The preterite of acercarse is used to express when someone got closer to something or someone at a specific moment in the past. For example, when you want to say “I got closer to see better” – “Me acerqué para ver mejor.”
This is a -car spelling-changing reflexive verb in the preterite tense. The ‘c’ changes to ‘qu’ before ‘e’ to maintain the same sound in the yo form (me acerqué), and requires the appropriate reflexive pronoun before each form.
Conjugations
Conjugations of Acercarse (to get closer) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish):
| Pronoun | Conjugation |
|---|---|
| Yo | me acerqué |
| Tú | te acercaste |
| Él / Ella / Usted | se acercó |
| Nosotros / Nosotras | nos acercamos |
| Vosotros / Vosotras | os acercasteis |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes | se acercaron |
Boost Your Memorization with Audio!
We’ve included audio recordings of the the conjugations of Acercarse (to get closer) in the Preterite (Past) Tense to help you learn faster.
Pro Tip: Play the audio on a loop as you study the chart. This repetition will solidify the correct conjugations in your memory.
Usage of Acercarse in the Preterite (Past) Tense
The Preterite of acercarse indicates when someone or something moved closer.
To approach/come closer: Describes physical movement toward something, for example Me acerqué a la ventana (I approached the window), or Se acercaron al edificio (They got closer to the building).
To become closer: Used figuratively for relationships, for example Se acercó más a su familia (He grew closer to his family).
Examples
Examples of Acercarse in the Preterite (Past) Tense
Me acerqué a la ventana para ver mejor. (I approached the window to see better.)
Te acercaste demasiado al borde. (You got too close to the edge.)
El gato se acercó sigilosamente. (The cat approached stealthily.)
Nos acercamos al escenario. (We got closer to the stage.)
Los niños se acercaron al payaso. (The children approached the clown.)
¿Por qué te acercaste tanto? (Why did you get so close?)
Se acercó para saludar. (He approached to say hello.)
Nos acercamos al mostrador. (We approached the counter.)
Se acercaron a pedir información. (They approached to ask for information.)
Me acerqué a hablar con ella. (I approached to talk to her.)
El barco se acercó al puerto. (The ship approached the port.)
Te acercaste sin hacer ruido. (You approached quietly.)
Se acercaron a la meta. (They got closer to the goal.)
Nos acercamos al problema con cautela. (We approached the problem with caution.)
Se acercó el momento de la verdad. (The moment of truth approached.)
Conjugations with English Translations
Conjugations of Acercarse (to get closer) in the Preterite (Past) Tense tense (Castilian Spanish) with English Translations:
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| Yo me acerqué | I got closer |
| Tú te acercaste | You got closer |
| Él / Ella / Usted se acercó | He / She / You (formal) got closer |
| Nosotros / Nosotras nos acercamos | We got closer |
| Vosotros / Vosotras os acercasteis | You all got closer |
| Ellos / Ellas / Ustedes se acercaron | They / You all (formal) got closer |
This post covers Castilian Spanish. For Latin American Spanish, click here
Synonyms
The Preterite tense is also known as the Simple Past, Past Simple, Definite Past, Absolute Past, or Past Tense Indicative in English, and as Pretérito Perfecto Simple, Pretérito Indefinido, Pretérito Simple, Pasado Simple, or Pretérito de Indicativo in Spanish.