derrotar Preterite Conjugation
derrotar — to defeat
The preterite of derrotar is regular: derroté, derrotaste, derrotó, derrotamos, derrotasteis, derrotaron, used for completed past actions.
derrotar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite tense for actions in the past that have a clear beginning and end. For 'derrotar', it's about successfully defeating someone or something at a specific point in time. Example: 'El equipo derrotó a sus rivales en la final.' (The team defeated their rivals in the final).
Notes on derrotar in the Preterite
Derrotar is regular in the preterite. All forms follow the standard conjugation pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Yo derroté al campeón mundial.
I defeated the world champion.
yo
Tú derrotaste a todos los enemigos.
You defeated all the enemies.
tú
Ella derrotó la resistencia fácilmente.
She defeated the resistance easily.
él/ella/usted
Ellos derrotaron al equipo local.
They defeated the local team.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a completed action.
Correct: For a single, finished event of defeating someone, use the preterite: 'Derrotó al oponente', not 'Derrotaba al oponente'.
Why: The preterite marks completion, while the imperfect indicates duration or repetition.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The 'yo' form is 'derroté' with an accent on the final 'e'.
Why: The accent is crucial to distinguish it from other forms and indicate stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: derroto
The present tense, like 'derroto' (I defeat) and 'derrotan' (they defeat), describes current actions, habits, or general truths.
Imperfect
yo: derrotaba
The imperfect tense, like 'derrotaba' (I used to defeat) and 'derrotaban' (they used to defeat), describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: derrotaré
The future tense, like 'derrotaré' (I will defeat) and 'derrotarán' (they will defeat), indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: derrotaría
The conditional tense, like 'derrotaría' (I would defeat) and 'derrotarían' (they would defeat), expresses hypotheticals or polite suggestions.
Present Subjunctive
yo: derrote
Use present subjunctive forms like 'derrote' (yo/él/ella/Ud.) and 'derroten' (ellos/ellas/Uds.) after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: derrotara
The imperfect subjunctive, like 'derrotara' or 'derrotase', is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: derrota
Use imperative forms like 'derrota' (tú) and 'derroten' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no derrotes
Negative commands use 'no' plus the present subjunctive, like 'no derrotes' (tú) and 'no derroten' (ustedes).