acostar — Spanish conjugation

to put to bed

Frequency#153IrregularReflexiveacostarse — to go to bed

Indicative

Present (Presente) Irregular

The present tense is the most versatile tense in Spanish. It covers actions happening right now, habitual actions, and even near-future plans. One form does the work of three English constructions.

Ella habla inglés — She speaks / is speaking English

PronounSpanish
yoacuesto
acuestas
vosacostás
él/ella/Ud.acuesta
nosotrosacostamos
vosotrosacostáis
ellos/ellas/Uds.acuestan

Preterite (Pretérito indefinido) Regular

Used for completed past actions with a defined endpoint — a single event, a series of events, or an action that interrupted another. Common with time expressions like ayer, el lunes, una vez.

Ella habló de ti ayer — She spoke about you yesterday

PronounSpanish
yoacosté
acostaste
vosacostaste
él/ella/Ud.acostó
nosotrosacostamos
vosotrosacostasteis
ellos/ellas/Uds.acostaron

Imperfect (Pretérito imperfecto) Regular

Describes ongoing or habitual past states — what things were like, background context, what used to happen. Contrasts with the preterite which marks completed events.

Cuando era niño vivía en Valencia — When I was a child I lived in Valencia

PronounSpanish
yoacostaba
acostabas
vosacostabas
él/ella/Ud.acostaba
nosotrosacostábamos
vosotrosacostabais
ellos/ellas/Uds.acostaban

Conditional (Condicional) Regular

Expresses hypothetical actions, polite requests, and what would happen under certain conditions. Also used for reported speech about the future from a past perspective.

¿Podrías ayudarme? — Could you help me?

PronounSpanish
yoacostaría
acostarías
vosacostarías
él/ella/Ud.acostaría
nosotrosacostaríamos
vosotrosacostaríais
ellos/ellas/Uds.acostarían

Future (Futuro) Regular

Expresses future actions, predictions, and probability about the present. Formed with the full infinitive as stem for most verbs. In spoken Spanish, ir a + infinitive is often preferred for near future.

Ella hablará en conferencia mañana — She will speak at the conference tomorrow

PronounSpanish
yoacostaré
acostarás
vosacostarás
él/ella/Ud.acostará
nosotrosacostaremos
vosotrosacostaréis
ellos/ellas/Uds.acostarán

Present perfect (Pretérito perfecto) Regular

A compound past tense linking a past action to the present moment — something that has happened and still feels recent or relevant. More common in Spain than Latin America where preterite is preferred.

Hoy he hablado con el jefe — Today I have spoken with the boss

PronounSpanish
yohe acostado
has acostado
voshas acostado
él/ella/Ud.ha acostado
nosotroshemos acostado
vosotroshabéis acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds.han acostado

Pluperfect (Pretérito pluscuamperfecto) Regular

The past of the past — describes an action that was already completed before another past event happened. Always implies a reference point in the past.

Ya había hablado cuando llegaste — She had already spoken when you arrived

PronounSpanish
yohabía acostado
habías acostado
voshabías acostado
él/ella/Ud.había acostado
nosotroshabíamos acostado
vosotroshabíais acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habían acostado

Conditional perfect (Condicional perfecto) Regular

Expresses what would have happened — actions that were possible but did not occur, or regrets about the past. Formed with conditional of haber + past participle.

Habría hablado, pero no me dejaron — I would have spoken, but they did not let me

PronounSpanish
yohabría acostado
habrías acostado
voshabrías acostado
él/ella/Ud.habría acostado
nosotroshabríamos acostado
vosotroshabríais acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrían acostado

Future perfect (Futuro perfecto) Regular

Describes an action that will have been completed by a certain point in the future, or expresses probability about a recent past action.

Para el lunes habré terminado — By Monday I will have finished

PronounSpanish
yohabré acostado
habrás acostado
voshabrás acostado
él/ella/Ud.habrá acostado
nosotroshabremos acostado
vosotroshabréis acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds.habrán acostado

Subjunctive

Present subjunctive (Subjuntivo presente) Irregular

Used in subordinate clauses after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, necessity, or impersonal statements. Triggered by a change of subject between the main and subordinate clause.

Espero que hable — I hope she speaks

PronounSpanish
yoacueste
acuestes
vosacuestes
él/ella/Ud.acueste
nosotrosacostemos
vosotrosacostéis
ellos/ellas/Uds.acuesten

Imperfect subjunctive (-ra) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-ra)) Regular

The past subjunctive used after past main verbs, in if-clauses with conditional, and for polite softening. The -ra form is more common in everyday speech than the -se form.

