constar Preterite Conjugation
constar — to consist of
The preterite of constar is regular: consté, constaste, constó, constamos, constasteis, constaron.
constar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of constar to indicate that something consisted of specific things at a particular, completed moment in the past. For example, 'The committee consisted of five members last year.'
Notes on constar in the Preterite
Constar is regular in the preterite tense. All forms follow the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
El comité constó de cinco miembros el año pasado.
The committee consisted of five members last year.
él/ella/usted
La negociación constó de varias etapas.
The negotiation consisted of several stages.
él/ella/usted
Ayer constamos que la lista era correcta.
Yesterday we confirmed that the list was correct.
nosotros
Constaron los hechos tal como los vimos.
The facts consisted of what we saw.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect tense ('constaba') instead of the preterite ('constó') for a completed past state.
Correct: Use 'constó' when referring to a specific, completed composition in the past.
Why: The preterite marks completed actions or states, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past situations.
Mistake: Confusing the 'nosotros' preterite ('constamos') with the present tense ('constamos').
Correct: Context will usually make it clear whether 'constamos' refers to a completed action (preterite) or a present state (present).
Why: The 'nosotros' form is identical in both the present and preterite indicative for regular -ar verbs.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: consto
The present indicative of constar is regular: consto, constas, consta, constamos, constáis, constan.
Imperfect
yo: constaba
The imperfect of constar is regular: constaba, constabas, constaba, constábamos, constabais, constaban.
Future
yo: constaré
The future of constar is regular: constaré, constarás, constará, constaremos, constaréis, constarán.
Conditional
yo: constaría
The conditional of constar is regular: constaría, constarías, constaría, constaríamos, constaríais, constarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: conste
The present subjunctive of constar (conste, constes, constemos, consten) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: constara
The imperfect subjunctive of constar (constara/constase) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: consta
The imperative of constar is mostly regular, with commands like 'consta' (tú) and 'constad' (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no constes
The negative imperative of constar uses the present subjunctive, e.g., 'no constes' (tú) and 'no consten' (ustedes).