atender Preterite Conjugation
atender — to serve
The preterite of 'atender' (atendí, atendiste, atendió, etc.) is for completed past actions.
atender Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to describe actions related to serving or attending that were completed at a specific point in the past. For example, 'I served the meal at 8 PM' or 'He attended the meeting yesterday'.
Notes on atender in the Preterite
'Atender' is regular in the preterite tense. The standard endings for regular -er verbs are used.
Example Sentences
Yo atendí al cliente que entró.
I served the client who entered.
yo
¿Tú atendiste la llamada importante?
Did you take the important call?
tú
Ella atendió la conferencia virtual.
She attended the virtual conference.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros atendimos la emergencia rápidamente.
We attended to the emergency quickly.
nosotros
Ellos atendieron el puesto de información.
They staffed the information booth.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a specific, finished action.
Correct: Use 'atendí' for 'I served once', not 'atendía'.
Why: The preterite is for completed actions with a clear beginning and end, while the imperfect is for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Confusing the nosotros preterite 'atendimos' with the present indicative 'atendemos'.
Correct: Context usually clarifies, but be mindful of the difference: 'atendimos' is past, 'atendemos' is present.
Why: These two forms are identical, and learners can sometimes use the wrong one if they aren't paying close attention to the time frame.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: atiendo
The present indicative of 'atender' (atiendo, atiendes, atiende, etc.) is for actions happening now or habitually.
Imperfect
yo: atendía
The imperfect of 'atender' (atendía, atendías, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: atenderé
The future tense of 'atender' (atenderé, atenderás, etc.) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: atendería
The conditional of 'atender' (atendería, atenderías, etc.) expresses hypothetical outcomes or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: atienda
The present subjunctive of 'atender' (atienda, atendamos, etc.) follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: atendiera
The imperfect subjunctive of 'atender' (atendiera/atendiese) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: atiende
Use 'atiende', 'atienda', 'atendamos', 'atended', 'atiendan' for direct commands with 'atender'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no atiendas
Use 'no atiendas', 'no atienda', 'no atendamos', 'no atendáis', 'no atiendan' for negative commands.