bombear Preterite Conjugation
bombear — to pump
The preterite of bombear is regular: bombeé, bombeaste, bombeó, bombeamos, bombeasteis, bombearon.
bombear Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'bombear' for completed actions in the past. Think of specific instances: 'I pumped the tire yesterday,' or 'They pumped the water out of the basement last night.' It signifies a finished action.
Notes on bombear in the Preterite
Bombear is fully regular in the preterite. All the endings are standard for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Ayer, bombeé el agua del sótano.
Yesterday, I pumped the water out of the basement.
yo
¿Bombeaste suficiente aire en la llanta?
Did you pump enough air into the tire?
tú
Él bombeó el combustible hasta que el tanque estuvo lleno.
He pumped the fuel until the tank was full.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros bombeamos la piscina durante horas.
We pumped the pool for hours.
nosotros
Ellos bombearon la solución en la máquina.
They pumped the solution into the machine.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'bombeaba' instead of the preterite 'bombeé'.
Correct: For a specific, completed action like 'I pumped the water yesterday,' use the preterite 'bombeé'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, while the preterite describes completed ones.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'bombeó' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The accent on the 'o' is crucial: 'bombeó'.
Why: The accent distinguishes this form from the nosotros present tense ('bombeamos') and marks the stress.
Master Spanish verbs in context
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: bombeo
The present tense 'bombeo' describes habitual actions or things happening now.
Imperfect
yo: bombeaba
The imperfect 'bombeaba' describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: bombearé
The future tense 'bombearé' indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: bombearía
The conditional 'bombearía' expresses hypothetical actions ('would pump').
Present Subjunctive
yo: bombee
Use 'bombeemos' (nosotros) and 'bombeemos' (ustedes) after wishes, doubts, or emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: bombeara
The imperfect subjunctive 'bombeara' or 'bombeara' expresses hypothetical past actions or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: bombea
Use 'bombea' (tú) and 'bombeen' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no bombees
Use 'no bombees' (tú) and 'no bombeen' (ustedes) for negative commands.