asumir
/asuˈmiɾ/
The Spanish phrase for 'assume' in the sense of taking on a responsibility is asumir.
asumir is used when a person accepts a specific role, a duty or the responsibility for a particular task.
How does it change in a sentence?
The third-person singular preterite form (he/she assumed) is asumió. To form perfect tenses, use the past participle asumido alongside the auxiliary verb haber.
How do you pronounce it?
/asuˈmiɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use asumir to mean 'to suppose' or 'to presume'. This is a common mistake for English speakers.
Did you know?
- English speakers often confuse asumir with presumir, but in Spanish presumir often means 'to boast' or 'to show off', which is the opposite of the humble act of taking responsibility.
- While asumir means to take on a role, the related word sumiso means 'submissive'. Both share a root linked to the idea of taking or placing something under another.
- The verb asumir comes from the Latin assūmere, which combines the prefix ad- meaning 'to' and sūmō meaning 'to take up'.
Examples in context
- Supongo que estará disponible para la reunión mañana.I assume you will be available for the meeting tomorrow.
- Damos por hecho que los documentos estarán listos para la presentación.We assume the documents will be ready for the presentation.
- Presumo que ya tienen experiencia en este campo.I assume you already have experience in this field.
- Supongo que ya conoces a Juan, ¿verdad?I assume you already know Juan, right?
- Imagino que ya tienes planes para el fin de semana.I assume you already have plans for the weekend.
- Asumo que llegarás a tiempo.I assume you will arrive on time.
- Damos por sentado que vendrás a la fiesta.We assume you will come to the party.
- asumir el cargoto take on the position/role
- Debes asumir la responsabilidad de tus actos.You must assume responsibility for your actions.
- Ella va a asumir el cargo de directora.She is going to assume the role of director.
- Él no quiere asumir más tareas este mes.He does not want to assume more tasks this month.
Example conversation
Mateo and María are discussing a new project at work.
- Mateo¿Vas a asumir el liderazgo del proyecto?Are you going to assume leadership of the project?
- MaríaSí, Mateo, me gustaría asumir ese rol.Yes, Mateo, I would like to assume that role.
- MateoPerfecto, yo te ayudaré a asumir el mando.Perfect, I will help you assume command.
- MaríaGracias, eso me dará mucha confianza.Thank you, that will give me a lot of confidence.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry asumir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries asumir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
