cancelar Preterite Conjugation
cancelar — cancel
The preterite of 'cancelar' (cancelé) is regular and used for completed past actions.
cancelar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'cancelar' to talk about a specific instance when something was canceled and it's now finished. For example, 'Cancelé mi vuelo ayer' refers to a single, completed action.
Notes on cancelar in the Preterite
'Cancela' is regular in the preterite. All forms are standard for -ar verbs in this tense.
Example Sentences
Cancelé mi suscripción la semana pasada.
I canceled my subscription last week.
yo
¿Cancelaste la cita?
Did you cancel the appointment?
tú
Ella canceló la reservación.
She canceled the reservation.
él/ella/usted
Los organizadores cancelaron el evento.
The organizers canceled the event.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single completed action: 'Cancelaba mi vuelo ayer'.
Correct: Use the preterite for a specific, completed past action: 'Cancelé mi vuelo ayer'.
Why: The preterite marks a finished event, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'cancelé' (yo form).
Correct: The yo form needs an accent: 'cancelé'.
Why: The accent on the 'é' distinguishes the preterite yo form from the present indicative nosotros form ('cancelamos') and marks the stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: cancelo
The present tense of 'cancelar' (cancelo) is regular and used for current actions, habits, or general truths.
Imperfect
yo: cancelaba
The imperfect tense of 'cancelar' (cancelaba) describes habitual or ongoing past actions and background descriptions.
Future
yo: cancelaré
The future tense of 'cancelar' (cancelaré) is regular and used for actions that will happen or to express probability.
Conditional
yo: cancelaría
The conditional of 'cancelar' (cancelaría) is regular and used for hypotheticals, polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: cancele
The present subjunctive of 'cancelar' (cancele) is used after expressions of doubt, emotion, desire, and in negative commands.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: cancelara
The imperfect subjunctive of 'cancelar' (cancelara/cancelase) describes hypothetical or ongoing past actions in dependent clauses.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: cancela
The imperative of 'cancelar' has regular forms for commands: cancela (tú), cancele (usted), cancelamos (nosotros), cancelad (vosotros), cancelen (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no canceles
Negative commands for 'cancelar' use the present subjunctive: no canceles (tú), no cancele (usted), no cancelemos (nosotros), no canceléis (vosotros), no cancelen (ustedes).