fijar Preterite Conjugation
fijar — to set
The preterite of fijar is regular: fijé, fijaste, fijó, fijamos, fijasteis, fijaron, used for completed past actions.
fijar Preterite Forms
When to Use the Preterite
Use the preterite to talk about specific, completed actions of setting, fixing, or fastening in the past. For example, 'Ayer fijé la fecha del evento' (Yesterday I set the event date) or 'Fijó la vista en la pantalla' (He fixed his gaze on the screen). It emphasizes the action's completion.
Notes on fijar in the Preterite
Fijar is regular in the preterite tense. All the endings follow the standard pattern for -ar verbs.
Example Sentences
Ayer fijé el cuadro en la pared.
Yesterday I fixed the picture on the wall.
yo
¿Fijaste la alarma para las siete?
Did you set the alarm for seven?
tú
El carpintero fijó la puerta correctamente.
The carpenter fixed the door correctly.
él/ella/usted
Ellos fijaron su atención en el ponente.
They fixed their attention on the speaker.
ellos/ellas/ustedes
Common Mistakes
Mistake: Using 'fijamos' (preterite) when referring to a habitual action in the past.
Correct: For habitual past actions, use the imperfect: 'Fijábamos la mirada en el mar'.
Why: The preterite is for completed actions, while the imperfect is for ongoing or repeated actions in the past.
Mistake: Forgetting the accent on 'fijó' (él/ella/usted).
Correct: The third-person singular preterite form is 'fijó', with an accent on the 'o'.
Why: The accent indicates the stressed syllable and distinguishes it from other verb forms.
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Related Tenses
Present
yo: fijo
The present tense of fijar (fijo, fijas, fija, fijamos, fijáis, fijan) describes current or habitual actions.
Imperfect
yo: fijaba
The imperfect tense of fijar (fijaba, fijabas, fijaba, fijábamos, fijabais, fijaban) describes ongoing or habitual past actions.
Future
yo: fijaré
The future tense of fijar (fijaré, fijarás, fijará, fijaremos, fijaréis, fijarán) indicates actions that will happen.
Conditional
yo: fijaría
The conditional of fijar (fijaría, fijarías, fijaría, fijaríamos, fijaríais, fijarían) expresses hypotheticals ('would') or polite requests.
Present Subjunctive
yo: fije
The present subjunctive of fijar (fije, fijes, fije, fijemos, fijéis, fijen) is used after expressions of doubt, desire, emotion, or uncertainty.
Imperfect Subjunctive
yo: fijara
The imperfect subjunctive of fijar (fijara/fijase) is used for past hypotheticals, wishes, or doubts.
Affirmative Imperative
yo: fija
Use the imperative of fijar for direct commands: fija (tú), fije (usted), fijemos (nosotros), fijen (ustedes), fijad (vosotros).
Negative Imperative
yo: no fijes
Negative commands use 'no' plus the present subjunctive: no fijes (tú), no fije (usted), no fijemos (nosotros), no fijen (ustedes), no fijéis (vosotros).