borrar Preterite Conjugation
borrar — erase
The preterite of borrar (borré, borraste, borró, etc.) indicates completed actions in the past.
borrar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions that started and finished at a specific point in the past. Think of it as a snapshot of a completed event, like 'I erased the word' or 'They erased the board'.
Notes on borrar in the Preterite
Borrrar is regular in the preterite. It follows the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs in this tense.
Example Sentences
Yo borré la información confidencial.
I erased the confidential information.
yo
¿Borraste el mensaje equivocado?
Did you erase the wrong message?
tú
Ella borró la pizarra después de la clase.
She erased the whiteboard after class.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros borramos las marcas de pintura ayer.
We erased the paint marks yesterday.
nosotros
Ellos borraron el archivo por accidente.
They erased the file by accident.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'borraba' for a completed action.
Correct: Use the preterite 'borré' for a single, completed past action.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, not finished ones.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'borró' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The accent on the 'o' is crucial: borró.
Why: The accent distinguishes this form from other similar-sounding words and indicates the stressed syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: borro
The present tense of borrar (borro, borras, borra, etc.) describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Imperfect
yo: borraba
The imperfect of borrar (borraba, borrabas, borraba, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: borraré
The future tense of borrar (borraré, borrarás, borrará, etc.) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: borraría
The conditional of borrar (borraría, borrarías, borraría, etc.) expresses 'would' actions, polite requests, or future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: borre
The present subjunctive of borrar (borre, borres, borremos, etc.) is used after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: borrara
The imperfect subjunctive of borrar (e.g., borrara, borraras, borráramos) expresses past wishes, doubts, or hypothetical situations.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: borra
Use 'borra' (tú), 'borre' (usted), 'borremos' (nosotros), 'borrad' (vosotros), 'borren' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no borres
Use 'no borres' (tú), 'no borre' (usted), 'no borremos' (nosotros), 'no borréis' (vosotros), 'no borren' (ustedes) for negative commands.