defenderse Preterite Conjugation
defenderse — to defend oneself
The preterite of defenderse is completely regular, following standard -er endings.
defenderse Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use it to describe a specific instance where someone stood up for themselves or protected themselves from an attack.
Notes on defenderse in the Preterite
Unlike the present tense, there is no stem change in the preterite. The 'e' remains an 'e' throughout the conjugation.
Example Sentences
Me defendí de las acusaciones en la reunión.
I defended myself against the accusations in the meeting.
yo
Se defendieron con mucha valentía.
They defended themselves with a lot of courage.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Te defendiste muy bien en el debate.
You defended yourself very well in the debate.
tú
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Él se defindió.
Correct: Él se defendió.
Why: Learners often try to apply a stem change here, but defenderse is regular in the preterite.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: me defiendo
The present of defenderse is stem-changing (e-ie) in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect
yo: me defendía
The imperfect of defenderse is regular: me defendía, te defendías, se defendía...
Future
yo: me defenderé
The future of defenderse is regular: me defenderé, te defenderás, se defenderá...
Conditional
yo: me defendería
The conditional is regular: me defendería, te defenderías, se defendería...
Present Subjunctive
yo: me defienda
The present subjunctive keeps the e-ie stem change in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: me defendiera
The imperfect subjunctive uses the 'defendier-' stem: me defendiera, te defendieras...
Affirmative Imperative
yo: defiéndete
In the affirmative imperative, pronouns attach to the end: defiéndete, defiéndase.
Negative Imperative
yo: no te defiendas
The negative imperative uses 'no' + present subjunctive: no te defiendas.