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A storybook illustration of a simplified figure lying comfortably in a cozy bed, tucked under blue covers, ready for sleep.

acostarte

a-cos-tar-te

VerbA1irregular (stem-changing: o→ue) ar
to go to bed (you, informal)?Daily routine, preparing for sleep,to lie down (you, informal)?Resting, taking a break
Also:to hit the sack (you, informal)?Informal translation

Quick Reference

past Participleacostado
gerundacostándose
infinitiveacostarse

📝 In Action

Necesitas acostarte temprano hoy.

A1

You need to go to bed early today.

¿Vas a acostarte ya o vemos una película?

A2

Are you going to lie down now, or should we watch a movie?

Antes de acostarte, recuerda cepillarte los dientes.

A2

Before going to bed, remember to brush your teeth.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • dormir (to sleep)
  • tumbarse (to lie down)

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • acostarse tarde – to go to bed late
  • acostarse temprano – to go to bed early

💡 Grammar Points

Reflexive Verbs and Pronouns

This verb is reflexive, meaning the action comes back to the person doing it (you put yourself to bed). The 'te' attached to the end tells us that 'you' (tú) are the one performing the action.

Attaching the Pronoun

When you use the infinitive form (the base verb), you must attach the reflexive pronoun ('te', 'me', 'se', 'nos') to the end, as seen in 'acostarte' (to go to bed, for you).

The Stem Change

This verb is a 'boot verb' in the present tense: the 'o' in the middle changes to 'ue' whenever the stress falls on it (e.g., me acUEsto, te acUEstas). It does not change in the nosotros or vosotros forms.

❌ Common Pitfalls

Missing the Reflexive Pronoun

Mistake: "Quiero acostar ya."

Correction: Quiero acostarTE ya. The verb 'acostar' (without 'se') means 'to put someone else to bed,' not 'to go to bed yourself.'

Forgetting the Stem Change

Mistake: "Yo acosto a las diez."

Correction: Yo me acUEsto a las diez. Remember that 'o' changes to 'ue' in the singular forms.

⭐ Usage Tips

Placement Flexibility

When used with another verb (like necesitar or querer), you can either attach the pronoun ('acostarte') or place it before the conjugated verb: 'Te necesitas acostar.'

🔄 Conjugations

subjunctive

imperfect

él/ella/ustedse acostara
yome acostara
ellos/ellas/ustedesse acostaran
túte acostaras
vosotrosos acostarais
nosotrosnos acostáramos

present

él/ella/ustedse acueste
yome acueste
ellos/ellas/ustedesse acuesten
túte acuestes
vosotrosos acostéis
nosotrosnos acostemos

indicative

imperfect

él/ella/ustedse acostaba
yome acostaba
ellos/ellas/ustedesse acostaban
túte acostabas
vosotrosos acostabais
nosotrosnos acostábamos

present

él/ella/ustedse acuesta
yome acuesto
ellos/ellas/ustedesse acuestan
túte acuestas
vosotrosos acostáis
nosotrosnos acostamos

preterite

él/ella/ustedse acostó
yome acosté
ellos/ellas/ustedesse acostaron
túte acostaste
vosotrosos acostasteis
nosotrosnos acostamos
View All Tenses & Moods →

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: acostarte

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses the reflexive pronoun 'te' with the verb 'acostar'?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

acostarse(to go to bed) - verb
acostar(to lay down (someone else)) - verb
la cama(the bed) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between 'acostar' and 'acostarse'?

'Acostar' means to put someone else to bed (e.g., 'acostar al niño'). 'Acostarse' means to put yourself to bed, or to lie down (e.g., 'acostarse en el sofá'). The '-se' ending makes the action reflexive, meaning the subject and object are the same person.

Why does 'acostarte' have an accent mark in the imperative form 'acuéstate'?

When you attach pronouns (like 'te') to a command form, the word gets longer. Spanish rules require an accent mark to be added to keep the original stress on the same syllable, which prevents the pronunciation from changing.