acatar Preterite Conjugation
acatar — to obey
Use 'acaté' (yo) and 'acató' (él/ella/usted) for completed actions of obeying in the past.
acatar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
The preterite is used for actions of obeying that were completed at a specific point in the past. Think of it as a single event of compliance or non-compliance that has a clear beginning and end.
Notes on acatar in the Preterite
'Acatar' is a regular -ar verb and follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern perfectly.
Example Sentences
Acaté la orden inmediatamente.
I obeyed the order immediately.
yo
¿Acataste las instrucciones de la profesora?
Did you obey the teacher's instructions?
tú
Él acató la decisión del juez.
He obeyed the judge's decision.
él/ella/usted
Los soldados acataron las órdenes del general.
The soldiers obeyed the general's orders.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed act of obedience.
Correct: Use the preterite for a specific instance of obeying (e.g., 'Acaté la orden' - I obeyed the order) and the imperfect for habitual or ongoing obedience (e.g., 'Acataba las órdenes' - I used to obey orders).
Why: The distinction between preterite (completed) and imperfect (ongoing/habitual) is crucial for past actions.
Mistake: Missing the accent on 'acaté' (yo form).
Correct: Remember the written accent on the final 'é' in 'acaté'.
Why: The accent is necessary to distinguish the first-person singular preterite from other forms and to indicate stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: acato
Use 'acato' (yo) and 'acata' (él/ella/usted) for current or habitual obedience.
Imperfect
yo: acataba
Use 'acataba' (él/ella/usted) and 'acataban' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for past habitual or ongoing obedience.
Future
yo: acataré
Use 'acataré' (yo) and 'acatará' (él/ella/usted) for future obedience or probability.
Conditional
yo: acataría
Use 'acataría' (yo) and 'acataría' (él/ella/usted) for hypothetical obedience ('would obey').
Present Subjunctive
yo: acate
Use 'acate' (él/ella/usted) or 'acates' (tú) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: acatara
Use 'acatara' or 'acataras' etc. for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: acata
Use 'acata' (tú) and 'acate' (usted) for direct commands to obey.
Negative Imperative
yo: no acates
Use 'no acates' (tú) and 'no acate' (usted) for negative commands to obey.