acostarme
ah-kohs-TAHR-meh
Quick Reference
📝 In Action
Necesito acostarme pronto, estoy muy cansado.
A1I need to go to bed soon, I am very tired.
Antes de acostarme, siempre leo un libro.
A2Before going to bed, I always read a book.
No puedo acostarme si no tengo silencio absoluto.
B1I can't lie down (or go to bed) if I don't have absolute silence.
💡 Grammar Points
The 'Me' Ending
The '-me' attached to the end means 'I' am doing the action to 'myself.' It's a reflexive verb form, meaning 'to put myself to bed' (to go to bed).
Stem Change (o > ue)
The base verb 'acostar' is irregular. When you conjugate it in the present tense (like 'yo me acuesto'), the 'o' changes to 'ue'. This is very common in Spanish verbs.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Forgetting the 'Me'
Mistake: "Quiero acostar."
Correction: Quiero acostarme. If you say 'acostar' alone, it means 'to put someone else to bed' (e.g., 'Voy a acostar al bebé'). Always use 'acostarme' when talking about yourself going to sleep.
Misplacing the Pronoun
Mistake: "Me quiero acostar."
Correction: Both 'Quiero acostarme' and 'Me quiero acostar' are correct! When you have two verbs, the pronoun ('me') can either attach to the infinitive (the -ar/-er/-ir form) or go before the conjugated verb.
⭐ Usage Tips
Using the Gerund
When using the continuous form (like 'I am going to bed'), the 'me' pronoun attaches to the end of the -ndo form: 'Estoy acostándome.'
🔄 Conjugations
indicative
present
preterite
imperfect
subjunctive
present
imperfect
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: acostarme
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'acostarme'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between 'acostarme' and 'acostar'?
'Acostarme' is reflexive, meaning the subject and the object are the same person (I put myself to bed, or I go to bed). 'Acostar' without the 'me' means 'to put someone else to bed,' like 'acostar al niño' (to put the child to bed).
Why does the accent mark appear sometimes, like in 'acostándome'?
When you attach a pronoun (like 'me') to the end of a verb form, Spanish rules sometimes require an accent mark to maintain the original stress of the word, ensuring you pronounce it correctly (acostán-do-me, not a-cos-tan-do-me).