demandar Preterite Conjugation
demandar — to sue
Demandar is regular in the preterite: demandé, demandaste, demandó, demandamos, demandasteis, demandaron.
demandar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about the action of suing as a completed event in the past. For example, if someone sued yesterday or last year, and the action is finished.
Notes on demandar in the Preterite
Demandar is a regular -ar verb and follows the standard conjugation pattern in the preterite tense. The nosotros form 'demandamos' is identical to the present tense; context differentiates them.
Example Sentences
El año pasado, mi vecino demandó a la constructora.
Last year, my neighbor sued the construction company.
él/ella/usted
Yo demandé por daños y perjuicios.
I sued for damages.
yo
¿Demandasteis alguna vez a vuestro jefe?
Did you all ever sue your boss?
vosotros
Ellos demandaron al gobierno por la expropiación.
They sued the government for the expropriation.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'demandaba' instead of the preterite 'demandó' for a completed lawsuit.
Correct: Use 'demandó' to indicate the lawsuit was a specific, finished action.
Why: The preterite marks completed actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'demandó' (él/ella/usted) and 'demandé' (yo).
Correct: Ensure the accents are present: 'demandó' and 'demandé'.
Why: The accent marks the stressed syllable and distinguishes these forms from other tenses or words.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: demando
Demandar is regular in the present: demando, demandas, demanda, demandamos, demandáis, demandan.
Imperfect
yo: demandaba
Demandar is regular in the imperfect: demandaba, demandabas, demandaba, demandábamos, demandabais, demandaban.
Future
yo: demandaré
The future tense of demandar is regular: demandaré, demandarás, demandará, demandaremos, demandaréis, demandarán.
Conditional
yo: demandaría
The conditional of demandar is regular: demandaría, demandarías, demandaría, demandaríamos, demandaríais, demandarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: demunde
The present subjunctive of demandar (demande, demandes, etc.) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: demandara
The imperfect subjunctive of demandar (demandara/demandase) is used for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: demanda
Demand is a regular -ar verb in the imperative, with forms like demanda (tú) and demandad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no demandes
Negative commands for demandar use the present subjunctive: no demandes (tú), no demanden (ustedes).