· Robert William · Spanish Verbs · 14 min read
Acercarse Conjugation in Spanish
The indicative present tense is used to describe actions that are currently happening or habitual actions. Here we use the verb "acercarse" to indicate such ongoing events.
Opening Discussion on Indicative Present
The indicative present tense is used to describe actions that are currently happening or habitual actions. Here we use the verb “acercarse” to indicate such ongoing events.
Subject Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
yo | me acerco | I approach (myself) |
tú | te acercas | you approach (yourself) |
él/ella/usted | se acerca | he/she/you approach |
nosotros/as | nos acercamos | we approach (ourselves) |
vosotros/as | os acercáis | you all approach |
ellos/ellas/ustedes | se acercan | they/you all approach |
Example Sentences
- Me acerco al maestro para pedir ayuda.
- Te acercas al río para ver los peces.
- Ellos se acercan al escenario para ver mejor.
Insights on Indicative Preterite
The preterite tense is used to express actions that have been completed in the past. Below are the conjugations for “acercarse” in the indicative preterite.
Subject Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
yo | me acerqué | I approached |
tú | te acercaste | you approached |
él/ella/usted | se acercó | he/she/you approached |
nosotros/as | nos acercamos | we approached |
vosotros/as | os acercasteis | you all approached |
ellos/ellas/ustedes | se acercaron | they/you all approached |
Example Sentences
- Me acerqué a la puerta para escuchar mejor.
- Nos acercamos al fuego para calentarnos.
- Ellas se acercaron a la ventana para ver la lluvia.
Explanation of Indicative Imperfect
The imperfect tense is used to talk about past habitual actions or to set the scene in the past. Here’s how “acercarse” is conjugated in the indicative imperfect.
Subject Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
yo | me acercaba | I used to approach |
tú | te acercabas | you used to approach |
él/ella/usted | se acercaba | he/she/you used to approach |
nosotros/as | nos acercábamos | we used to approach |
vosotros/as | os acercabais | you all used to approach |
ellos/ellas/ustedes | se acercaban | they/you all used to approach |
Example Sentences
- De niño, me acercaba a los animales con cautela.
- Siempre te acercabas a la verdad con valentía.
- Nos acercábamos a la casa antes de que anocheciera.
Overview of Indicative Future
The future tense indicates actions that will happen. Here’s how “acercarse” is formed in the indicative future.
Subject Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
yo | me acercaré | I will approach |
tú | te acercarás | you will approach |
él/ella/usted | se acercará | he/she/you will approach |
nosotros/as | nos acercaremos | we will approach |
vosotros/as | os acercaréis | you all will approach |
ellos/ellas/ustedes | se acercarán | they/you all will approach |
Example Sentences
- Mañana me acercaré a hablar contigo.
- Te acercarás al mostrador cuando llegues.
- Nos acercaremos a la playa al atardecer.
Concise Summary of Indicative Conditional
The conditional tense is used to express desires or hypothetical situations. “Acercarse” in the conditional is represented as follows.
Subject Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
yo | me acercaría | I would approach |
tú | te acercarías | you would approach |
él/ella/usted | se acercaría | he/she/you would approach |
nosotros/as | nos acercaríamos | we would approach |
vosotros/as | os acercaríais | you all would approach |
ellos/ellas/ustedes | se acercarían | they/you all would approach |
Example Sentences
- Me acercaría a ese problema con cuidado.
- Te acercarías al libro si tuvieras tiempo.
- Nos acercaríamos a esa ciudad en verano.
Acercarse in the Present Tense
The present tense of “acercarse” is used to indicate actions or events that are currently in progress or will occur soon. It also expresses general truths or factual statements. For instance, “me acerco” translates to “I approach.”
In Spanish, this tense is referred to as “El Presente”.
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me acerco | I approach |
Tú | te acercas | you approach |
Ella / Él / Usted | se acerca | s/he approaches, you (formal) approach |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos acercamos | we approach |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os acercáis | you (plural) approach |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se acercan | they approach, you (plural formal) approach |
Examples:
- Yo siempre me acerco a mi perro cuando llego a casa.
