constituir Preterite Conjugation
constituir — to constitute
In the preterite, constituir uses a 'y' in the third-person forms: constituyó and constituyeron.
constituir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for a completed action in the past, such as the specific moment a committee was formed or a law was established.
Notes on constituir in the Preterite
In the third person (singular and plural), the 'i' changes to a 'y' because it falls between two vowels (constitu-ió becomes constituyó).
Example Sentences
El grupo se constituyó el año pasado.
The group was formed last year.
él/ella/usted
Constituimos la asociación en una tarde.
We established the association in one afternoon.
nosotros
Esas pruebas constituyeron el fin del juicio.
Those proofs constituted the end of the trial.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: él constituió
Correct: él constituyó
Why: In Spanish, an unstressed 'i' between two vowels must change to a 'y'.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: constituyo
Constituir changes the 'u' to 'uy' in all forms except nosotros and vosotros: constituyo, constituyes, constituye, constituyen.
Imperfect
yo: constituía
Constituir is regular in the imperfect: constituía, constituías, constituía, constituíamos, constituíais, constituían.
Future
yo: constituiré
The future of constituir is regular: constituiré, constituirás, constituirá, constituiremos, constituiréis, constituirán.
Conditional
yo: constituiría
The conditional of constituir is regular: constituiría, constituirías, constituiría, constituiríamos, constituiríais, constituirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: constituya
The present subjunctive follows the 'yo' form of the present: constituya, constituyas, constituya, constituyamos, constituyáis, constituyan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: constituyera
The imperfect subjunctive is based on the preterite 'ellos' form: constituyera, constituyeras, constituyera, constituyéramos, constituyerais, constituyeran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: constituye
Use 'constituye' (tú) or 'constituya' (usted) to give formal orders to form or establish something.
Negative Imperative
yo: no constituyas
The negative imperative always uses the present subjunctive: no constituyas, no constituya, no constituyamos, no constituyáis, no constituyan.