ajustar Preterite Conjugation
ajustar — to adjust
The preterite of 'ajustar' is regular: ajusté, ajustaste, ajustó, ajustamos, ajustasteis, ajustaron.
ajustar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about actions of adjusting that were completed at a specific point in the past. For example, 'I adjusted the focus' implies the action is finished.
Notes on ajustar in the Preterite
'Ajustar' is regular in the preterite. All the endings follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Ajusté la silla para estar más cómodo.
I adjusted the chair to be more comfortable.
yo
¿Ajustaste la alarma para las siete?
Did you adjust the alarm for seven?
tú
El mecánico ajustó el motor del coche.
The mechanic adjusted the car's engine.
él/ella/usted
Ellos ajustaron las cuentas al final del mes.
They adjusted the accounts at the end of the month.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Ajustamos el precio de venta.
We adjusted the selling price.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a completed action.
Correct: For 'I adjusted the alarm yesterday', use 'Ajusté la alarma ayer', not 'Ajustaba la alarma ayer'.
Why: The preterite is for single, completed events, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'ajustó' and 'ajusté'.
Correct: It should be 'ajustó' and 'ajusté', not 'ajusto' or 'ajuste'.
Why: The accent marks the stressed syllable and distinguishes these preterite forms from present indicative or subjunctive forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: ajusto
The present tense of 'ajustar' (ajusto, ajustas, ajusta, etc.) is used for current actions, habits, and general truths.
Imperfect
yo: ajustaba
The imperfect of 'ajustar' (ajustaba, ajustabas, ajustaba, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: ajustaré
The future tense of 'ajustar' (ajustaré, ajustarás, ajustará, etc.) indicates actions that will happen later.
Conditional
yo: ajustaría
The conditional of 'ajustar' (ajustaría, ajustarías, etc.) is used for hypotheticals ('would') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: ajuste
The present subjunctive of 'ajustar' (ajuste, ajustes, ajustemos, etc.) follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: ajustara
The imperfect subjunctive of 'ajustar' (e.g., ajustara, ajustaras) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: ajusta
Imperative commands for 'ajustar': ajusta (tú), ajuste (usted), ajustemos (nosotros), ajusten (ustedes), ajustad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no ajustes
Negative commands for 'ajustar' use the present subjunctive: no ajustes (tú), no ajuste (usted), no ajustemos (nosotros), no ajusten (ustedes), no ajustéis (vosotros).