Inklingo
A pair of hands opening and unfolding a colorful paper map.

desplegar Preterite Conjugation

desplegarto unfold

B1stem-changing -ar★★★★
Quick answer:

The preterite of desplegar is regular except for the 'yo' form, which changes to 'desplegué' to keep the hard 'g' sound.

desplegar Preterite Forms

yodesplegué
desplegaste
él/ella/usteddesplegó
nosotrosdesplegamos
vosotrosdesplegasteis
ellos/ellas/ustedesdesplegaron

When to Use the Preterite

Use the preterite for completed actions in the past, such as the moment someone unfolded a letter or the day a company deployed a new software update.

Notes on desplegar in the Preterite

The 'yo' form requires a spelling change from 'g' to 'gu' (desplegué) to maintain the hard 'g' sound before the 'é'. All other forms are regular -ar endings.

Example Sentences

  • Desplegué el mantel sobre la mesa.

    I unfolded the tablecloth on the table.

    yo

  • Él desplegó el periódico para leer las noticias.

    He unfolded the newspaper to read the news.

    él/ella/usted

  • Desplegaron una gran bandera en el estadio.

    They unfurled a large flag in the stadium.

    ellos/ellas/ustedes

Common Mistakes

  • Mistake: Writing 'desplegé' for the yo form.

    Correct: desplegué

    Why: Without the 'u', the 'g' would sound like an 'h' (des-ple-hé). The 'gu' is necessary to keep the hard 'g' sound.

Master Spanish verbs in context

Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'desplegar' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.

Related Tenses