congelar Preterite Conjugation
congelar — to freeze
Use 'congelé', 'congelaste', 'congeló' for completed freezing actions in the past.
congelar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
The preterite is for actions that started and finished at a specific point in the past. Think of freezing something quickly, or deciding to freeze a certain amount of food on a particular day. It's about a completed event.
Notes on congelar in the Preterite
Congelar is a regular -ar verb in the preterite. All the forms follow the standard pattern: congelé, congelaste, congeló, congelamos, congelasteis, congelaron.
Example Sentences
Congelé las fresas para el invierno.
I froze the strawberries for the winter.
yo
¿Congelaste la sopa ayer?
Did you freeze the soup yesterday?
tú
Ella congeló el pago hasta que el producto llegó.
She froze the payment until the product arrived.
él/ella/usted
Congelamos la carne que compramos.
We froze the meat we bought.
nosotros
Ellos congelaron el proyecto por falta de fondos.
They froze the project due to lack of funds.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect ('congelaba') instead of the preterite ('congelé') for a single completed action.
Correct: For a specific action that happened and finished, use the preterite: 'Congelé la comida'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, while the preterite describes completed ones.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The 'yo' form is 'congelé', with an accent on the 'e'.
Why: The accent distinguishes the preterite 'yo' form from other similar forms and indicates the stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: congelo
Use 'congelo', 'congelas', 'congela' for current, habitual, or general freezing actions.
Imperfect
yo: congelaba
Use 'congelaba', 'congelabas' for ongoing or habitual past freezing actions.
Future
yo: congelaré
Use 'congelaré', 'congelarás' for actions that will happen in the future.
Conditional
yo: congelaría
Use 'congelaría' for hypothetical 'would' situations or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: congele
Use 'congele' and 'congelen' after wishes, doubts, and emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: congelara
Use 'congelara' or 'congelase' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: congela
Use imperative forms like 'congela' and 'congelen' for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no congeles
Use 'no congele(s)' etc. for negative commands, based on the present subjunctive.