asar Preterite Conjugation
asar — to roast
Asar is regular in the preterite: asé, asaste, asó, asamos, asasteis, asaron.
asar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of asar to talk about the specific, completed action of roasting something in the past. For instance, 'I roasted the chicken yesterday' or 'They roasted the marshmallows.'
Notes on asar in the Preterite
Asar is a regular -ar verb and follows the standard conjugation pattern in the preterite. The nosotros form 'asamos' is identical to the present tense; context clarifies the meaning.
Example Sentences
Yo asé el pavo para la cena.
I roasted the turkey for dinner.
yo
¿Tú asaste las patatas con romero?
Did you roast the potatoes with rosemary?
tú
Ella asó los pimientos en el horno.
She roasted the peppers in the oven.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros asamos la carne a la parrilla el fin de semana pasado.
We roasted the meat on the grill last weekend.
nosotros
Ellos asaron los malvaviscos en la fogata.
They roasted the marshmallows over the campfire.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'asaba' instead of the preterite 'asé' for a single, completed roasting event.
Correct: Use 'asé' for 'I roasted it once'.
Why: The preterite marks a specific, finished action, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'asó' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The correct form is 'asó' with an accent on the 'o'.
Why: The accent is crucial for pronunciation and distinguishes it from other forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: aso
We roast! The present tense of asar (aso, asas, asa, asamos, asáis, asan) is for actions happening now or habitually.
Imperfect
yo: asaba
Asar was regular in the imperfect: asaba, asabas, asaba, asábamos, asabais, asaban.
Future
yo: asaré
Asar is regular in the future: asaré, asarás, asará, asaremos, asaréis, asarán.
Conditional
yo: asaría
Asar is regular in the conditional: asaría, asarías, asaría, asaríamos, asaríais, asarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: ase
I hope they roast it! The present subjunctive of asar (ase, ases, asemos, asen) follows expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: asara
If only we could roast! The imperfect subjunctive of asar (asara/asáramos) expresses hypothetical past or present wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: asa
Roast it! The imperative forms for asar are: asa (tú), ase (usted), asad (vosotros), asen (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no ases
Don't roast it! Negative commands for asar use the present subjunctive: no ases (tú), no ase (usted), no aséis (vosotros), no asen (ustedes).