adoptar Preterite Conjugation
adoptar — to adopt
The preterite of 'adoptar' is regular: adopté, adoptaste, adoptó, adoptamos, adoptasteis, adoptaron, marking completed past actions.
adoptar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about a specific, completed action of adopting something in the past. For example, 'Adopté un gato el año pasado' (I adopted a cat last year) or 'La organización adoptó nuevas reglas' (The organization adopted new rules).
Notes on adoptar in the Preterite
'Adoptar' is a regular -ar verb and follows the standard preterite conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
Finalmente, adopté la decisión de mudarme.
Finally, I made the decision to move.
yo
¿Adoptaste a tu perro de un refugio?
Did you adopt your dog from a shelter?
tú
Ella adoptó un estilo de vida más saludable.
She adopted a healthier lifestyle.
él/ella/usted
Los vecinos adoptaron un niño huérfano.
The neighbors adopted an orphan child.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'adoptaba' instead of the preterite 'adopté' for a single, completed adoption.
Correct: Use 'adopté' for a specific past event: 'Adopté un gato ayer.'
Why: The preterite marks completed actions with a clear beginning and end, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form: 'abri' instead of 'abrí'.
Correct: The 'yo' form needs an accent: 'adopté'.
Why: The accent on the final 'é' distinguishes the preterite 'yo' form and indicates the stressed syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: adopto
The present tense of 'adoptar' (adopto, adoptas, adopta, adoptamos, adoptáis, adoptan) describes current or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: adoptaba
The imperfect of 'adoptar' (adoptaba, adoptabas, adoptaba, adoptábamos, adoptabais, adoptaban) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: adoptaré
The future tense of 'adoptar' (adoptaré, adoptarás, adoptará, adoptaremos, adoptaréis, adoptarán) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: adoptaría
The conditional of 'adoptar' (adoptaría, adoptarías, adoptaría, adoptaríamos, adoptaríais, adoptarían) expresses 'would' actions, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: adopte
The present subjunctive of 'adoptar' (adopte, adoptes, adoptemos, adopten) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: adoptara
The imperfect subjunctive of 'adoptar' (adoptara/adoptase) is used for hypothetical past situations or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: adopta
Imperative commands for 'adoptar' include adopta (tú), adopte (usted), adoptemos (nosotros), adopten (ustedes), and adoptad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no adoptes
Negative commands for 'adoptar' use 'no' plus the present subjunctive: no adoptes (tú), no adopte (usted), no adoptemos (nosotros), no adopten (ustedes), no adoptéis (vosotros).