acosar Preterite Conjugation
acosar — to harass
The preterite of acosar is regular: acosé, acosaste, acosó, acosamos, acosasteis, acosaron, for completed past actions.
acosar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions of harassing or pursuing that were completed at a specific point in the past. It emphasizes the action happened and finished.
Notes on acosar in the Preterite
Acosar is fully regular in the preterite. Note that the 'nosotros' form 'acosamos' is identical to the present tense; context usually makes the meaning clear.
Example Sentences
Acosé a ese vendedor hasta que me dio un descuento.
I pursued that salesperson until they gave me a discount.
yo
¿Acosaste a tu jefe sobre el aumento?
Did you pester your boss about the raise?
tú
El equipo acosó la portería rival todo el partido.
The team hounded the opposing goal the entire game.
él/ella/usted
Acosaron al sospechoso durante horas.
They harassed the suspect for hours.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed act.
Correct: For a specific instance like 'He harassed me yesterday', use 'Me acosó ayer' (preterite), not 'Me acosaba'.
Why: The preterite marks a finished event, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on forms like 'acosó'.
Correct: The third-person singular form needs an accent: acosó.
Why: The accent is required on the 'o' to indicate stress and distinguish it from other forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: acoso
Use 'acoso', 'acosas', 'acosa', 'acosamos', 'acosáis', 'acosan' for actions happening now, habits, or general truths.
Imperfect
yo: acosaba
Use 'acosaba', 'acosabas', 'acosaba', 'acosábamos', 'acosabais', 'acosaban' for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: acosaré
Use 'acosaré', 'acosarás', 'acosará', 'acosaremos', 'acosaréis', 'acosarán' for actions that will happen in the future.
Conditional
yo: acosaría
Use 'acosaría', 'acosarías', 'acosaría', 'acosaríamos', 'acosaríais', 'acosarían' for hypotheticals ('would'), polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: acose
Use 'acose' (yo/él/ella/usted), 'acoses' (tú), 'acosemos' (nosotros), etc., after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: acosara
Use 'acosara' or 'acosase' (yo/él/ella/usted), 'acosaras' or 'acosases' (tú), 'acosáramos' or 'acosásemos' (nosotros), etc., for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: acosa
Use 'acosa' (tú), 'acosad' (vosotros), 'acose' (usted/él), 'acosemos' (nosotros), 'acosen' (ustedes/ellos) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no acoses
Use 'no acoses' (tú), 'no acoséis' (vosotros), 'no acose' (usted/él), 'no acosemos' (nosotros), 'no acosen' (ustedes/ellos) for negative commands.