desistir Preterite Conjugation
desistir — to give up
The preterite of desistir is regular: desistí, desististe, desistió, desistimos, desististeis, desistieron.
desistir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite of 'desistir' to talk about a specific instance where someone stopped trying or gave up completely at a certain point in the past. It emphasizes the completion of the act of giving up.
Notes on desistir in the Preterite
Desistir is a regular -ir verb and follows all standard conjugation patterns in the preterite tense.
Example Sentences
Al final, desistí de mi intento de escalar la montaña.
In the end, I gave up on my attempt to climb the mountain.
yo
¿Tú desististe del proyecto porque era muy caro?
Did you give up on the project because it was too expensive?
tú
Ella desistió de seguir la carrera después del accidente.
She gave up pursuing the career after the accident.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros desistimos de la pelea cuando vimos que no tenía sentido.
We gave up the fight when we saw it made no sense.
nosotros
Los manifestantes desistieron después de horas de protesta.
The protesters gave up after hours of demonstration.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single act of giving up.
Correct: Use 'desistí' for a specific past action of giving up, like 'Desistí ayer'.
Why: The preterite marks a completed action, while the imperfect ('desistía') would imply a repeated or ongoing action of giving up in the past.
Mistake: Incorrect accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The correct form is 'desistí' with an accent on the 'í'.
Why: The accent on the final 'í' in the 'yo' preterite form is crucial for correct pronunciation and spelling.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: desisto
The present tense of desistir (desisto, desistes, etc.) means to give up habitually or right now.
Imperfect
yo: desistía
The imperfect of desistir (desistía, desistías, etc.) describes past habits or ongoing actions of giving up.
Future
yo: desistiré
The future tense of desistir (desistiré, desistirás, etc.) expresses that someone will give up.
Conditional
yo: desistiría
The conditional of desistir (desistiría, desistirías, etc.) expresses 'would give up' or polite suggestions.
Present Subjunctive
yo: desista
The present subjunctive of desistir (desista, desistas, etc.) follows expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: desistiera
The imperfect subjunctive of desistir (desistiera, desistieras, etc.) is used for past hypotheticals or polite requests.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: desiste
Desist has regular imperative forms like desiste, desista, desistamos, desistan, desistid.
Negative Imperative
yo: no desistas
Negative commands for desistir use 'no' + present subjunctive: no desistas, no desista, no desistamos, no desistan, no desistáis.