
diluir Preterite Conjugation
diluir — to dilute
In the preterite, diluir is irregular in the third person (él/ellos), changing 'i' to 'y'.
diluir Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for completed past actions, like when you finished mixing a solution or when a crowd dispersed at a specific moment.
Notes on diluir in the Preterite
The 'i' in the ending changes to a 'y' in the third-person singular (diluyó) and plural (diluyeron). Also, note the accent on the 'í' in 'diluí'.
Example Sentences
Diluí el tinte en el balde.
I diluted the dye in the bucket.
yo
El químico diluyó la muestra cuidadosamente.
The chemist diluted the sample carefully.
él/ella/usted
Las nubes se diluyeron después de la tormenta.
The clouds dispersed after the storm.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: diluio
Correct: diluyó
Why: An unstressed 'i' between two vowels in Spanish usually changes to a 'y' (the 'i' in -io becomes 'y').
Master Spanish verbs in context
Memorizing tables only gets you so far. Read 200+ illustrated and narrated Spanish stories to see verbs like 'diluir' used naturally — in the tenses you're learning.
Related Tenses
Present
yo: diluyo
The present tense of diluir is irregular, adding a 'y' before the endings in all forms except nosotros and vosotros.
Imperfect
yo: diluía
The imperfect of diluir is regular: diluía, diluías, diluía, diluíamos, diluíais, diluían.
Future
yo: diluiré
The future tense of diluir is regular: diluiré, diluirás, diluirá, diluiremos, diluiréis, diluirán.
Conditional
yo: diluiría
The conditional of diluir is regular: diluiría, diluirías, diluiría, diluiríamos, diluiríais, diluirían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: diluya
The present subjunctive of diluir keeps the 'y' from the 'yo' form: diluya, diluyas, diluya, diluyamos, diluyáis, diluyan.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: diluyera
The imperfect subjunctive is based on the preterite 'ellos' form: diluyera, diluyeras, diluyera, diluyéramos, diluyerais, diluyeran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: diluye
Use the imperative to give orders: diluye (tú), diluya (usted), diluyamos (nosotros), diluid (vosotros), diluyan (ustedes).
Negative Imperative
yo: no diluyas
The negative imperative uses the present subjunctive: no diluyas, no diluya, no diluyamos, no diluyáis, no diluyan.