- ¿Te acercas a la ventana para ver mejor?
- Los niños se acercan al maestro para hacer preguntas.
The Preterite Tense of “Acercarse” in Spanish
The Preterite tense for the verb “acercarse” is employed to express past actions that were completed at a specific moment. For example, “me acerqué” translates to “I approached.” This tense is essential for narrating events that occurred in the past.
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me acerqué | I approached |
Tú | te acercaste | you approached |
Ella / Él / Usted | se acercó | he/she approached, you (formal) approached |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos acercamos | we approached |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os acercasteis | you all approached |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se acercaron | they approached, you all (formal) approached |
Examples in Spanish using the preterite:
- Ayer me acerqué a la tienda para comprar pan.
- María se acercó al lago para disfrutar de la vista.
- Los niños se acercaron rápidamente al heladero.
Acercarse: Indicative Imperfect Tense
The Indicative Imperfect tense of “acercarse” is utilized for expressing habitual actions or descriptions in the past. It’s often used when talking about activities you repeatedly did over a period of time. For example, “me acercaba” translates to “I used to approach.”
In Spanish, this tense is called “El Pretérito Imperfecto.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me acercaba | I used to approach |
Tú | te acercabas | you used to approach |
Ella / Él / Usted | se acercaba | s/he used to approach, you (formal) used to approach |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos acercábamos | we used to approach |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os acercabais | you (plural) used to approach |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se acercaban | they used to approach, you (plural formal) used to approach |
Examples:
- Antes de la pandemia, siempre me acercaba a mi abuela para conversar.
- Cuando éramos niños, nos acercábamos al río todos los veranos.
- Cada semana, los estudiantes se acercaban a la biblioteca para estudiar.
Acercarse in the Indicative Present Continuous
The Indicative Present Continuous of the verb “acercarse” is employed to describe actions currently ongoing or occurring at the moment. For instance, “me estoy acercando,” translates to “I am approaching.”
In Spanish language use, the Indicative Present Continuous is referred to as “El Presente Progresivo.”
Subject Pronouns | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me estoy acercando | I am approaching |
Tú | te estás acercando | you are approaching |
Ella / Él / Usted | se está acercando | she/he is approaching, you (formal) are approaching |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos estamos acercando | we are approaching |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os estáis acercando | you all are approaching |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se están acercando | they are approaching, you all (formal) are approaching |
Examples:
- “Ellos se están acercando al final del camino.”
- “Nos estamos acercando a nuestra meta.”
- “¿Te estás acercando a la estación?”
The Near Future Tense for “Acercarse” in Spanish
The Near Future tense using “acercarse” is utilized for describing actions that are about to happen. In English, this is expressed as “going to approach.” This tense is often used for events expected to occur soon.
Below is a table with conjugations for “acercarse” in the Indicative Informal Future, also referred to as “El Futuro Próximo” in Spanish:
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me voy a acercar | I am going to approach |
Tú | te vas a acercar | you are going to approach |
Ella / Él / Usted | se va a acercar | s/he is going to approach, you (formal) are going to approach |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos vamos a acercar | we are going to approach |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os vais a acercar | you (plural) are going to approach |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se van a acercar | they are going to approach, you (plural formal) are going to approach |
Here are three examples to illustrate the Indicative Informal Future with “acercarse” in Spanish:
Yo me voy a acercar al maestro para hacerle una pregunta.
- I am going to approach the teacher to ask him a question.
Nos vamos a acercar al grupo para escuchar mejor la música.
- We are going to approach the group to hear the music better.
Ellos se van a acercar a la tienda después de la escuela.
- They are going to approach the store after school.
Discussion of the Future Tense for “Acercarse”
The future tense in Spanish, formally known as “El Futuro Simple,” is employed to express actions that are expected to occur. In the case of the verb “acercarse,” this tense is used to describe events that will happen in the future, such as “me acercaré,” which translates to “I will approach.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me acercaré | I will approach |
Tú | te acercarás | you will approach |
Ella / Él / Usted | se acercará | s/he will approach, you (formal) will approach |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos acercaremos | we will approach |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os acercaréis | you (plural) will approach |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se acercarán | they will approach, you (plural formal) will approach |
Illustrative Examples:
- Mañana me acercaré a la tienda para comprar pan.
