alquilar Preterite Conjugation
alquilar — to rent
The preterite of alquilar is regular: alquilé, alquilaste, alquiló, alquilamos, alquilasteis, alquilaron.
alquilar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite tense for actions of renting that were completed at a specific point in the past. For example, 'I rented a car yesterday' or 'They rented the house last year'. It emphasizes the completion of the action.
Notes on alquilar in the Preterite
Alquilar is a regular -ar verb, so its preterite conjugations are straightforward and follow the standard pattern.
Example Sentences
Ayer alquilé un apartamento para las vacaciones.
Yesterday I rented an apartment for the holidays.
yo
¿Alquilasteis las bicicletas en el pueblo?
Did you all rent the bicycles in town?
vosotros
Él alquiló una oficina el mes pasado.
He rented an office last month.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros alquilamos un estudio pequeño.
We rented a small studio.
nosotros
Ellos alquilaron el local para su negocio.
They rented the space for their business.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'alquilaba' instead of the preterite 'alquiló' for a one-time rental.
Correct: For a specific, completed rental action in the past, use the preterite: 'alquiló'.
Why: The preterite marks completed actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'alquiló' (él/ella/usted form).
Correct: The third-person singular preterite form is 'alquiló', with an accent on the 'ó'.
Why: The accent is crucial to distinguish it from other forms and indicate stress on the final syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: alquilo
The present tense of alquilar is regular: alquilo, alquilas, alquila, alquilamos, alquiláis, alquilan.
Imperfect
yo: alquilaba
The imperfect of alquilar is regular: alquilaba, alquilabas, alquilaba, alquilábamos, alquilabais, alquilaban.
Future
yo: alquilaré
The future of alquilar is regular: alquilaré, alquilarás, alquilará, alquilaremos, alquilaréis, alquilarán.
Conditional
yo: alquilaría
The conditional of alquilar is regular: alquilaría, alquilarías, alquilaría, alquilaríamos, alquilaríais, alquilarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: alquile
Use 'alquile', 'alquiles', 'alquilemos', 'alquilen' after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: alquilara
Use the imperfect subjunctive forms like 'alquilara' or 'alquilase' for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: alquila
Use 'alquila', 'alquile', 'alquilemos', 'alquilen', 'alquilidad' for direct commands when renting.
Negative Imperative
yo: no alquiles
Use 'no alquiles', 'no alquile', 'no alquilemos', 'no alquilen', 'no alquiléis' for negative commands.