combinar Preterite Conjugation
combinar — to combine
The preterite of combinar is regular: combiné, combinaste, combinó, combinamos, combinasteis, combinaron.
combinar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for completed actions in the past. Think of 'I combined X and Y at a specific time' or 'They combined their efforts once'. It's about finished events.
Notes on combinar in the Preterite
Combinar is a regular -ar verb, so its preterite conjugation follows the standard pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo combiné la harina con el azúcar.
I combined the flour with the sugar.
yo
¿Tú combinaste los colores como te dije?
Did you combine the colors like I told you?
tú
Ella combinó los ingredientes y horneó el pastel.
She combined the ingredients and baked the cake.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros combinamos nuestras estrategias para ganar.
We combined our strategies to win.
nosotros
Ellos combinaron sus ahorros para comprar la casa.
They combined their savings to buy the house.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single completed action.
Correct: For a specific, finished action like 'I combined them yesterday', use the preterite: 'Combiné'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, not single, completed ones.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The 'yo' form is 'combiné', with an accent on the 'é'.
Why: The accent marks the stress and distinguishes it from other forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: combino
The present tense 'combino', 'combinas', 'combina', 'combinamos', 'combináis', 'combinan' is used for current or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: combinaba
The imperfect forms 'combinaba', 'combinabas', 'combinaba', 'combinábamos', 'combinabais', 'combinaban' describe ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: combinaré
The future tense 'combinaré', 'combinarás', 'combinará', 'combinaremos', 'combinaréis', 'combinarán' indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: combinaría
The conditional forms 'combinaría', 'combinarías', 'combinaría', 'combinaríamos', 'combinaríais', 'combinarían' express 'would' actions.
Present Subjunctive
yo: combine
Use present subjunctive forms like 'combine' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'combinen' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: combinara
The imperfect subjunctive forms like 'combinara' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'combinaran' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) are used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: combina
Use imperative forms like 'combina' (tú) and 'combinen' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no combines
Use 'no combines' (tú) and 'no combinen' (ustedes) for negative commands, based on the present subjunctive.