Acortan

Acortan is the third-person plural form of the Spanish verb acortar in the present indicative. The verb means to shorten, reduce length, duration, or extent. It is used with subjects such as ellos, ellas, or ustedes, as in ellos acortan la ruta para ahorrar tiempo.

Acortar is a regular -ar verb. Present indicative forms are: yo acorto, tú acortas, él/ella/usted acorta, nosotros acortamos, vosotros acortáis, ellos/ellas/ustedes acortan. Other tenses and moods follow standard -ar conjugation patterns, for example acorté, acortaste, acortó in the preterite; acortiéndo in the gerund form, and acorte, acortes, acorte, acortemos, acortéis, acorten in the present subjunctive.

Usage notes include literal shortening of physical length or duration, as in “acortan la distancia entre dos ciudades” or “acortan el tiempo de espera,” as well as figurative shortening, such as procedures or credits. The choice of context often clarifies whether the reference is spatial, temporal, or methodological.

Etymology: acortar is formed from cortar with the prefix a-, producing the sense of causing shortening or reducing. The term is common in Spanish across dialects and is readily understood in both formal and colloquial contexts.

See also: acortar (verb), cortar.