contaminar Preterite Conjugation
contaminar — to pollute
The preterite of contaminar is regular: contaminé, contaminaste, contaminó, contaminamos, contaminasteis, contaminaron.
contaminar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions of polluting that were completed in the past and have a clear endpoint. For example, a specific instance where pollution occurred and then stopped.
Notes on contaminar in the Preterite
Contaminar is a regular -ar verb and follows the standard conjugation pattern in the preterite tense.
Example Sentences
Ayer, la fábrica contaminó el río.
Yesterday, the factory polluted the river.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros contaminamos demasiado el aire el año pasado.
We polluted the air too much last year.
nosotros
¿Contaminaste tú el suelo con esos químicos?
Did you pollute the soil with those chemicals?
tú
Ellos contaminaron la playa con su basura.
They polluted the beach with their trash.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a completed action.
Correct: For a specific, finished event of pollution, use the preterite: 'La empresa contaminó el río ayer'.
Why: The preterite marks completed actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions without a clear end.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'contaminó' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The third-person singular preterite form requires an accent: 'contaminó'.
Why: The accent on the 'o' indicates the stressed syllable and distinguishes it from other verb forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: contamino
The present indicative of contaminar (contamino, contaminas, etc.) describes current or habitual pollution.
Imperfect
yo: contaminaba
The imperfect of contaminar (contaminaba, contaminabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual pollution in the past.
Future
yo: contaminaré
The future tense of contaminar (contaminaré, contaminarás, etc.) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: contaminaría
The conditional of contaminar (contaminaría, contaminarías, etc.) expresses hypothetical outcomes ('would pollute').
Present Subjunctive
yo: contamine
The present subjunctive of contaminar (contamine, contamines, etc.) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: contaminara
The imperfect subjunctive of contaminar (contaminara/contaminase) expresses hypothetical or past subjunctive situations.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: contamina
Use the imperative of contaminar for direct commands like 'contamina' (tú) or 'contaminen' (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no contamines
Negative commands for contaminar use the present subjunctive, like 'no contamines' (tú) or 'no contaminen' (ustedes).