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A person placing a cool, damp cloth on the forehead of another person resting in bed.

aliviar Preterite Conjugation

aliviarto relieve

B1regular -ar★★★★
Quick answer:

The preterite of aliviar (alivié, aliviaste, alivió) marks completed actions of relieving or easing.

aliviar Preterite Forms

yoalivié
aliviaste
él/ella/ustedalivió
nosotrosaliviamos
vosotrosaliviasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesaliviaron

When to Use the Preterite

Use the preterite to talk about a specific instance when a pain was eased, a burden was lifted, or a situation was made lighter, and that action is now finished. It focuses on the completion of the act of relieving.

Notes on aliviar in the Preterite

Aliviar is regular in the preterite tense.

Example Sentences

  • Alivié el dolor de cabeza con una pastilla.

    I relieved the headache with a pill.

    yo

  • Ella alivió la tensión en la habitación con un chiste.

    She eased the tension in the room with a joke.

    él/ella/usted

  • ¿Aliviaste la carga de tu compañero?

    Did you lighten your partner's load?

  • Los médicos aliviaron el sufrimiento del paciente.

    The doctors relieved the patient's suffering.

    ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Confusing the preterite with the imperfect when describing past relief.

    Correct: Use the preterite ('alivié') for a single, completed act of relief, and the imperfect ('aliviaba') for ongoing or habitual relief in the past.

    Why: The preterite emphasizes the endpoint of the action, while the imperfect describes duration or repetition.

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Related Tenses