compadecer Preterite Conjugation
compadecer — to pity
Compadecer is completely regular in the preterite: compadecí, compadeció.
compadecer Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to describe a specific moment when you felt pity or a finished instance of showing compassion.
Notes on compadecer in the Preterite
Unlike the present tense, there is no 'z' in the preterite. It follows the standard -er conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
En ese momento, compadecí al anciano.
In that moment, I pitied the old man.
yo
Él no compadeció a nadie durante el juicio.
He didn't pity anyone during the trial.
él/ella/usted
¿Nos compadecieron alguna vez?
Did they ever pity us?
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Yo compadezcí.
Correct: Yo compadecí.
Why: The 'zc' irregularity only occurs before 'o' and 'a'. In the preterite, the endings start with 'í', so the 'z' is not needed.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: compadezco
Compadecer is irregular in the first person (compadezco), but regular for all other forms.
Imperfect
yo: compadecía
Compadecer is regular in the imperfect: compadecía, compadecías.
Future
yo: compadeceré
Compadecer is regular in the future: compadeceré, compadecerás.
Conditional
yo: compadecería
Compadecer is regular in the conditional: compadecería, compadecerías.
Present Subjunctive
yo: compadezca
The present subjunctive uses the 'compadezc-' stem for all persons.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: compadeciera
The imperfect subjunctive is regular based on the third-person preterite stem: compadeciera.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: compadece
The imperative uses 'compadece' for tú and 'compadezca' for formal commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no compadezcas
Negative commands always use the 'zc' stem: no compadezcas.