celebrar Preterite Conjugation
celebrar — celebrate
The preterite of celebrar marks completed past celebrations: celebré, celebraste, celebró, celebramos, celebrasteis, celebraron.
celebrar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to describe a celebration that started and finished at a specific point in the past. Think of it as a single event.
Notes on celebrar in the Preterite
Celebrar is regular in the preterite tense. Note that the 'nosotros' form 'celebramos' is identical to the present tense; context will clarify which is meant.
Example Sentences
Ayer celebramos el cumpleaños de Ana.
Yesterday we celebrated Ana's birthday.
nosotros
Él celebró su graduación con una gran fiesta.
He celebrated his graduation with a big party.
él/ella/usted
¿Celebraste el fin de año con fuegos artificiales?
Did you celebrate New Year's Eve with fireworks?
tú
Los vecinos celebraron el triunfo del equipo.
The neighbors celebrated the team's victory.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'celebraba' instead of the preterite 'celebró' for a specific past event.
Correct: For a completed event, use the preterite. E.g., 'Celebró su boda ayer.'
Why: The preterite emphasizes the completion of the action, whereas the imperfect would imply it was ongoing or habitual.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The 'yo' form is 'celebré' with an accent on the final 'é'.
Why: The accent distinguishes the preterite 'yo' form from other similar-looking verb forms and indicates the stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: celebro
The present indicative of celebrar describes current or habitual actions: celebro, celebras, celebra, celebramos, celebráis, celebran.
Imperfect
yo: celebraba
The imperfect of celebrar describes ongoing or habitual past actions: celebraba, celebrabas, celebraba, celebrábamos, celebrabais, celebraban.
Future
yo: celebraré
The future of celebrar adds endings to the infinitive: celebraré, celebrarás, celebrará, celebraremos, celebraréis, celebrarán.
Conditional
yo: celebraría
The conditional of celebrar expresses hypothetical actions ('would celebrate'): celebraría, celebrarías, celebraría, celebraríamos, celebraríais, celebrarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: celebre
The present subjunctive of celebrar expresses wishes, doubts, or emotions: celebre, celebres, celebremos, celebréis, celebren.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: celebrara
The imperfect subjunctive of celebrar expresses past wishes, doubts, or hypothetical situations: celebrara, celebraras, celebrase, etc.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: celebra
The imperative of celebrar gives direct commands: celebra, celebre, celebremos, celebrad, celebren.
Negative Imperative
yo: no celebres
The negative imperative of celebrar uses the present subjunctive with 'no': no celebres, no celebre, no celebremos, no celebréis, no celebren.