exclamar Preterite Conjugation
exclamar — to exclaim
The preterite of exclamar is regular: exclamé, exclamaste, exclamó, exclamamos, exclamasteis, exclamaron.
exclamar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite for completed actions in the past. If someone exclaimed something at a specific moment, like shouting '¡Gol!' when a goal was scored, the preterite is the tense to use.
Notes on exclamar in the Preterite
Exclamar is a regular -ar verb and is completely regular in the preterite tense. All forms follow the standard conjugation pattern.
Example Sentences
Yo exclamé de alegría cuando recibí la noticia.
I exclaimed with joy when I received the news.
yo
¿Tú exclamaste algo interesante?
Did you exclaim something interesting?
tú
Ella exclamó '¡Qué bonito!' al ver el paisaje.
She exclaimed 'How beautiful!' upon seeing the landscape.
él/ella/usted
Ellos exclamaron al mismo tiempo.
They exclaimed at the same time.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using the imperfect 'exclamaba' instead of the preterite 'exclamó' for a single, completed exclamation.
Correct: For a specific instance of exclaiming, use the preterite: 'Él exclamó'.
Why: The imperfect describes ongoing or habitual past actions, while the preterite describes completed ones.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'exclamó' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The accent on the 'ó' is required: 'exclamó'.
Why: The accent distinguishes this form and indicates the stressed syllable.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: exclamo
Use 'exclamo' (yo) and 'exclaman' (ustedes) for actions happening now or habitual exclamations.
Imperfect
yo: exclamaba
Use 'exclamaba' (yo/él/ella/usted) for ongoing or habitual past exclamations.
Future
yo: exclamaré
Use 'exclamaré' (yo) and 'exclamarán' (ustedes) for actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: exclamaría
Use 'exclamaría' (yo/él/ella/usted) for hypotheticals ('would exclaim').
Present Subjunctive
yo: exclame
Use 'exclame' (yo/él/ella/usted) and 'exclamen' (ustedes) for wishes, doubts, or emotions with exclamar.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: exclamara
Use 'exclamara' or 'exclamase' for past hypotheticals, wishes, or uncertainty with exclamar.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: exclama
Use 'exclama' (tú) and 'exclamen' (ustedes) for direct commands with exclamar.
Negative Imperative
yo: no exclames
Use 'no exclames' (tú) and 'no exclamé' (usted) for negative commands with exclamar.