cursar Preterite Conjugation
cursar — to study
Use 'cursé', 'cursaste', 'cursó', 'cursamos', 'cursasteis', 'cursaron' for completed past studies.
cursar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
The preterite is used to talk about specific, completed instances of studying in the past. For example, finishing a particular course, completing a semester, or the act of enrolling in a subject at a defined time.
Notes on cursar in the Preterite
'Cursar' is a regular -ar verb, so it follows the standard conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. All forms are regular.
Example Sentences
Yo cursé la carrera de ingeniería en tres años.
I studied the engineering degree in three years.
yo
¿Tú cursaste esa materia el semestre pasado?
Did you study that subject last semester?
tú
Ella cursó estudios de arte en Italia.
She studied art in Italy.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros cursamos el programa intensivo.
We studied the intensive program.
nosotros
Ellos cursaron la escuela primaria juntos.
They studied primary school together.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing the preterite 'cursamos' with the present indicative 'cursamos'.
Correct: Context usually clarifies, but be mindful of the time frame being discussed.
Why: The 'nosotros' form is identical in both tenses. If talking about a specific past event, it's preterite; if talking about a general or ongoing habit, it's present.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'cursó' for él/ella/usted.
Correct: The correct form is 'cursó' with an accent on the 'ó'.
Why: The accent on the final vowel is crucial for distinguishing the él/ella/usted preterite form from other verb forms or tenses.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: curso
Use 'curso', 'cursas', 'cursa', 'cursamos', 'cursáis', 'cursan' for current, habitual, or general studies.
Imperfect
yo: cursaba
Use 'cursaba', 'cursabas', 'cursaba', 'cursábamos', 'cursabais', 'cursaban' for ongoing or habitual past studies.
Future
yo: cursaré
Use 'cursaré', 'cursarás', 'cursará', 'cursaremos', 'cursaréis', 'cursarán' for future studies or probability.
Conditional
yo: cursaría
Use 'cursaría', 'cursarías', 'cursaría', 'cursaríamos', 'cursaríais', 'cursarían' for hypothetical or polite study plans.
Present Subjunctive
yo: curse
Use 'curse' (yo/él/ella/usted), 'curses' (tú), 'cursemos' (nosotros), 'cursen' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) for wishes, doubts, emotions, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: cursara
Use 'cursara' or 'cursase' for past hypothetical situations, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: cursa
Use 'cursa' (tú), 'curse' (usted), 'cursemos' (nosotros), 'curen' (ustedes), 'cursad' (vosotros) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no curses
Use 'no curses' (tú), 'no curse' (usted), 'no cursemos' (nosotros), 'no cursen' (ustedes), 'no curséis' (vosotros) for negative commands.