Asimilar Present Tense Conjugation in Spanish
The present tense of asimilar — “to assimilate” in English — is the form you need for what happens now, for habits and for general truths. This page gives you the full present conjugation table for asimilar with all six persons, explains exactly how the tense is formed for this verb, shows when to use it with real examples, and finishes with a quiz so you can test yourself. Asimilar means to assimilate, to absorb new information or a new culture until it becomes part of you. It is used for learning, immigration and the body absorbing nutrients, and it is fully regular. To see it in a real sentence: Asimilo la información del curso. — “I assimilate the information in the course.” Learn the six forms in the table below, and the present tense of asimilar will be ready for everyday conversation.
Present tense conjugation table: asimilar
Every person of asimilar in the present tense. The gerund is asimilando and the past participle is asimilado.
Present indicative
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | asimilo |
| tú | asimilas |
| él/ella/Ud. | asimila |
| nosotros/as | asimilamos |
| vosotros/as | asimiláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asimilan |
How the present indicative of asimilar is formed
The present indicative of asimilar is built from the stem plus the present indicative endings for -ar verbs. Take the infinitive, drop the -ar ending, and add the ending that matches the person. The table below shows the endings, and the full table above shows them attached to the stem.
| Person | Ending | Form |
|---|---|---|
| yo | -o | asimilo |
| tú | -as | asimilas |
| él/ella/Ud. | -a | asimila |
| nosotros/as | -amos | asimilamos |
| vosotros/as | -áis | asimiláis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | -an | asimilan |
Asimilar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the table above is completely regular. The stem is asimil- and the endings are the normal -ar endings, so once you know the pattern you can produce every form on this page.
The gerund of asimilar is asimilando and the past participle is asimilado. Both are regular for this verb, and the participle is the form you need for all the perfect tenses with haber.
When to use the present tense of asimilar
The present tense is not one single use — it covers several situations, and asimilar appears in all of them. The five uses below are the ones you will meet most often, each with an example that shows the verb in a natural sentence.
Routines and habits
Use the present for things you do regularly, every day or every week. The present is the tense of routine, and asimilar fits naturally into daily life.
“Yo asimilo la información del curso todos los días.” — “I assimilate the information in the course every day.”
General facts
Use the present for facts that are true in general, not just today. When you state how something is, the present is the tense to use.
“Él asimila la cultura del país nuevo.” — “He/she assimilates the culture of the new country.”
What is happening right now
Use the present for what is happening at this moment. Spanish often uses the simple present where English uses the progressive, so asimilo can mean both “I assimilate” and “I am assimilateing”.
“Ahora mismo, yo asimilo los nutrientes de la comida.” — “Right now, I assimilate the nutrients in the food.”
Fixed plans in the near future
Use the present for a plan that is already fixed, such as something arranged for tomorrow. Spanish uses the present for near-future plans much more freely than English does.
“Mañana, yo asimilo el idioma con la práctica.” — “Tomorrow, I will assimilate the language with practice.”
Questions and negatives
Use the present to ask about habits and to say what does not happen. The question and the negative use exactly the same forms as the statement.
“¿Tú asimilas la información del curso?” — “Do you assimilate the information in the course?”
The present tense vs the closest tenses
Present — habit or general fact vs Preterite — one finished occasion
The present describes a habit, a routine or a general fact — something that happens again and again or that is true in general. The preterite reports one finished occasion in the past. Use the present when the action repeats or is still true, and the preterite when you are telling what happened once, on a specific day.
- Present — habit or general fact: Asimila la cultura del país nuevo. — “He/she assimilates the culture of the new country.”
- Preterite — one finished occasion: Asimiló la cultura del país nuevo. — the same idea, placed in the preterite.
Present — now vs Imperfect — a past habit or background
The present talks about now. The imperfect talks about the past as a background — a repeated habit, an ongoing situation, something that used to happen. If you can add “used to” in English, the imperfect is usually the right choice; if it is happening now or always, use the present.
- Present — now: Asimilan los nutrientes de la comida. — “They assimilate the nutrients in the food.”
- Imperfect — a past habit or background: Asimilaban los nutrientes de la comida. — the same idea, placed in the imperfect.
Present — now or a fixed plan vs Future — what will happen
The present describes what happens now, what you do regularly, or a plan that is already fixed. The future describes what will happen later — a promise, a prediction, a plan that is not yet under way. Spanish often uses the present for near-future plans, but the future is the form for a clear statement about tomorrow.
- Present — now or a fixed plan: Asimilas el idioma con la práctica. — “You assimilate the language with practice.”
- Future — what will happen: Asimilarás el idioma con la práctica. — the same idea, placed in the future.
Examples: asimilar in the present tense
Seven sentences that show asimilar in the present tense only, across all six persons. Read each one aloud, notice the ending, and check the translation.
- Yo asimilo la información del curso. — “I assimilate the information in the course.”
- Tú asimilas la cultura del país nuevo. — “You assimilate the culture of the new country.”
- Él asimila los nutrientes de la comida. — “He assimilates the nutrients in the food.”
- Nosotros asimilamos el idioma con la práctica. — “We assimilate the language with practice.”
- Vosotros asimiláis la información del curso. — “You (plural) assimilate the information in the course.”
