alejar Preterite Conjugation
alejar — to move away
The preterite 'alejé' is for completed past actions with a clear end point.
alejar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about actions that started and finished at a specific point in the past. For 'alejar', it means you definitively moved away or kept something at a distance at a particular moment.
Notes on alejar in the Preterite
Alejar is regular in the preterite indicative. The forms are made by taking the infinitive stem and adding the preterite endings (-é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron).
Example Sentences
Me alejé de la fiesta temprano.
I moved away from the party early.
yo
¿Te alejaste de la ventana cuando te lo pedí?
Did you move away from the window when I asked you to?
tú
Él alejó el perro del niño.
He moved the dog away from the child.
él/ella/usted
Ellos se alejaron de la zona peligrosa.
They moved away from the dangerous area.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'alejaba' for a completed action.
Correct: Use the preterite 'alejé' for completed actions.
Why: The preterite marks the completion of an action, while the imperfect describes it as ongoing or habitual in the past.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The 'yo' form is 'alejé' with an accent on the 'é'.
Why: The accent on the 'é' distinguishes the preterite 'yo' form from other possible forms and indicates the stressed syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: alejo
The present tense 'alejo' describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Imperfect
yo: alejaba
The imperfect 'alejaba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions and background.
Future
yo: alejaré
The future tense 'alejaré' is for actions that will happen or to express probability.
Conditional
yo: alejaría
The conditional 'aljaría' expresses 'would' actions, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: aleje
The present subjunctive 'aleje' is used for wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: alejara
The imperfect subjunctive 'alejara' or 'alejase' is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: aleja
Use 'aleja' (tú), 'aleje' (usted), 'alejemos' (nosotros), 'alejad' (vosotros), 'alejen' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: alejes
Use 'no alejes' (tú), 'no aleje' (usted), 'no alejemos' (nosotros), 'no alejéis' (vosotros), 'no alejen' (ustedes) for negative commands.