- En la fiesta, los invitados se acercarán para saludar.
- Nos acercaremos al lago el próximo fin de semana para disfrutar del paisaje.
Acercarse in the Conditional Mood
The Conditional Mood for “acercarse” is used to describe events that might happen in the future, often involving hypothetical or speculative situations. For instance, “me acercaría” translates to “I would approach.”
In Spanish, this tense is formally referred to as “El Condicional Simple.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me acercaría | I would approach |
Tú | te acercarías | you would approach |
Ella / Él / Usted | se acercaría | s/he would approach, you (formal) would approach |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos acercaríamos | we would approach |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os acercaríais | you (plural) would approach |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se acercarían | they would approach, you (plural formal) would approach |
Examples:
- Yo me acercaría a la ventana para ver mejor.
- Nos acercaríamos a saludar si tuviéramos tiempo.
- Ellos se acercarían al maestro para preguntar sus dudas.
Examining the Indicative Present Perfect Conjugation of Acercarse
The Indicative Present Perfect tense of “acercarse” is used to express actions that were initiated in the past and have relevance to the present situation. It refers to events or actions that have happened recently. For example, “me he acercado,” translates to “I have approached.”
In Spanish, this grammatical structure is referred to as “El Pretérito Perfecto.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me he acercado | I have approached |
Tú | te has acercado | you have approached |
Ella / Él / Usted | se ha acercado | s/he has approached, you (formal) have approached |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos hemos acercado | we have approached |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os habéis acercado | you (plural) have approached |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se han acercado | they have approached, you (plural formal) have approached |
Examples in use:
- Hemos tenido un problema y nos hemos acercado al servicio de atención al cliente para resolverlo.
- Desde la última reunión, me he acercado más a mis compañeros de trabajo.
- ¿Has visto la nueva exhibición en el museo? Me he acercado esta mañana.
Understanding the Indicative Past Perfect of “Acercarse”
The Indicative Past Perfect tense for “acercarse” is utilized to describe actions that were completed prior to another past action. For example, “me había acercado” translates to “I had approached.” In Spanish grammar, this tense is referred to as “El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me había acercado | I had approached |
Tú | te habías acercado | you had approached |
Ella / Él / Usted | se había acercado | she/he had approached, you (formal) had approached |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos habíamos acercado | we had approached |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os habíais acercado | you (plural) had approached |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se habían acercado | they had approached, you (plural formal) had approached |
Usage Examples:
- Antes de la reunión, yo me había acercado a Pedro para discutir la propuesta.
- Ellos se habían acercado a la orilla del río antes de que cayera la noche.
- Nos habíamos acercado demasiado al fuego antes de darnos cuenta del peligro.
Acercarse in the Indicative Future Perfect
The future perfect tense of “acercarse” is utilized to describe an action that will have been completed at a certain point in the future, often before another action. For instance, “me habré acercado” means “I will have approached.”
In Spanish, this tense is called “El Futuro Perfecto.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me habré acercado | I will have approached |
Tú | te habrás acercado | you will have approached |
Ella / Él / Usted | se habrá acercado | s/he will have approached, you (formal) will have approached |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos habremos acercado | we will have approached |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os habréis acercado | you (plural) will have approached |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se habrán acercado | they will have approached, you (plural formal) will have approached |
Example Sentences Using the Indicative Future Perfect
- Para el final de la fiesta, me habré acercado a todos los invitados.
- Cuando llegue la ayuda, te habrás acercado al refugio seguro.
- Para mañana, ya se habrá acercado a hablar con sus supervisores.
