colaborar Preterite Conjugation
colaborar — to collaborate
The preterite of colaborar is regular: colaboré, colaboraste, colaboró, colaboramos, colaborasteis, colaboraron.
colaborar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'colaborar' to talk about a specific instance or period of collaboration that started and finished in the past. It emphasizes the completion of the act.
Notes on colaborar in the Preterite
Colaborar is fully regular in the preterite. The 'nosotros' form 'colaboramos' is identical to the present tense; context clarifies the meaning.
Example Sentences
Ayer colaboré con mi vecino en su jardín.
Yesterday I collaborated with my neighbor in his garden.
yo
¿Colaboraste en la organización del evento?
Did you collaborate on organizing the event?
tú
El equipo colaboró mucho en la fase final.
The team collaborated a lot in the final phase.
él/ella/usted
Ellos colaboraron en la redacción del informe.
They collaborated on writing the report.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single act of collaboration: 'Colaboraba con ellos la semana pasada'.
Correct: Use the preterite for a completed action: 'Colaboré con ellos la semana pasada'.
Why: The preterite marks a specific, completed event, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual actions in the past.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form: 'Yo colaboro'.
Correct: The 'yo' preterite form is 'colaboré'.
Why: The accent on the final 'é' distinguishes the preterite 'yo' form from the present tense.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: colaboro
The present tense of colaborar is regular: colaboro, colaboras, colabora, colaboramos, colaboráis, colaboran.
Imperfect
yo: colaboraba
The imperfect of colaborar describes past habits or ongoing actions: colaboraba, colaborábamos, colaboraban.
Future
yo: colaboraré
The future tense of colaborar is regular: colaboraré, colaborarás, colaborará, colaboraremos, colaboraréis, colaborarán.
Conditional
yo: colaboraría
The conditional of colaborar is regular: colaboraría, colaborarías, colaboraría, colaboraríamos, colaboraríais, colaborarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: colabore
The present subjunctive of colaborar is used for wishes, doubts, and emotions: colabore, colaboremos, colaboren.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: colaborara
The imperfect subjunctive of colaborar expresses past hypotheticals or wishes: colaborara, colaboraras, colaborase.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: colabora
Use the imperative of colaborar for direct commands: colabora, colaboremos, colaboren, etc.
Negative Imperative
yo: no colabores
Negative commands use 'no' plus the present subjunctive: no colabores, no colaboremos, no colaboren.