citar Preterite Conjugation
citar — to make an appointment
The preterite of 'citar' ('cité', 'citaste', 'citó') is regular and used for completed actions like making or attending an appointment in the past.
citar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for specific, completed actions in the past. If you made an appointment at a particular time, or attended one that finished, the preterite is the tense to use.
Notes on citar in the Preterite
'Citar' is a regular -ar verb, so all its preterite conjugations are regular: cité, citaste, citó, citamos, citasteis, citaron.
Example Sentences
Ayer cité al fontanero para arreglar la fuga.
Yesterday I scheduled the plumber to fix the leak.
yo
¿Citaste a tu amigo para tomar un café?
Did you meet your friend for coffee?
tú
La reunión se citó para el martes pasado.
The meeting was scheduled for last Tuesday.
él/ella/usted
Ellos citaron a los ganadores por teléfono.
They notified the winners by phone.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'citaba' instead of the preterite 'cité' for a specific past event.
Correct: Use 'Ayer cité' not 'Ayer citaba' for a one-time action.
Why: The preterite marks single, completed events, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'citó' and 'cité'.
Correct: Remember the accents: 'citó' and 'cité'.
Why: The accent marks the stress on the final syllable for these specific forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: cito
The present tense ('cito', 'citas', 'cita') is used for habitual actions like regularly making appointments or for general truths about meetings.
Imperfect
yo: citaba
The imperfect tense ('citaba', 'citabas') describes habitual or ongoing past actions, like frequently making appointments or background settings.
Future
yo: citaré
The future tense ('citaré', 'citarás') is used to state with certainty that an appointment will be made or someone will be summoned.
Conditional
yo: citaría
The conditional ('citaría', 'citarías') is used for polite requests to make an appointment or for hypothetical situations.
Present Subjunctive
yo: cite
The present subjunctive ('cite', 'cites') is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion when talking about making appointments.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: citara
The imperfect subjunctive ('citara', 'citase') expresses hypothetical or unreal situations related to making appointments in the past.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: cita
Use imperative forms like 'cita' (you singular) and 'citen' (you plural) to give direct commands for making appointments.
Negative Imperative
yo: no cites
Use negative imperative forms like 'no cites' (you singular) and 'no citen' (you plural) to forbid making appointments.