Acercarse in the Indicative Conditional Perfect Tense
The Indicative Conditional Perfect tense is utilized to describe actions that would have occurred in the past if certain conditions had been met. It reflects on hypothetical situations and their possible outcomes. In Spanish, this tense is referred to as “El Condicional Perfecto”. Here is how ‘acercarse’ is conjugated in this tense:
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me habría acercado | I would have approached |
Tú | te habrías acercado | you would have approached |
Ella / Él / Usted | se habría acercado | s/he would have approached, you (formal) would have approached |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos habríamos acercado | we would have approached |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os habríais acercado | you (plural) would have approached |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se habrían acercado | they would have approached, you (plural formal) would have approached |
Example sentences:
- Si hubiera sabido que estabas aquí, me habría acercado a saludarte.
- Ella se habría acercado al escenario si no hubiera habido tanta gente.
- Nos habríamos acercado al grupo, pero estábamos muy cansados.
Introducing the Subjunctive Present for “Acercarse”
The Subjunctive Present is used in Spanish to express situations where there’s doubt or uncertainty, as well as to convey emotions like wishes, desires, and hopes. Unlike the indicative mood, the subjunctive is preferred when discussing events that are not guaranteed to happen. For instance, “me acerque” can be interpreted as “I approach,” under circumstances of uncertainty.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Present is referred to as “El Presente de Subjuntivo.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me acerque | I approach |
Tú | te acerques | you approach |
Ella / Él / Usted | se acerque | s/he approaches, you (formal) approach |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos acerquemos | we approach |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os acerquéis | you (plural) approach |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se acerquen | they approach, you (plural formal) approach |
Examples
- Espero que Juan se acerque al escenario durante la presentación.
- Es posible que nos acerquemos a la costa para ver el atardecer.
- Quiero que te acerques a mí cuando necesites ayuda.
Introduction to the Subjunctive Imperfect Tense for ‘Acercarse’
The Subjunctive Imperfect tense in Spanish is applied to discuss scenarios in the past that are uncertain, hypothetical, or to express past emotions and opinions. This tense allows you to convey nuance and depth in your expression. Here, ‘acercarse’ is conjugated in the Subjunctive Imperfect.
Conjugation Chart: ‘Acercarse’ in Subjunctive Imperfect
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me acercara | I approached |
Tú | te acercaras | you approached |
Ella / Él / Usted | se acercara | he/she/you (formal) approached |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos acercáramos | we approached |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os acercarais | you (plural) approached |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se acercaran | they/you (plural formal) approached |
Examples Using the Subjunctive Imperfect
- Esperaba que ella se acercara más al grupo.
- Si me dijeras la verdad, me acercara a ti con confianza.
- Era posible que nos acercáramos al final del camino al anochecer.
Subjunctive Future Tense for “Acercarse”
The Subjunctive Future tense is utilized to discuss scenarios that are speculative or actions/events that might take place in the future. For example, “me acercare” translates to “I will approach” in English.
In Spanish, the Subjunctive Future tense is referred to as “El Futuro de Subjuntivo”.
Subject Pronoun | Spanish | Translation |
---|---|---|
Yo | me acercare | I will approach |
Tú | te acercares | you will approach |
Ella / Él / Usted | se acercare | she/he will approach, you (formal) will approach |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos acercáremos | we will approach |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os acercareis | you (plural) will approach |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se acercaren | they will approach, you (plural formal) will approach |
Examples:
- Si me acercare al escenario, podré ver mejor el espectáculo.
- Te acercares demasiado al borde, podría ser peligroso.
- Si nos acercáremos al fenómeno natural, deberíamos prepararnos adecuadamente.
Acercarse in the Present Perfect Subjunctive
The Present Perfect Subjunctive is used to discuss actions that are presumed to have occurred in the past but still have relevance to the present or are expected to occur by a certain time in the future. For instance, “me haya acercado” translates to “I have approached” in English.
In Spanish, this tense is called “El Pretérito Perfecto de Subjuntivo.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me haya acercado | I have approached |
Tú | te hayas acercado | you have approached |
Ella / Él / Usted | se haya acercado | s/he has approached, you (formal) have approached |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos hayamos acercado | we have approached |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os hayáis acercado | you (plural) have approached |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se hayan acercado | they have approached, you (plural formal) have approached |
Examples:
- Espero que tú te hayas acercado a ella para disculparte.
