acercarse Preterite Conjugation
acercarse — to approach
The preterite of acercarse has a spelling change in the first person: me acerqué, te acercaste, se acercó, nos acercamos, os acercasteis, se acercaron.
acercarse Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite when you specifically approached someone or something at a distinct moment in the past, or when the movement was completed.
Notes on acercarse in the Preterite
This verb has a 'c' to 'qu' spelling change in the 'yo' form (me acerqué) to preserve the hard 'k' sound. All other forms are regular.
Example Sentences
Me acerqué a la mesa para saludar.
I approached the table to say hello.
yo
Se acercó a mí y me pidió la hora.
He approached me and asked for the time.
él/ella/usted
Nos acercamos a la orilla del mar.
We went closer to the seashore.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Writing 'me acercé'.
Correct: me acerqué
Why: In Spanish, 'ce' sounds like 'se'. To keep the 'k' sound of the infinitive, you must use 'qué'.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: me acerco
Acercarse is regular in the present tense: me acerco, te acercas, se acerca, nos acercamos, os acercáis, se acercan.
Imperfect
yo: me acercaba
Acercarse is regular in the imperfect: me acercaba, te acercabas, se acercaba, nos acercábamos, os acercabais, se acercaban.
Future
yo: me acercaré
The future of acercarse is regular: me acercaré, te acercarás, se acercará, nos acercaremos, os acercaréis, se acercarán.
Conditional
yo: me acercaría
The conditional is regular: me acercaría, te acercarías, se acercaría, nos acercaríamos, os acercaríais, se acercarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: me acerque
The subjunctive requires a spelling change for all forms: me acerque, te acerques, se acerque, nos acerquemos, os acerquéis, se acerquen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: me acercara
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'ra' stem: me acercara, te acercaras, se acercara, nos acercáramos, os acercarais, se acercaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: acércate
Use these for commands: acércate (tú), acérquese (usted), acerquémonos (nosotros), acercaos (vosotros), acérquense (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no te acerques
Negative commands use the present subjunctive: no te acerques, no se acerque, no nos acerquemos, no os acerquéis, no se acerquen.