descuidar Preterite Conjugation
descuidar — to neglect
The preterite of descuidar is regular: descuidé, descuidaste, descuidó, descuidamos, descuidasteis, descuidaron.
descuidar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'descuidar' to talk about a specific instance in the past where you or someone else neglected something and it was a completed action. For example, 'I neglected my homework yesterday' or 'He neglected to lock the door.'
Notes on descuidar in the Preterite
Descuidar is fully regular in the preterite. All forms follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Ayer descuidé mis llaves en el coche.
Yesterday I neglected my keys in the car.
yo
¿Descuidaste llamar a tu abuela?
Did you neglect to call your grandmother?
tú
Ella descuidó su salud durante la enfermedad.
She neglected her health during the illness.
él/ella/usted
Los estudiantes descuidaron la tarea.
The students neglected the homework.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single, completed act of neglect.
Correct: Say 'Descuidé la cita' (I neglected the appointment - completed action), not 'Descuidaba la cita' (I used to neglect / was neglecting the appointment - ongoing/habitual).
Why: The preterite marks a finished action, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The correct form is 'descuidé', not 'descuide'.
Why: The accent on the 'é' is crucial to indicate the preterite tense and the stress on the final syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: descuido
The present tense of descuidar (descuido, descuidas, etc.) describes current actions, habits, or general truths about neglecting things.
Imperfect
yo: descuidaba
The imperfect of descuidar (descuidaba, descuidabas, etc.) describes ongoing or habitual past neglect.
Future
yo: descuidaré
The future tense of descuidar (descuidaré, descuidarás, etc.) indicates actions that will happen or expresses probability about neglecting something.
Conditional
yo: descuidaría
The conditional of descuidar (descuidaría, descuidarías, etc.) is used for hypotheticals ('would'), polite requests, and future-in-the-past.
Present Subjunctive
yo: descuide
The present subjunctive of descuidar (descuide, descuides, etc.) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: descuidara
The imperfect subjunctive of descuidar (descuidara/descuidase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, and polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: descuida
Use the imperative of descuidar for direct commands: descuida (tú), descuide (usted), descuidemos (nosotros), descuiden (ustedes), descuidad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no descuides
Negative commands use the present subjunctive: no descuides (tú), no descuide (usted), no descuidemos (nosotros), no descuiden (ustedes), no descuidéis (vosotros).