desfilar Preterite Conjugation
desfilar — to parade
The preterite of desfilar is regular: desfilé, desfilaste, desfiló, desfilamos, desfilasteis, desfilaron.
desfilar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for completed actions of parading that happened at a specific time or had a clear beginning and end. For instance, 'El ejército desfiló ayer' (The army paraded yesterday).
Notes on desfilar in the Preterite
Desfilar is fully regular in the preterite tense. All forms follow the standard -ar conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
Ayer desfilé en el desfile de independencia.
Yesterday I paraded in the independence day parade.
yo
¿Desfilaste con la banda escolar?
Did you parade with the school band?
tú
La compañía desfiló orgullosamente.
The company paraded proudly.
él/ella/usted
Los estudiantes desfilaron al final del evento.
The students paraded at the end of the event.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'desfilaba' instead of the preterite 'desfiló' for a single, completed parade.
Correct: For a parade that finished yesterday, use the preterite: 'El desfile desfiló'.
Why: Preterite indicates a completed action, while imperfect suggests duration or habit in the past.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: desfilo
The present tense (desfilo, desfilas, desfila) describes actions happening now or habitual parading.
Imperfect
yo: desfilaba
The imperfect of desfilar (desfilaba) describes ongoing or habitual past parades.
Future
yo: desfilaré
The future tense (desfilaré) indicates actions that will happen, or expresses probability.
Conditional
yo: desfilaría
The conditional (desfilaría) is for hypothetical parades ('would parade') or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: desfile
Present subjunctive (desfile) follows expressions of desire, doubt, emotion, and uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: desfilara
The imperfect subjunctive (desfilara/desfilase) is for past hypotheticals, wishes, or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: desfila
Use imperative forms like 'desfila' (tú) and 'desfilen' (ustedes) for direct commands.
Negative Imperative
yo: no desfiles
Negative commands use 'no' plus the present subjunctive, like 'no desfiles' (tú) or 'no desfilen' (ustedes).