acertar
transitive verb
[+respuesta] to get right; [+adivinanza] to guess gana el que acierte antes cinco preguntas the winner is the first one to get five answers right o to answer five questions correctly; ¿cuántos números has acertado esta semana? how many numbers did you get this week?; a ver si aciertas lo que traigo see if you can guess what I've brought you
intransitive verb
1 (al disparar) to hit the target
rara vez aciertan they rarely hit their targets
la bala le acertó de lleno en el corazón the bullet hit him right in the heart; disparó a matar pero no acertó he shot to kill but he missed
2 (adivinar) to get it right
¡has acertado! you got it right!
piensa mal y acertarás think the worst and you won't be far wrong
3 (al decir, hacer algo) to be right
aciertan cuando dicen que la corrupción no tiene solución they're right when they say that there's no solution to corruption
acertó al quedarse callado he did the right thing keeping quiet; he was right to keep quiet
acertar con algo (al escoger) to get sth right
han acertado de pleno con el nuevo modelo de coche familiar they've scored a real winner (familiar) o they've got it just right with their new family car; habéis acertado con el regalo you made just the right choice with that present
acertar en algo
habéis acertado en la elección you have made the right choice
acertaron de pleno en sus pronósticos their forecasts were totally accurate o correct
4
acertar a hacer algo (conseguir) to manage to do sth; (casualmente) to happen to do sth
acerté a encontrar la salida I managed to find the exit; no acerté a expresarme con claridad I didn't manage to express myself clearly
los médicos no aciertan a dar con lo que tiene the doctors can't find out what's wrong with him; no acierto a comprenderlo I fail to understand it
acertamos a pasar por delante de su casa we happened to pass by his house