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contraer Preterite Conjugation

contraerto contract

B1irregular -er★★★★
Quick answer:

The preterite of contraer is highly irregular, using a 'j' stem: contraje, contrajiste, contrajo.

contraer Preterite Forms

yocontraje
contrajiste
él/ella/ustedcontrajo
nosotroscontrajimos
vosotroscontrajisteis
ellos/ellas/ustedescontrajeron

When to Use the Preterite

Use this for completed past actions, such as the moment someone caught a disease or signed a formal contract.

Notes on contraer in the Preterite

It follows the 'traer' pattern. The stem changes to 'contraj-' and it uses special endings without accents. Note that the 'ellos' form is 'contrajeron', not 'contrajeron'.

Example Sentences

  • Él contrajo matrimonio en una pequeña iglesia.

    He got married (contracted marriage) in a small church.

    él/ella/usted

  • Contraje una gripe terrible durante el viaje.

    I caught a terrible flu during the trip.

    yo

  • Ellos contrajeron nupcias el verano pasado.

    They got married last summer.

    ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Writing 'contrajeron' with an 'i' (contrajieron).

    Correct: The correct form is 'contrajeron'.

    Why: Verbs with a 'j' stem in the preterite drop the 'i' in the 'ellos' ending.

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Related Tenses