Asumir Conjugation in Spanish
The Spanish verb asumir means to assume, and it is a verb you will use again and again once you know it. Asumir means to assume, and it covers assuming a responsibility, assuming a cost, assuming a role and assuming that something is true. It is a formal verb of work, politics and reasoning, and it is a regular -ir verb. Like every Spanish verb, asumir 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 asumo la responsabilidad del proyecto, and in the preterite you say asumí el papel de portavoz. 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: asumir
- English: to assume
- Verb type: regular -ir verb
- Ending: -ir
- Gerund: asumiendo
- Past participle: asumido
- Auxiliary verb: haber (all perfect tenses are formed with haber + asumido)
Pronunciation is not listed on this page: the verified tables do not include IPA for asumir, so no pronunciation is given rather than an invented one. Asumir is a regular -ir verb: asumí, asumía, asumiré. Its noun is asunción in formal language, but responsabilidad is more common.
Full conjugation tables
Every form below comes from the verified conjugation tables for asumir. 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 | asumo |
| tú | asumes |
| él/ella/Ud. | asume |
| nosotros/as | asumimos |
| vosotros/as | asumís |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asumen |
Preterite
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | asumí |
| tú | asumiste |
| él/ella/Ud. | asumió |
| nosotros/as | asumimos |
| vosotros/as | asumisteis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asumieron |
Imperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | asumía |
| tú | asumías |
| él/ella/Ud. | asumía |
| nosotros/as | asumíamos |
| vosotros/as | asumíais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asumían |
Future
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | asumiré |
| tú | asumirás |
| él/ella/Ud. | asumirá |
| nosotros/as | asumiremos |
| vosotros/as | asumiréis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asumirán |
Conditional
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | asumiría |
| tú | asumirías |
| él/ella/Ud. | asumiría |
| nosotros/as | asumiríamos |
| vosotros/as | asumiríais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asumirían |
Present perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | he asumido |
| tú | has asumido |
| él/ella/Ud. | ha asumido |
| nosotros/as | hemos asumido |
| vosotros/as | habéis asumido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | han asumido |
Pluperfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | había asumido |
| tú | habías asumido |
| él/ella/Ud. | había asumido |
| nosotros/as | habíamos asumido |
| vosotros/as | habíais asumido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habían asumido |
Future perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habré asumido |
| tú | habrás asumido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habrá asumido |
| nosotros/as | habremos asumido |
| vosotros/as | habréis asumido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrán asumido |
Conditional perfect
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | habría asumido |
| tú | habrías asumido |
| él/ella/Ud. | habría asumido |
| nosotros/as | habríamos asumido |
| vosotros/as | habríais asumido |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | habrían asumido |
Present subjunctive
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | asuma |
| tú | asumas |
| él/ella/Ud. | asuma |
| nosotros/as | asumamos |
| vosotros/as | asumáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asuman |
Imperfect subjunctive (-ra)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| yo | asumiera |
| tú | asumieras |
| él/ella/Ud. | asumiera |
| nosotros/as | asumiéramos |
| vosotros/as | asumierais |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asumieran |
Imperative (affirmative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | asume |
| él/ella/Ud. | asuma |
| nosotros/as | asumamos |
| vosotros/as | asumid |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asuman |
Imperative (negative)
| Person | Form |
|---|---|
| tú | asumas |
| él/ella/Ud. | asuma |
| nosotros/as | asumamos |
| vosotros/as | asumáis |
| ellos/ellas/Uds. | asuman |
Gerund and past participle
| Form | Spanish | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Gerund | asumiendo | with estar for the progressive: estoy asumiendo |
| Past participle | asumido | with haber for the perfect tenses: he asumido |
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 asumir, the present looks like this in a real sentence: Asumo la responsabilidad del proyecto. 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 asumir, the preterite looks like this in a real sentence: Ayer, asumí el coste de la reparación. 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 asumir, the imperfect looks like this in a real sentence: De niño, asumía el papel de portavoz. 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 asumir, the future looks like this in a real sentence: Mañana, asumiré que todo saldrá bien. 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 asumir, the conditional looks like this in a real sentence: Asumiría la responsabilidad del proyecto 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 asumir, the present perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Hoy, he asumido el coste de la reparación. 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 asumir, the pluperfect looks like this in a real sentence: Había asumido el papel de portavoz 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 asumir, the future perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Para mañana, habré asumido que todo saldrá bien. 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 asumir, the conditional perfect looks like this in a real sentence: Habría asumido la responsabilidad del proyecto 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 asumir, the present subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Espero que él asuma el coste de la reparación. 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 asumir, the imperfect subjunctive looks like this in a real sentence: Si él asumiera el papel de portavoz, 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 asumir, the affirmative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: ¡asume que todo saldrá bien! 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 asumir, the negative imperative looks like this in a real sentence: No asumas la responsabilidad del proyecto. 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 asumir, covering different tenses and persons. Each one uses a form from the tables above.
- Asumo la responsabilidad del proyecto. — I assume responsibility for the project.
- Asume el coste de la reparación. — He/she assumes the cost of the repair.
- Ayer, asumí el papel de portavoz. — Yesterday, I assumed the role of spokesperson.
- Antes, nosotros asumíamos que todo saldrá bien. — Before, we used to assume that everything will turn out well.
- Mañana, tú asumirás la responsabilidad del proyecto. — Tomorrow, you will assume responsibility for the project.
- Yo asumiría el coste de la reparación si tuviera más tiempo. — I would assume the cost of the repair if I had more time.
