
brotar Preterite Conjugation
brotar — to sprout
The preterite of 'brotar' is regular: broté, brotaste, brotó, brotamos, brotasteis, brotaron.
brotar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'brotar' to talk about when something sprouted or began to grow at a specific point in the past. For example, 'La semilla brotó ayer' (The seed sprouted yesterday) or 'El negocio brotó en 2020' (The business started/took off in 2020).
Notes on brotar in the Preterite
Brotar is fully regular in the preterite. All forms follow the standard -ar verb conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
Ayer brotó una flor en mi jardín.
Yesterday a flower sprouted in my garden.
él/ella/usted
Yo broté optimismo en la reunión.
I sprouted/showed optimism in the meeting.
yo
¿Brotaste muchas ideas en la lluvia de ideas?
Did you sprout many ideas during the brainstorming session?
tú
Ellos brotaron valentía ante el peligro.
They sprouted/showed bravery in the face of danger.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed event.
Correct: Use 'brotó' (preterite) for a specific event like 'La planta brotó ayer'.
Why: The preterite is used for completed actions in the past, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Missing the accent on 'brotó' or 'broté'.
Correct: The él/ella/usted and yo forms need an accent: 'brotó', 'broté'.
Why: The accent marks the stress on the final syllable, distinguishing these forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: broto
The present tense 'brotar' (brotamos, brotan) describes things sprouting now or habitually.
Imperfect
yo: brotaba
The imperfect 'brotar' (brotábamos, brotaban) describes ongoing or habitual sprouting in the past.
Future
yo: brotaré
The future tense 'brotará' indicates something will sprout or happen in the future.
Conditional
yo: brotaría
The conditional 'brotaría' expresses what would happen or polite suggestions.
Present Subjunctive
yo: brote
The present subjunctive 'brote' is used after expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: brotara
The imperfect subjunctive 'brotara' or 'brotase' is used for hypothetical past situations or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: brota
Use 'brotar' imperative commands like 'brota' (tú) or 'brote' (usted) for direct orders.
Negative Imperative
yo: no brotes
Negative commands for 'brotar' use the present subjunctive after 'no', like 'no brotes' (tú) or 'no brote' (usted).