acatar Present Conjugation
acatar — to obey
Use 'acato' (yo) and 'acata' (él/ella/usted) for current or habitual obedience.
acatar Present Forms
When to Use the Present
The present tense is used for actions of obeying happening right now, for habits, or for general truths about compliance. It describes what someone routinely does or is doing.
Notes on acatar in the Present
'Acatar' is a regular -ar verb and conjugates normally in the present indicative.
Example Sentences
Yo acato las decisiones de mi jefe.
I obey my boss's decisions.
yo
¿Tú acatas las reglas de la casa?
Do you obey the house rules?
tú
Ella acata las indicaciones médicas.
She obeys the medical instructions.
él/ella/usted
Los ciudadanos acatan la ley.
The citizens obey the law.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'acata' for 'yo' or 'acato' for 'él/ella/usted'.
Correct: Ensure you match the verb form to the subject pronoun: 'yo acato', 'tú acatas', 'él/ella/usted acata'.
Why: Incorrect subject-verb agreement is a fundamental grammar error.
Mistake: Using the present tense when the imperfect or preterite is needed for past actions.
Correct: If the action of obeying happened in the past and is completed, use the preterite ('acató'). If it was ongoing or habitual in the past, use the imperfect ('acataba').
Why: Mixing present and past tenses can confuse the timeline of events.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'acatar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Preterite
yo: acaté
Use 'acaté' (yo) and 'acató' (él/ella/usted) for completed actions of obeying in the past.
Imperfect
yo: acataba
Use 'acataba' (él/ella/usted) and 'acataban' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for past habitual or ongoing obedience.
Future
yo: acataré
Use 'acataré' (yo) and 'acatará' (él/ella/usted) for future obedience or probability.
Conditional
yo: acataría
Use 'acataría' (yo) and 'acataría' (él/ella/usted) for hypothetical obedience ('would obey').
Present Subjunctive
yo: acate
Use 'acate' (él/ella/usted) or 'acates' (tú) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: acatara
Use 'acatara' or 'acataras' etc. for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: acata
Use 'acata' (tú) and 'acate' (usted) for direct commands to obey.
Negative Imperative
yo: no acates
Use 'no acates' (tú) and 'no acate' (usted) for negative commands to obey.