desconfiar Preterite Conjugation
desconfiar — to distrust
The preterite of desconfiar is regular: desconfié, desconfiaste, desconfió, desconfiamos, desconfiasteis, desconfiaron.
desconfiar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to pin-point the specific moment someone started to feel distrust or a specific instance where trust was broken.
Notes on desconfiar in the Preterite
Desconfiar is regular in the preterite. Note that 'desconfié' (yo) and 'desconfió' (él/ella) require accents on the final vowel per standard -ar verb rules.
Example Sentences
Desconfié de él en cuanto lo vi.
I distrusted him as soon as I saw him.
yo
Ella desconfió de la oferta desde el primer momento.
She distrusted the offer from the first moment.
él/ella/usted
Ayer desconfiamos de sus intenciones.
Yesterday we distrusted his intentions.
nosotros
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing 'desconfiamos' (past) with 'desconfiamos' (present).
Correct: Use context clues.
Why: The nosotros form is identical in both tenses, which is common for all -ar verbs.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: desconfío
The present indicative of desconfiar requires an accent on the 'í' in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect
yo: desconfiaba
The imperfect of desconfiar is regular: desconfiaba, desconfiabas, desconfiaba...
Future
yo: desconfiaré
The future tense of desconfiar is fully regular: desconfiaré, desconfiarás, desconfiará...
Conditional
yo: desconfiaría
The conditional of desconfiar is regular: desconfiaría, desconfiarías, desconfiaría...
Present Subjunctive
yo: desconfíe
The present subjunctive of desconfiar features an accent on the 'í' for all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: desconfiara
The imperfect subjunctive of desconfiar is regular, built from the third-person plural preterite: desconfiara.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: desconfía
The imperative of desconfiar uses the accent on the 'í' for singular and plural commands (except vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no desconfíes
The negative imperative of desconfiar follows the present subjunctive forms: no desconfíes, no desconfíe...