custodiar Preterite Conjugation
custodiar — to guard
The preterite of custodiar is regular: custodié, custodiaron, custodió, custodiaste.
custodiar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of custodiar for actions of guarding that started and finished at a specific point in the past. For example, 'Ayer custodié la puerta durante cuatro horas' (Yesterday I guarded the door for four hours) or 'El guardia custodió el edificio toda la noche' (The guard guarded the building all night).
Notes on custodiar in the Preterite
Custodiar is a regular -ar verb, so its conjugation in the preterite follows the standard pattern: custodié, custodiasté, custodió, custodiamos, custodiastéis, custodiaron.
Example Sentences
Yo custodié el tesoro anoche.
I guarded the treasure last night.
yo
¿Tú custodiasté la salida?
Did you guard the exit?
tú
El policía custodió la zona.
The police officer guarded the area.
él/ella/usted
Ellos custodiaron el secreto familiar.
They guarded the family secret.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'custodié' instead of 'custodié' (yo form).
Correct: The correct preterite for 'yo' is 'custodié', with an accent on the final 'é'.
Why: The accent is crucial to distinguish the preterite 'yo' form and indicate the stress.
Mistake: Confusing the preterite 'custodiamos' with the present indicative 'custodiamos'.
Correct: Context is key. 'Custodiamos la entrada ayer' (preterite) vs. 'Custodiamos la entrada cada día' (present).
Why: These forms are identical, and the surrounding words or time markers clarify the tense.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: custodio
The present tense 'custodio' (yo) or 'custodian' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) describes current or habitual guarding actions.
Imperfect
yo: custodiaba
The imperfect 'custodiaba' (él/ella/usted) or 'custodiaban' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) describes past ongoing or habitual guarding.
Future
yo: custodiaré
The future tense 'custodiaré' (yo) or 'custodiarán' (ellos/ellas/ustedes) indicates future guarding actions.
Conditional
yo: custodiaría
The conditional 'custodiaría' (yo) expresses hypothetical guarding or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: custodie
The present subjunctive 'custodie' (él/ella/usted) or 'custodies' (tú) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: custodiara
The imperfect subjunctive (custodiara/custodiase) expresses hypothetical past actions or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: custodia
Use the imperative 'custodia' (tú) and 'custodie' (usted) for direct commands to guard.
Negative Imperative
yo: no custodies
Use 'no' with the present subjunctive, like 'no custodies' (tú) or 'no custodie' (usted), for negative commands.