contagiar Preterite Conjugation
contagiar — to infect
Use the regular preterite 'contagié', 'contagiaste', 'contagió' for completed past actions.
contagiar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
The preterite is perfect for actions that started and finished at a specific point in the past. Think of it as a snapshot: 'He infected them yesterday,' or 'The virus spread quickly.'
Notes on contagiar in the Preterite
Contagiar is a regular -ar verb, so all its preterite forms follow the standard pattern: contagié, contagiaste, contagió, contagiamos, contagiasteis, contagiaron.
Example Sentences
Yo contagié la risa en la sala.
I spread the laughter in the room.
yo
¿Tú contagiaste el resfriado a tu hermano?
Did you give your brother the cold?
tú
El concierto contagió la euforia a los asistentes.
The concert infected the attendees with euphoria.
él/ella/usted
Ellos contagieron el entusiasmo por el proyecto.
They spread enthusiasm for the project.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed action.
Correct: For 'I spread the flu yesterday,' use 'contagié' (preterite), not 'contagiaba' (imperfect).
Why: The preterite marks the completion of the action, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'contagió' and 'contagié'.
Correct: The forms 'contagió' (él/ella/usted) and 'contagié' (yo) require an accent mark on the final 'o' and 'é' respectively.
Why: These accents distinguish the preterite forms from other verb forms and indicate the stressed syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: contagio
Use the regular present tense 'contagio', 'contagias', 'contagia' for current or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: contagiaba
Use imperfect 'contagiaba' for ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: contagiaré
Use the future 'contagiaré', 'contagiarás' for actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: contagiaría
Use conditional 'contagiaría' for hypotheticals ('would') or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: contagie
Use present subjunctive like 'contagie' after doubts, wishes, or emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: contagiara
The imperfect subjunctive, like 'contagiara' or 'contagiase', is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: contagia
Use imperative forms like 'contagia' (tú) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no contagies
Use 'no contagies' (tú) for negative commands, based on the present subjunctive.