aterrar Preterite Conjugation
aterrar — to terrify
The preterite of aterrar is regular: aterré, aterraron, etc., for completed past actions.
aterrar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions that happened and finished at a specific point in the past. Think of a moment when something *terrified* someone, and it was a single, completed event.
Notes on aterrar in the Preterite
Aterrar is a regular -ar verb, so its preterite conjugation is straightforward: aterré, aterraron.
Example Sentences
El ruido repentino me aterró.
The sudden noise terrified me.
él/ella/usted
La película de terror los aterró anoche.
The horror movie terrified them last night.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
¿Qué te aterró tanto?
What terrified you so much?
tú
Aterramos a los niños con la historia de fantasmas.
We terrified the children with the ghost story.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a sudden event.
Correct: Use 'aterró' for a specific past terrifying event, not 'aterraba'.
Why: The preterite marks the completion of the action, suitable for sudden events, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past situations.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'aterró' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The form is 'aterró' with an accent on the 'o'.
Why: The accent is crucial to distinguish it from other forms and indicate stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: aterro
The present tense 'aterro', 'aterras', 'aterra' describes current actions or habitual terrors.
Imperfect
yo: aterraba
The imperfect 'aterraba', 'aterrabas' describes ongoing or habitual past actions that terrified.
Future
yo: aterraré
The future tense 'aterraré', 'aterrarás' indicates actions that will terrify.
Conditional
yo: aterraría
The conditional 'aterraría' expresses 'would terrify' or polite suggestions.
Present Subjunctive
yo: aterre
Use present subjunctive like 'aterre' (yo/él/ella/usted) or 'aterren' (ustedes) after expressions of doubt, emotion, or desire.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: aterrara
Use the imperfect subjunctive like 'aterrara' or 'aterraras' for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: aterra
Use imperative forms like 'aterra' (tú) and 'aterren' (ustedes) for direct commands with aterrar.
Negative Imperative
yo: no aterres
Negative commands like 'no aterres' (tú) and 'no aterren' (ustedes) use the present subjunctive.