- Ellos asimilan la cultura del país nuevo. — “They assimilate the culture of the new country.”
- ¿Tú asimilas los nutrientes de la comida? — “Do you assimilate the nutrients in the food?”
Common mistakes with asimilar in the present tense
These are the errors learners actually make with asimilar in the present tense. Each one shows the wrong form, the right form, and why the right form is right.
✗ Yo asimilar la información del curso. (using the infinitive instead of a conjugated form).
✓ Correct: Yo asimilo la información del curso.
The infinitive is not a conjugated form. With yo, the present tense of asimilar is asimilo, not the infinitive asimilar.
✗ Vosotros asimilais la información del curso. (forgetting the accent on the vosotros form).
✓ Correct: Vosotros asimiláis la información del curso.
The vosotros present form carries a written accent: asimiláis, not asimilais. The accent marks the stressed vowel, and leaving it out is a spelling mistake.
✗ Ayer, yo asimilo la cultura del país nuevo. (using the present for a finished past action).
✓ Correct: Ayer, yo asimilé la cultura del país nuevo.
The present and the preterite are different tenses: asimilo is happening now, while asimilé is a finished action in the past. Use the preterite with ayer.
✗ Treating asimilar and entender as identical in every context. (confusing asimilar with entender).
✓ Correct: Asimilar means to assimilate, while entender means to understand.
They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: asimilar fits sentences such as Asimilo la información del curso, while entender belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
Quiz: asimilar in the present tense
Eight questions on the present tense of asimilar. Choose the best answer for each one, then check the answer key below — every answer is explained.
1. Which is the correct present tense form of asimilar for tú?
- a) asimilas
- b) asimilo
- c) asimila
- d) asimilan
2. Complete the sentence: Yo ______ la información del curso. — “I assimilate the information in the course.”
- a) asimila
- b) asimilamos
- c) asimilas
- d) asimilo
3. Complete the sentence: Él ______ la cultura del país nuevo. — “He/she assimilates the culture of the new country.” (present tense)
- a) asimilaba
- b) asimilará
- c) asimila
- d) asimiló
4. Which is the correct present tense form of asimilar for nosotros?
- a) asimilan
- b) asimilamos
- c) asimilo
- d) asimila
5. Which sentence uses asimilar correctly in the present tense?
- a) Él asimiló la cultura del país nuevo.
- b) Él asimila la cultura del país nuevo.
- c) Él asimilará la cultura del país nuevo.
- d) Ellos asimila la cultura del país nuevo.
6. Complete the sentence: Ellos ______ los nutrientes de la comida. — “They assimilate the nutrients in the food.”
- a) asimilo
- b) asimila
- c) asimilamos
- d) asimilan
7. Complete the question: ¿Tú ______ el idioma con la práctica? — “Do you assimilate the language with practice?”
- a) asimila
- b) asimilarás
- c) asimilas
- d) asimilo
8. What is the gerund of asimilar?
- a) asimilé
- b) asimilando
- c) asimilado
- d) asimilo
Answer key
a) asimilas — The tú form is asimilas. The -s ending belongs to tú in the present; asimilo is yo, asimila is él/ella and asimilan is ellos/ellas.
d) asimilo — The sentence needs the yo form in the present: asimilo. The other options are the wrong person.
c) asimila — The sentence needs the él/ella/Ud. form in the present: asimila. The other options are the preterite, the imperfect and the future.
b) asimilamos — Nosotros takes asimilamos. In the present the nosotros ending for -ar verbs is -amos, attached to the stem.
b) Él asimila la cultura del país nuevo. — Él asimila la cultura del país nuevo. is correct: the verb agrees with its subject. The other sentences use the wrong person or the wrong tense.
d) asimilan — The subject is ellos/ellas/Uds., so the present form is asimilan.
c) asimilas — The question needs the tú form in the present: asimilas.
b) asimilando — The gerund is asimilando. It is the form you use with estar for the progressive (estar + gerund), and it is not the past participle asimilado.
Frequently asked questions
Is asimilar regular in the present tense?
Yes. Asimilar is a regular -ar verb in the present tense, so the forms follow the standard endings: asimilo, asimilas, asimila, asimilamos, asimiláis and asimilan.
What is the gerund and the past participle of asimilar?
The gerund is asimilando and the past participle is asimilado. Use the gerund with estar for the progressive, and the participle with haber for the perfect tenses.
How do you say “I assimilate” in Spanish?
Say asimilo. For example: Asimilo la información del curso. — “I assimilate the information in the course.”
What is the difference between asimilar and entender?
Asimilar means “to assimilate”, while entender means “to understand”. They are related words that learners often meet together, but they are not interchangeable — use asimilar when you mean “to assimilate” and entender when you mean “to understand”. The full conjugation of asimilar is on its own page.
Related links
- Full conjugation of asimilar — every tense and mood, with the complete tables.
- asimilar examples and quiz — more sentences, dialogues and a longer quiz.
- Spanish Present tense guide — how the present tense works for all Spanish verbs.
- Spanish verbs — the full list of Spanish verbs on VerbFlow.
- Asesorar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with asimilar.
- Asesinar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with asimilar.
- Azotar conjugation — another -ar verb to compare with asimilar.
- Present Tense Conjugator — practise this verb in the interactive tool.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on Spanish verbs.