- Me alegra que ellos se hayan acercado para ofrecernos ayuda.
- Es posible que nosotros nos hayamos acercado al problema de manera incorrecta.
Acercarse in the Past Perfect Subjunctive
The Past Perfect Subjunctive is applied when talking about actions that are uncertain or hypothetical and occurred before a specific point in the past. For instance, “me hubiera acercado” translates to “I had approached.”
In Spanish, this form is referred to as “El Pretérito Pluscuamperfecto de Subjuntivo.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me hubiera acercado | I had approached |
Tú | te hubieras acercado | you had approached |
Ella / Él / Usted | se hubiera acercado | s/he had approached, you (formal) had approached |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos hubiéramos acercado | we had approached |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os hubierais acercado | you (plural) had approached |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se hubieran acercado | they had approached, you (plural formal) had approached |
Examples
- Si hubiera sabido que estabas ahí, me hubiera acercado a saludarte.
- Dudaba que se hubieran acercado con malas intenciones.
- Ojalá nos hubiéramos acercado antes para hablar sobre el proyecto.
Acercarse in the Subjunctive Future Perfect
The Subjunctive Future Perfect is employed to articulate events that are anticipated to have occurred following a hypothetical future scenario. For instance, “me hubiere acercado” translates to “I will have approached.”
In Spanish, this tense is referred to as “El Futuro Perfecto de Subjuntivo.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | me hubiere acercado | I will have approached |
Tú | te hubieres acercado | you will have approached |
Ella / Él / Usted | se hubiere acercado | s/he will have approached, you (formal) will have approached |
Nosotras / Nosotros | nos hubiéremos acercado | we will have approached |
Vosotras / Vosotros | os hubiereis acercado | you (plural) will have approached |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | se hubieren acercado | they will have approached, you (plural formal) will have approached |
Examples showing the use of the Subjunctive Future Perfect:
- Si no llegas tarde, me hubiere acercado al restaurante antes de cerrar.
- Espero que te hubieres acercado a ella para resolver el problema.
- Si hubiéramos sabido, nos hubiéremos acercado a tu casa el domingo pasado.
Command Forms of Acercarse
Acercarse in the Affirmative Command Form
In Spanish, the Affirmative Command Form, or “El Imperativo Afirmativo,” is utilized to make requests or give instructions for people to follow. It’s useful when directing someone to take an action, like saying “acérquese” which translates to “approach!” in English.
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | - | - |
Tú | acércate | (to you) approach! |
Ella / Él / Usted | acérquese | (to you formal) approach! |
Nosotras / Nosotros | acerquémonos | let’s approach! |
Vosotras / Vosotros | acercaos | (to you plural) approach! |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | acérquense | (to you plural formal) approach! |
Examples:
- “Acércate a la ventana y mira la vista.”
- “Acérquese al mostrador para recibir su pedido.”
- “Acerquémonos al escenario para escuchar mejor.”
The Negative Form of Acercarse in the Imperative Mood
The Negative Imperative in Spanish is employed to instruct someone not to perform an action. It is an essential form for giving prohibitive commands or advice. For example, “no te acerques,” which translates to “don’t approach” in English.
In the Spanish grammar system, the Negative Imperative is referred to as “El Imperativo Negativo.”
Pronoun | Spanish | English |
---|---|---|
Yo | - | - |
Tú | no te acerques | (to you) don’t approach! |
Ella / Él / Usted | no se acerque | (to you formal) don’t approach! |
Nosotras / Nosotros | no nos acerquemos | let’s not approach! |
Vosotras / Vosotros | no os acerquéis | (to you plural) don’t approach! |
Ellas / Ellos / Ustedes | no se acerquen | (to you plural formal) don’t approach! |
Practical Usage Examples:
- No te acerques al perro, puede morder.
- Mis amigos y yo decidimos: “no nos acerquemos a la zona peligrosa.”
- No se acerquen a la orilla del río, es muy resbaladizo.