acortar Preterite Conjugation
acortar — to shorten
The preterite of acortar is regular: acorté, acortaste, acortó, acortamos, acortasteis, acortaron.
acortar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'acortar' for completed actions in the past. For instance, 'I shortened the pants yesterday' or 'They shortened the road construction time.'
Notes on acortar in the Preterite
Acortar is regular in the preterite tense.
Example Sentences
Ayer acorté mi vestido.
Yesterday I shortened my dress.
yo
¿Acortaste el camino para llegar más rápido?
Did you shorten the route to arrive faster?
tú
El gobierno acortó los plazos del proyecto.
The government shortened the project deadlines.
él/ella/usted
Acortaron la sesión de fotos.
They shortened the photo session.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single completed action.
Correct: Use 'acorté' for a specific past instance, not 'acortaba'.
Why: The preterite marks a finished action, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'acortó' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The third-person singular form is 'acortó' with an accent.
Why: The accent on the 'o' is crucial to distinguish it from other forms and indicate stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: acorto
The present tense 'acorto', 'acortas', 'acorta', 'acortamos', 'acortáis', 'acortan' describes current or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: acortaba
The imperfect 'acortaba(n)' describes ongoing or habitual past actions of shortening.
Future
yo: acortaré
The future tense 'acortaré', 'acortarás', etc., indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: acortaría
The conditional 'acortaría(n)' expresses hypothetical outcomes ('would shorten').
Present Subjunctive
yo: acorte
Use the present subjunctive 'acorte(n)' after expressions of desire, doubt, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: acortara
The imperfect subjunctive 'acortara(n)' or 'acortase(n)' is for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: acorta
Use imperative forms like 'acorta' (tú) and 'acorten' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no acortes
Negative commands use 'no' + present subjunctive, like 'no acortes' (tú) or 'no acorten' (ustedes).