atropellar Preterite Conjugation
atropellar — to run over
The preterite of atropellar (e.g., 'atropellé') describes a specific, completed action of running over in the past.
atropellar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use this tense for the moment someone or something was run over, or when a vehicle hit something. For example, 'El coche atropelló al ciclista.' (The car ran over the cyclist.) It emphasizes the completion of the action.
Notes on atropellar in the Preterite
Atropellar is regular in the preterite tense. All the endings are standard for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
El conductor atropelló al peatón.
The driver ran over the pedestrian.
él/ella/usted
Ayer atropellé un cono.
Yesterday I ran over a cone.
yo
¿Atropellasteis algo en el camino?
Did you all run over anything on the way?
vosotros
Los niños atropellaron la mesa sin querer.
The children accidentally knocked over the table.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single event.
Correct: For a specific incident, use the preterite: 'Atropelló al perro', not 'Atropellaba al perro'.
Why: The preterite marks a completed action at a specific point, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Missing accents on 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms.
Correct: The forms are 'atropellé' (yo) and 'atropelló' (él/ella/usted).
Why: These accents are crucial for distinguishing these preterite forms and indicating the stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: atropello
The present tense of atropellar (e.g., 'atropello') means 'I run over' and is used for current or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: atropellaba
The imperfect of atropellar (e.g., 'atropellaba') describes ongoing or habitual past actions of running over.
Future
yo: atropellaré
The future tense of atropellar (e.g., 'atropellaré') indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: atropellaría
The conditional of atropellar (e.g., 'atropellaría') expresses 'would' actions or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: atropelle
The present subjunctive of atropellar (e.g., 'atropelle') expresses wishes, doubts, or emotions about present/future events.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: atropellara
The imperfect subjunctive of atropellar (e.g., 'atropellara') is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: atropella
Use the imperative of atropellar for direct commands like 'atropella' (you, informal) or 'atropellen' (you all, formal).
Negative Imperative
yo: no atropelles
Negative commands for atropellar use the present subjunctive: 'no atropelles' (don't you run over).