descifrar Preterite Conjugation
descifrar — to decipher
The preterite of descifrar is regular: descifré, descifraste, descifró, desciframos, descifrasteis, descifraron.
descifrar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'descifrar' to talk about the specific, completed act of deciphering something in the past. It answers the question: 'Did you manage to decipher it?'
Notes on descifrar in the Preterite
Descifrar is fully regular in the preterite. Remember that the 'nosotros' form 'desciframos' is identical to the present indicative; context will clarify which tense is meant.
Example Sentences
Anoche, descifré el mensaje codificado.
Last night, I deciphered the coded message.
yo
¿Descifraste la última pista del juego?
Did you decipher the last clue of the game?
tú
El detective descifró el secreto detrás del símbolo.
The detective deciphered the secret behind the symbol.
él/ella/usted
Finalmente, ellos descifraron el patrón.
Finally, they deciphered the pattern.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'descifraba' for a single, completed act.
Correct: Use 'descifré' for a one-time, finished action.
Why: The preterite marks completed past actions, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on forms like 'descifró' or 'descifré'.
Correct: Add the written accent: 'descifró', 'descifré'.
Why: The accent marks the stressed syllable and distinguishes these forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: descifro
The present tense 'descifro', 'descifras', 'descifra' etc. is used for current actions, habits, and truths.
Imperfect
yo: descifraba
The imperfect 'descifraba' sets the scene or describes ongoing/habitual past actions.
Future
yo: descifraré
The future tense 'descifraré', 'descifrarás', etc., is for actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: descifraría
The conditional 'descifraría', 'descifrarías', etc., is for hypotheticals ('would') and polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: descifre
Use present subjunctive forms like 'descifre' (yo/él/ella/usted) for wishes, doubts, and emotions.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: descifrara
Use imperfect subjunctive forms like 'descifrara' or 'descifrase' for past hypotheticals or wishes.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: descifra
Use imperative forms like 'descifra!' (tú) and 'descifren' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no descifres
Negative commands like 'no descifres' (tú) use the present subjunctive with 'no'.