Si pudiera, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yoacostara
acostaras
vosacostaras
él/ella/Ud.acostara
nosotrosacostáramos
vosotrosacostarais
ellos/ellas/Uds.acostaran

Imperfect subjunctive (-se) (Subjuntivo imperfecto (-se)) Regular

The alternative past subjunctive form. Interchangeable with -ra in most contexts but slightly more literary or formal. Both forms are grammatically correct in all regions.

Si pudiese, lo haría — If I could, I would do it

PronounSpanish
yoacostase
acostases
vosacostases
él/ella/Ud.acostase
nosotrosacostásemos
vosotrosacostaseis
ellos/ellas/Uds.acostasen

Perfect subjunctive (Pretérito perfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

A compound subjunctive that expresses completed actions in a subjunctive context — used after present or future main verbs expressing doubt, emotion or desire.

Dudo que ya haya llegado — I doubt she has already arrived

PronounSpanish
yohaya acostado
hayas acostado
voshayas acostado
él/ella/Ud.haya acostado
nosotroshayamos acostado
vosotroshayáis acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hayan acostado

Pluperfect subjunctive (Pluscuamperfecto de subjuntivo) Regular

Expresses what had happened in hypothetical or unreal past contexts — the subjunctive equivalent of the pluperfect. Common in contrary-to-fact past conditions.

Si hubiera hablado, lo habrían creído — If she had spoken, they would have believed her

PronounSpanish
yohubiera acostado
hubieras acostado
voshubieras acostado
él/ella/Ud.hubiera acostado
nosotroshubiéramos acostado
vosotroshubierais acostado
ellos/ellas/Uds.hubieran acostado

Other forms

Imperative (affirmative) (Imperativo afirmativo) Irregular

Direct commands and instructions. The imperative only exists for tú, usted, nosotros, vosotros and ustedes — yo has no command form. Affirmative and negative forms use different conjugations.

Habla más despacio — Speak more slowly

PronounSpanish
acuesta
vosacostá
él/ella/Ud.acueste
nosotrosacostemos
vosotrosacostad
ustedesacuesten

Imperative (negative) (Imperativo negativo) Regular

Negative commands use the subjunctive forms for all persons. Formed with no + present subjunctive. This applies to all persons including tú where the affirmative uses a different form.

No hables tan rápido — Do not speak so fast

PronounSpanish
no acuestes
vosno acuestes
él/ella/Ud.no acueste
nosotrosno acostemos
vosotrosno acostéis
ustedesno acuesten

Present progressive (Presente progresivo) Regular

Emphasises that an action is happening right now at this very moment. Less common than in English since the present tense already covers ongoing actions in Spanish.

Estoy hablando contigo — I am speaking with you

PronounSpanish
yoestoy acostando
estás acostando
vosestás acostando
él/ella/Ud.está acostando
nosotrosestamos acostando
vosotrosestáis acostando
ellos/ellas/Uds.están acostando

Preterite progressive (Pretérito indefinido progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that was in progress throughout a completed past period. Uses the preterite of estar + gerund to emphasise the ongoing nature within a defined timeframe.

Estuvo hablando toda la tarde — He was talking all afternoon

PronounSpanish
yoestuve acostando
estuviste acostando
vosestuviste acostando
él/ella/Ud.estuvo acostando
nosotrosestuvimos acostando
vosotrosestuvisteis acostando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estuvieron acostando

Imperfect progressive (Pretérito imperfecto progresivo) Regular

Emphasises an ongoing background action using the imperfect of estar + gerund. Layered on top of the imperfect which already conveys continuity — used for extra emphasis on the progressive nature.

Estaba hablando cuando entró — I was speaking when he came in

PronounSpanish
yoestaba acostando
estabas acostando
vosestabas acostando
él/ella/Ud.estaba acostando
nosotrosestábamos acostando
vosotrosestabais acostando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estaban acostando

Conditional progressive (Condicional progresivo) Regular

Expresses what would be in progress under hypothetical conditions. Uses the conditional of estar + gerund. Less common but used for emphasis on the ongoing nature of a hypothetical action.

Estaría hablando ahora si pudiera — I would be speaking now if I could

PronounSpanish
yoestaría acostando
estarías acostando
vosestarías acostando
él/ella/Ud.estaría acostando
nosotrosestaríamos acostando
vosotrosestaríais acostando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarían acostando

Future progressive (Futuro progresivo) Regular

Describes an action that will be in progress at a future point, or expresses probability about an ongoing present action. Uses the future of estar + gerund.

Mañana a esta hora estaré viajando — At this time tomorrow I will be travelling

PronounSpanish
yoestaré acostando
estarás acostando
vosestarás acostando
él/ella/Ud.estará acostando
nosotrosestaremos acostando
vosotrosestaréis acostando
ellos/ellas/Uds.estarán acostando