The Present Subjunctive of atenerse is used to express wishes, desires, or uncertainty about the action of adhering or conforming to something. For example, Es importante que te atengas a las reglas. (It’s important that you adhere to the rules.)

Atenerse is an irregular verb, meaning its conjugations do not follow the typical patterns of regular verbs. You’ll need to memorize its unique set of conjugations for each subject pronoun in the Present Subjunctive.

Conjugations

Conjugations of Atenerse (to abide by) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Latin American Spanish):

The present subjunctive of atenerse is used to express wishes, suggestions, or uncertainty about an action or situation.

To abide by or comply with: For example, Es importante que te atengas a las reglas. (It’s important that you abide by the rules.)

To stick to or limit oneself to: For example, Me atengo a los hechos. (I’m sticking to the facts.)

To rely on or trust: For example, No me atengo a rumores. (I don’t rely on rumors.)

Colloquially, to deal with the consequences: For example, Ahora te atenés a lo que hiciste. (Now you have to deal with what you did.)

Examples

Examples of Atenerse in the Subjunctive Mood

Es importante que te atengas a las reglas de la compañía. (It’s important that you follow the company’s rules.)

Aunque no estés de acuerdo, te recomiendo que te atengas al consejo de tu médico. (Even if you don’t agree, I recommend you follow your doctor’s advice.)

Para evitar problemas, es mejor que te atengas a las instrucciones del manual. (To avoid problems, it’s better that you follow the instructions in the manual.)

Ojalá que me atenga a la dieta que me recomendó el nutricionista. (I hope I follow the diet the nutritionist recommended for me.)

Aunque cueste trabajo, es necesario que te atengas a un presupuesto para ahorrar dinero. (Although it’s difficult, it’s necessary that you stick to a budget to save money.)

El juez ordenó que el acusado se atenga a las condiciones de su libertad condicional. (The judge ordered that the defendant follow the conditions of his parole.)

Para tener éxito en el negocio, es crucial que te atengas al plan de negocios. (To be successful in business, it’s crucial that you follow the business plan.)

Mis padres insisten en que me atenga a las reglas mientras viva bajo su techo. (My parents insist that I follow the rules while living under their roof.)

Aunque no te guste, es importante que te atengas al código de vestimenta de la oficina. (Even if you don’t like it, it’s important that you follow the office dress code.)

El entrenador nos dijo que nos atengamos al plan de entrenamiento para mejorar nuestro rendimiento. (The coach told us to follow the training plan to improve our performance.)

Para evitar una multa, es mejor que te atengas a los límites de velocidad. (To avoid a ticket, it’s better that you follow the speed limits.)

Aunque sea difícil, es importante que te atengas a tus principios y valores. (Although it’s difficult, it’s important that you stick to your principles and values.)

Para mantener una buena salud, el médico recomendó que me atenga a una dieta balanceada y haga ejercicio regularmente. (To maintain good health, the doctor recommended that I follow a balanced diet and exercise regularly.)

Aunque sea tentador saltarse las reglas, es importante que te atengas al reglamento para evitar problemas. (Although it’s tempting to skip the rules, it’s important that you follow the regulations to avoid problems.)

Conjugations with English Translations

Conjugations of Atenerse (to abide by) in the Subjunctive Mood tense (Latin American Spanish) with English Translations:

This post covers Latin American Spanish. For Castilian Spanish, click here

Synonyms

The Subjunctive mood is also known as the Simple Subjunctive, Subjunctive Present, or Present Subjunctive Mood in English, and as Presente de Subjuntivo, Subjuntivo Presente, Presente del Modo Subjuntivo, or Tiempo Presente del Subjuntivo in Spanish.