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Me habría asentado en el pueblo con su familia 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For asentarse, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él se asiente en Madrid después de años de viaje. 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 asentarse, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él se asentara en la casa nueva en verano, 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For asentarse, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: Que se asiente en el campo para siempre. 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. This tense is irregular for this verb: the stem changes e → ie in the singular and third-person plural forms, while nosotros and vosotros keep the original stem. For asentarse, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No te asientes en el pueblo con su familia. 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 asentarse, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.

  1. Me asiento en el pueblo con su familia. — I settle down in the village with his family.
  2. Se asienta en Madrid después de años de viaje. — He/she settles down in Madrid after years of travel.
  3. Ayer, me asenté en la casa nueva en verano. — Yesterday, I settled down in the new house in summer.
  4. Antes, nosotros nos asentábamos en el campo para siempre. — Before, we used to settle down in the countryside for good.
  5. Mañana, tú te asentarás en el pueblo con su familia. — Tomorrow, you will settle down in the village with his family.
  6. Yo me asentaría en Madrid después de años de viaje si tuviera más tiempo. — I would settle down in Madrid after years of travel if I had more time.
  7. Él se ha asentado en la casa nueva en verano. — He has settled down in the new house in summer.
  8. Espero que él se asiente en el campo para siempre. — I hope he settles down in the countryside for good.
  9. Yo ya me había asentado en el pueblo con su familia antes de salir. — I had already settled down in the village with his family before leaving.
  10. Ellos se asentaban en Madrid después de años de viaje cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to settle down in Madrid after years of travel when they were young.

Common mistakes

  1. Wrong: Yo asiento en el pueblo con su familia. — Right: Yo me asiento en el pueblo con su familia. — Asentarse is reflexive, so the pronoun me is required: without it the verb means something else, or nothing at all.
  2. Wrong: Yo asento en Madrid después de años de viaje. — Right: Yo asiento en Madrid después de años de viaje. — Asentarse is a stem-changing verb (e → ie), so the stem changes in the present singular and third-person plural. The nosotros form keeps the original stem.
  3. Wrong: Treating asentarse and instalarse as identical in every context. — Right: Asentarse means to settle (down), while instalarse means to settle in, a close synonym. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: asentarse fits sentences such as Me asiento en el pueblo con su familia, while instalarse belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
  4. Wrong: Yo soy asentado en Madrid después de años de viaje. — Right: Yo he asentado en Madrid después de años de viaje. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he asentado, has asentado, ha asentado. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
  5. Wrong: De niño, yo asenté en la casa nueva en verano todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo asentaba en la casa nueva en verano todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (asentaba), not the preterite. The preterite (asenté) is for one finished action.

Quiz: test yourself

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

  1. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en el pueblo con su familia. (present tense) A. me asiento B. te asientas C. se asienta D. nos asentamos

  2. Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ en Madrid después de años de viaje. (preterite) A. me asenté B. te asentaste C. se asentaron D. se asentó

  3. Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ en la casa nueva en verano. (imperfect) A. te asentabas B. se asentaban C. nos asentábamos D. me asentaba

  4. Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ en el campo para siempre. (future) A. nos asentaremos B. te asentarás C. me asentaré D. se asentará

  5. Complete the sentence: Yo ___ en el pueblo con su familia si pudiera. (conditional) A. me asentaría B. te asentarías C. se asentaría D. se asentarían

  6. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ en Madrid después de años de viaje. (present subjunctive) A. me asiente B. te asientes C. nos asentemos D. se asiente

  7. Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ en la casa nueva en verano, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. se asentara B. nos asentáramos C. me asentara D. te asentaras

  8. Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ en el campo para siempre. (present perfect) A. se han asentado B. nos hemos asentado C. me he asentado D. te has asentado

  9. Complete the command: No ___ en el pueblo con su familia. (negative imperative, tú) A. te asientes B. se asiente C. nos asentemos D. os asentéis

  10. Which is the gerund of asentarse, used with estar for the progressive? A. asentado B. asiento C. asenté D. asentando

Answer key

  1. me asiento — The first-person present of asentarse is me asiento. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
  2. se asentó — The third-person preterite of asentarse is se asentó, the form for a single finished action in the past.
  3. nos asentábamos — The nosotros imperfect of asentarse is nos asentábamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
  4. te asentarás — The second-person future of asentarse is te asentarás.
  5. me asentaría — The first-person conditional of asentarse is me asentaría, the form for what would happen.
  6. se asiente — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of asentarse is se asiente.
  7. me asentara — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of asentarse is me asentara.
  8. nos hemos asentado — The nosotros present perfect of asentarse is nos hemos asentado: hemos + asentado.
  9. te asientes — The negative tú imperative uses the present subjunctive form with no before it: te asientes.
  10. asentando — The gerund of asentarse is asentando: estoy asentando. The participle asentado is used with haber instead.

Frequently asked questions

What does asentarse mean in English?

Asentarse means to settle (down). It is used in everyday situations such as Me asiento en el pueblo con su familia. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.

Is asentarse a reflexive verb?

Yes. Asentarse is reflexive, so it always takes a reflexive pronoun that matches the person: me, te, se, nos, os or se. For example, Me asiento en el pueblo con su familia and él se asienta en Madrid después de años de viaje. If you leave the pronoun out, the verb changes meaning or stops making sense.

What is the difference between asentarse and instalarse?

Asentarse means to settle (down), while instalarse means to settle in, a close synonym. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use asentarse when you mean to settle (down), as in Me asiento en el pueblo con su familia, and use instalarse for to settle in, a close synonym. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.

How do I say “I settle (down)” in the past?

It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo me asenté en Madrid después de años de viaje. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo me asentaba en la casa nueva en verano. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo me he asentado en Madrid después de años de viaje.

How do I practise asentarse?

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

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