ensayar Preterite Conjugation
ensayar — to rehearse
The preterite of ensayar is regular: ensayé, ensayaste, ensayó, ensayamos, ensayasteis, ensayaron.
ensayar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about a specific, completed instance of rehearsing in the past. For example, rehearsing a play yesterday or a song last week.
Notes on ensayar in the Preterite
Ensayar is a regular -ar verb and is fully regular in the preterite tense. All forms are conjugated according to the standard rules for regular -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Ayer ensayamos la obra completa.
Yesterday we rehearsed the complete play.
nosotros
Ella ensayó su discurso toda la noche.
She rehearsed her speech all night.
él/ella/usted
¿Tú ensayaste para la audición?
Did you rehearse for the audition?
tú
Los músicos ensayaron la sinfonía por última vez.
The musicians rehearsed the symphony one last time.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Confusing the preterite 'ensayamos' with the present indicative 'ensayamos'.
Correct: The form is the same, but context clarifies whether it's a completed action (preterite) or a habitual one (present).
Why: This is a common feature of regular -ar verbs in the preterite and present indicative for the 'nosotros' form.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on the 'yo' form, writing 'ensayo' instead of 'ensayé'.
Correct: The preterite yo form is 'ensayé' with an accent on the 'e'.
Why: The accent distinguishes the preterite yo form from the present indicative 'yo ensayo' and indicates the stress.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: ensayo
The present indicative of ensayar is regular: ensayo, ensayas, ensaya, ensayamos, ensayáis, ensayan.
Imperfect
yo: ensayaba
The imperfect of ensayar is regular: ensayaba, ensayabas, ensayaba, ensayábamos, ensayabais, ensayaban.
Future
yo: ensayaré
The future of ensayar is regular: ensayaré, ensayarás, ensayará, ensayaremos, ensayaréis, ensayarán.
Conditional
yo: ensayaría
The conditional of ensayar is regular: ensayaría, ensayarías, ensayaría, ensayaríamos, ensayaríais, ensayarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: ensaye
The present subjunctive of ensayar (ensaye, ensayes) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: ensayara
The imperfect subjunctive of ensayar (ensayara/ensayase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: ensaya
The imperative of ensayar uses regular -ar endings, except for tú which is ensaya.
Negative Imperative
yo: no ensayes
Negative commands for ensayar use the present subjunctive: no ensayes, no ensaye, no ensayemos, no ensayéis, no ensayen.