- Él ha asumido el papel de portavoz. — He has assumed the role of spokesperson.
- Espero que él asuma que todo saldrá bien. — I hope he assumes that everything will turn out well.
- Yo ya había asumido la responsabilidad del proyecto antes de salir. — I had already assumed responsibility for the project before leaving.
- Ellos asumían el coste de la reparación cuando eran jóvenes. — They used to assume the cost of the repair when they were young.
Common mistakes
- Wrong: Yo asume la responsabilidad del proyecto. — Right: Yo asumo la responsabilidad del proyecto. — The person matters: asume is the él/ella/Ud. form, while the yo form is asumo. Using the third-person form with yo is one of the most common beginner errors.
- Wrong: Treating asumir and suponer as identical in every context. — Right: Asumir means to assume, while suponer means to suppose something. — They overlap, but each has uses the other does not: asumir fits sentences such as Asumo la responsabilidad del proyecto, while suponer belongs in a different sentence. Check the meaning you want before choosing.
- Wrong: Yo soy asumido el coste de la reparación. — Right: Yo he asumido el coste de la reparación. — Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he asumido, has asumido, ha asumido. Ser plus the participle makes a passive, not a perfect tense.
- Wrong: De niño, yo asumí el papel de portavoz todos los días. — Right: De niño, yo asumía el papel de portavoz todos los días. — For a repeated habit in the past, use the imperfect (asumía), not the preterite. The preterite (asumí) is for one finished action.
Quiz: test yourself
Ten questions on asumir. Choose the right form, then check the answer key below.
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la responsabilidad del proyecto. (present tense) A. asumo B. asumes C. asume D. asumimos
Complete the sentence: Ayer, él ___ el coste de la reparación. (preterite) A. asumí B. asumiste C. asumieron D. asumió
Complete the sentence: Antes, nosotros ___ el papel de portavoz. (imperfect) A. asumías B. asumían C. asumíamos D. asumía
Complete the sentence: Mañana, tú ___ que todo saldrá bien. (future) A. asumiremos B. asumirás C. asumiré D. asumirá
Complete the sentence: Yo ___ la responsabilidad del proyecto si pudiera. (conditional) A. asumiría B. asumirías C. asumirían D. asumo
Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ el coste de la reparación. (present subjunctive) A. asumas B. asumamos C. asumo D. asuma
Complete the sentence: Si yo ___ el papel de portavoz, todo cambiaría. (imperfect subjunctive, -ra form) A. asumiéramos B. asumo C. asumiera D. asumieras
Complete the sentence: Nosotros ___ que todo saldrá bien. (present perfect) A. han asumido B. hemos asumido C. he asumido D. has asumido
Complete the command: ¡___ la responsabilidad del proyecto! (affirmative imperative, tú) A. asume B. asuma C. asumamos D. asumid
Which is the gerund of asumir, used with estar for the progressive? A. asumido B. asumo C. asumí D. asumiendo
Answer key
- asumo — The first-person present of asumir is asumo. The other options are the tú, él/ella and nosotros forms.
- asumió — The third-person preterite of asumir is asumió, the form for a single finished action in the past.
- asumíamos — The nosotros imperfect of asumir is asumíamos, used here for a repeated past habit.
- asumirás — The second-person future of asumir is asumirás.
- asumiría — The first-person conditional of asumir is asumiría, the form for what would happen.
- asuma — After espero que, the subjunctive is required: the third-person present subjunctive of asumir is asuma.
- asumiera — The first-person imperfect subjunctive (-ra) of asumir is asumiera.
- hemos asumido — The nosotros present perfect of asumir is hemos asumido: hemos + asumido.
- asume — The affirmative tú imperative of asumir is asume.
- asumiendo — The gerund of asumir is asumiendo: estoy asumiendo. The participle asumido is used with haber instead.
Frequently asked questions
What does asumir mean in English?
Asumir means to assume. It is used in everyday situations such as Asumo la responsabilidad del proyecto. The exact English wording depends on the context, but the core meaning stays the same across the tenses.
Is asumir regular or irregular?
Asumir is a fully regular -ir 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 asumo in the present and asumí in the preterite.
What is the difference between asumir and suponer?
Asumir means to assume, while suponer means to suppose something. They are easy to confuse because they appear in similar situations, but they are not interchangeable: use asumir when you mean to assume, as in Asumo la responsabilidad del proyecto, and use suponer for to suppose something. When in doubt, check the object of the sentence — it usually shows which verb fits.
How do I say “I assume” in the past?
It depends on the kind of past. For one finished action, use the preterite: yo asumí el coste de la reparación. For a repeated habit or background in the past, use the imperfect: yo asumía el papel de portavoz. For something that has just happened, use the present perfect: yo he asumido el coste de la reparación.
How do I practise asumir?
Start with the present tense table, then drill the preterite and the imperfect, since those two past tenses cause the most mistakes. Try the asumir examples and quiz page for more sentences, and use the Spanish Verb Quiz to test the forms under pressure.
Related links
- Asumir in the present tense — the full present-tense table for asumir.
- Asumir examples and quiz — more example sentences and practice for asumir.
- Spanish verbs — the Spanish hub, with every verb and tense guide.
- Aplaudir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with asumir.
- Añadir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with asumir.
- Acudir conjugation — another -ir verb to compare with asumir.
- Spanish Verb Conjugator — conjugate any Spanish verb in every tense.
- Spanish Verb Quiz — test yourself on real conjugated forms.