expresar Preterite Conjugation
expresar — to express
The preterite of expresar is regular: expresé, expresaste, expresó, expresamos, expresasteis, expresaron.
expresar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to mention a specific moment when someone voiced a concern or made a statement. It refers to a completed act of communication in the past.
Notes on expresar in the Preterite
Expresar is regular in the preterite. Be careful with the accent on the 'yo' and 'él/ella/usted' forms to distinguish them from other tenses.
Example Sentences
Expresé mi gratitud al final de la cena.
I expressed my gratitude at the end of the dinner.
yo
Él expresó su descontento ayer.
He expressed his discontent yesterday.
él/ella/usted
Ellos expresaron sus dudas durante la clase.
They expressed their doubts during the class.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: expreso (without accent) for the past tense.
Correct: expresó
Why: Without the accent, 'expreso' is the present tense 'I express', whereas 'expresó' is 'he/she expressed'.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: expreso
The present tense of expresar is regular: expreso, expresas, expresa, expresamos, expresáis, expresan.
Imperfect
yo: expresaba
The imperfect of expresar follows the standard -aba pattern: expresaba, expresabas, expresaba, expresábamos, expresabais, expresaban.
Future
yo: expresaré
The future of expresar is regular: expresaré, expresarás, expresará, expresaremos, expresaréis, expresarán.
Conditional
yo: expresaría
The conditional of expresar is regular: expresaría, expresarías, expresaría, expresaríamos, expresaríais, expresarían.
Present Subjunctive
yo: exprese
The present subjunctive of expresar uses -e endings: exprese, expreses, exprese, expresemo, expreséis, expresen.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: expresara
The imperfect subjunctive of expresar uses the -ara stem: expresara, expresaras, expresara, expresáramos, expresarais, expresaran.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: expresa
The affirmative imperative of expresar uses: expresa (tú), exprese (usted), expresad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no expreses
The negative imperative of expresar uses present subjunctive forms: no expreses, no exprese, no expreséis.