decretar Preterite Conjugation
decretar — to decree
The preterite of decretar is regular: decreté, decretaste, decretó, decretamos, decretasteis, decretaron.
decretar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of decretar for a specific, completed action of decreeing something in the past. It emphasizes the act of issuing the decree as a finished event.
Notes on decretar in the Preterite
Decretar is regular in the preterite tense. All forms follow the standard -ar verb pattern.
Example Sentences
El rey decretó nuevas leyes para el reino.
The king decreed new laws for the kingdom.
él/ella/usted
Ayer decretamos la suspensión de actividades.
Yesterday we decreed the suspension of activities.
nosotros
¿Decretaste tú esa norma?
Did you decree that rule?
tú
Ellos decretaron el fin de la guerra.
They decreed the end of the war.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect tense instead of the preterite.
Correct: Use 'decretó' for a single, completed decree, not 'decretaba'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, while the preterite marks a specific, finished event.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'decretó' (él/ella/usted) or 'decreté' (yo).
Correct: Ensure the accent is present: 'decretó' and 'decreté'.
Why: The accent marks the stress on the final syllable for these specific preterite forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: decreto
The present tense of decretar is regular: decreto, decretas, decreta, decretamos, decretáis, decretan.
Imperfect
yo: decretaba
The imperfect of decretar is regular: decretaba, decretabas, decretaba, decretábamos, decretabais, decretaban.
Future
yo: decretaré
The future of decretar is regular: decretaré, decretarás, decretará, decretaremos, decretaréis, decretarán.
Conditional
yo: decretaría
The conditional of decretar is regular: decretaría, decretarías, decretaría, decretaríamos, decretaríais, decretarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: decrete
The present subjunctive of decretar (decrete, decretes, etc.) expresses wishes, doubts, or emotions about current or future actions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: decretara
The imperfect subjunctive of decretar (decretara, decretaras, etc.) is used for past hypotheticals or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: decreta
The imperative of decretar is used for direct commands: decreta, decrete, decretemos, decretad, decreten.
Negative Imperative
yo: no decretes
Negative commands use 'no' + present subjunctive forms: no decretes, no decrete, no decretemos, no decretéis, no decreten.