capturar Preterite Conjugation
capturar — to capture
The preterite of capturar is regular: capturé, capturaste, capturó, capturamos, capturasteis, capturaron, used for completed past actions.
capturar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions that were completed in the past, with a definite beginning and end. Think of 'capturing' something at a specific moment or over a defined period that has now finished.
Notes on capturar in the Preterite
Capturar is fully regular in the preterite tense.
Example Sentences
Ayer, el fotógrafo capturó una imagen increíble del atardecer.
Yesterday, the photographer captured an incredible image of the sunset.
él/ella/usted
Capturamos al ladrón justo cuando salía de la tienda.
We captured the thief just as he was leaving the store.
nosotros
Yo capturé el primer puesto en la competencia.
I captured first place in the competition.
yo
¿Capturaste la señal de televisión?
Did you capture the television signal?
tú
Las autoridades capturaron a los fugitivos la semana pasada.
The authorities captured the fugitives last week.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'capturamos' for the preterite when it sounds like the present.
Correct: The preterite 'capturamos' refers to a completed past action, while the present 'capturamos' refers to a current habit or ongoing action.
Why: Context is key here. Ensure the sentence clearly indicates a finished past event.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'capturó' and 'capturé'.
Correct: It should be 'capturó' and 'capturé' with accents on the 'o' and 'é' respectively.
Why: The accent marks the stressed syllable in these specific preterite forms.
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'capturar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: capturo
The present of capturar is regular: capturo, capturas, captura, capturamos, capturáis, capturan, used for current or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: capturaba
The imperfect of capturar is regular: capturaba, capturabas, capturaba, capturábamos, capturabais, capturaban, used for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: capturaré
The future of capturar is regular: capturaré, capturarás, capturará, capturaremos, capturaréis, capturarán, used for actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: capturaría
The conditional of capturar is regular: capturaría, capturarías, capturaría, capturaríamos, capturaríais, capturarían, used for hypotheticals ('would') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: capture
Use 'capture' (yo/él/ella/usted), 'captures' (tú), 'capturemos' (nosotros), 'capturéis' (vosotros), 'capturen' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: capturara
Use 'capturara' or 'capturase' (yo/él/ella/usted), 'capturaras'/'capturases' (tú), 'capturáramos'/'capturásemos' (nosotros), 'capturarais'/'capturaseis' (vosotros), 'capturaran'/'capturasen' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: captura
Use 'captura' (tú), 'capture' (usted), 'capturemos' (nosotros), 'capturad' (vosotros), 'capturen' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no captures
Use 'no captures' (tú), 'no capture' (usted), 'no capturemos' (nosotros), 'no capturéis' (vosotros), 'no capturen' (ustedes) for negative commands.