distanciar Preterite Conjugation
distanciar — to space out
The preterite of distanciar is regular: distancié, distanciaste, distanció, distanciamos, distanciasteis, distanciaron.
distanciar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for actions of distancing that were completed at a specific point in the past. Think of it as a snapshot: 'I spaced out the chairs for the meeting' (and then the meeting started). It's about a finished action.
Notes on distanciar in the Preterite
Distanciar is fully regular in the preterite. All the forms follow the standard -ar preterite endings: -é, -aste, -ó, -amos, -asteis, -aron.
Example Sentences
Yo distancié los muebles para que cupiera la mesa.
I spaced the furniture out so the table would fit.
yo
¿Tú te distanciaste de tus amigos después de la discusión?
Did you distance yourself from your friends after the argument?
tú
Él distanció su silla del escritorio.
He spaced his chair from the desk.
él/ella/usted
Nosotros distanciamos las plantas en el jardín.
We spaced the plants in the garden.
nosotros
Ellos distanciaron sus opiniones durante el debate.
They distanced their opinions during the debate.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'distanciaba' instead of 'distanció' for a single completed action.
Correct: Use 'distanció' for a one-time completed act: 'Distanció las sillas'.
Why: The preterite marks a specific, finished event, while the imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'distanció' (él/ella/usted form).
Correct: It should be 'distanció', with the accent on the 'ó'.
Why: The accent distinguishes it from the nosotros present tense form 'distanciamos' and indicates the stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: distancio
The present tense of distanciar is regular: distancio, distancias, distancia, distanciamos, distanciáis, distancian.
Imperfect
yo: distanciaba
The imperfect of distanciar is regular: distanciaba, distanciabas, distanciaba, distanciábamos, distanciabais, distanciaban.
Future
yo: distanciaré
The future tense of distanciar is regular: distanciaré, distanciarás, distanciará, etc.
Conditional
yo: distanciaría
The conditional of distanciar is regular: distanciaría, distanciarías, distanciaría, etc.
Present Subjunctive
yo: distancie
Use 'distancie', 'distancies', 'distanciemos', etc., after expressions of doubt, desire, or emotion.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: distanciara
Use 'distanciara' or 'distanciase' for past hypothetical situations or wishes, like 'If I spaced out...'.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: distancia
Use 'distancia', 'distancie', 'distanciemos', 'distancien', 'distanciad' for direct commands with 'distanciar'.
Negative Imperative
yo: no distancies
Negative commands use 'no' plus the present subjunctive: 'no distancies', 'no distancie', etc.