disputar Preterite Conjugation
disputar — to compete for
Completed past actions: 'Disputé' (I competed), 'Disputó' (he/she/you competed), 'Disputaron' (they competed).
disputar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for completed actions in the past related to competing or arguing. For example, 'They disputed the referee's call' or 'He competed for the championship last year'. It signifies an action that started and finished at a specific point in the past.
Notes on disputar in the Preterite
Disputar is a regular '-ar' verb in the preterite, so all its forms follow the standard conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
Ayer, Juan disputó el primer lugar en la carrera.
Yesterday, Juan competed for first place in the race.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros disputamos el partido hasta el último minuto.
We competed in the match until the last minute.
nosotros
¿Disputaste la decisión del juez?
Did you dispute the judge's decision?
tú
Los equipos disputaron la final con gran intensidad.
The teams competed in the final with great intensity.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect instead of the preterite for a single completed action.
Correct: For a specific event like 'He competed yesterday', use 'disputó', not 'disputaba'.
Why: The preterite is for completed actions with a clear beginning and end, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form.
Correct: The correct form is 'disputé', not 'dispute'.
Why: The accent on the 'é' indicates the past tense and distinguishes it from other forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: disputo
Habitual actions or things happening now: 'Yo disputo' (I compete), 'Ellos disputan' (they compete).
Imperfect
yo: disputaba
Ongoing or habitual past actions: 'Disputaba' (I used to compete), 'Disputaban' (they used to compete).
Future
yo: disputaré
Future actions: 'Disputaré' (I will compete), 'Disputarán' (they will compete).
Conditional
yo: disputaría
Hypothetical 'would' actions: 'Disputaría' (I would compete), 'Disputarían' (they would compete).
Present Subjunctive
yo: dispute
Used after wishes, doubts, emotions: 'Espero que disputemos' (I hope we compete), 'Dudo que disputen' (I doubt they compete).
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: disputara
Past subjunctive uses like 'si disputara' (if I competed) or 'para que disputaran' (so that they would compete).
Affirmative Imperative
yo: disputa
Commands like 'Disputa!' (you), 'Dispute!' (he/she/you formal), 'Disputemos!' (we), 'Disputad!' (you all, Spain), 'Disputen!' (you all).
Negative Imperative
yo: no disputes
Negative commands like 'No disputes!' (you), 'No dispute!' (he/she/you formal), 'No disputemos!' (we), 'No disputéis!' (you all, Spain), 'No disputen!' (you all).